Dylan Cooper and Jenny Fay win inaugural Real Insurance XCM series at Highland Fling 2011
Trek Japan Team’s Dylan Cooper showed a tremendous performance in the inaugural Real Insurance XCM series, after outdoing Avanti Plus’ rider, Ben Mather, at the Highland Fling 2011.
In a thrilling finish, Cooper crossed the finish-line with a timing of 4 hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds, whereas Mather finished in the second place with the same finishing time as Cooper.
In the first KOM mark, Cooper displayed good effort. However, he went 10 seconds off-pace as Dan McConnell gained the top points. He was followed by three cyclists, Mather, Marc Williams and Andy Blair.
Although Matt Fleming (Rockstar Racing) tried to gain a lead at the KOM point, he was five minutes down to the pack and secured the 11th overall position.
In the last kilometres, Cooper fought back and increased his pace to take the victory, ahead of the other cyclists. He also won $6,500 as prize money.
After winning the stage, he was quiet happy with his performance and said, "The XCM Series has lifted the profile of mountain biking. I'm pleased to be the inaugural winner. I blew up three times, but I got back three times too. At the half way point I thought
it was over, but I didn’t want to give it up”.
Mather took home $2,000 KOM prize money and said, "That hundredth of a second was the most costly ever”.
Andy Blair finished third with 1 second down to Copper, while Shaun Lewis was in the fourth place, with a difference of 2 minutes and 19 seconds ahead of Tory Glennan and Marc Williams.
Jarrod Hughes, Daniel McConnell and Mark Griffin were in the eighth, ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Two cyclists, Dean McPherson and Glenn Stojanow, did not finish the stage and seven cyclists including, Peter Clayton, Eric Haakonssen and Brendan Johnston did not start the race.
In the Women’s category, Rockstar Racing Team’s Jenny Fay also put up a superb performance in the Highland Fling, along with the Real Insurance XCM Women's series and the QOM. She took a total of 4 hours and 54 minutes.
After finishing the stage Fay said, “I had a strategy. I raced smart. I headed in easy and then attacked the hills to get my gap and never looked back. I worked with the other girls and the competition from them was relentless. They rode well”.
Peta Mullens was in the runner-up’s spot, 2 minutes and 26 seconds adrift. Becky Mates was in third place with a difference of 5 minutes and 42 seconds.
Rebecca Henderson and Vanina Vergoz did not finish the stage, while Melinda Jackson did not start the race.
While more than 2,000 riders are taking part in the event, the final rankings of Real Insurance Half Marathon XCM series will be announced shortly.
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