2013 Oceania Championships - Holly Harris takes the next step

Post date: Apr 26, 2013 10:57:06 PM

Over the Easter weekend Holly Harris (2012 & 2013 U19 National Cross Country Champion) headed to Glenorchy Tasmania for the Subaru Mountain Bike Oceania Championships.

This time Holly decided not to take a bike as she knew she was picking up her brand new Trek Superfly 100! This sleek black duel suspension 29er is a thing of beauty with the major sponsor Target Trek cleanly branded under the clear coat.

Holly was going to race against the strongest riders from Oceania, which is made up of Australia, New Zealand, Timor, Fiji, Guam and Indonesia.

The track at Glenorchy was more of a traditional XC course with serious climbing but less technical then the World Cup Mt Stromlo course raced on at the Nationals.

So in addition to the “Black Marks”, or is the “All Black Skid Marks”??? I can never remember those Kiwi team names, Holly would also be up against her archrival Emily Parkes.

Saturday commenced with the XCO (Cross Country Olympic format). Holly managed a very impressive 4^th in the U19 with Emily Parkes following in 5^th.

The XCE (Cross Country Eliminator) was held on the typical short course where Holly continued to shine taking out the Open Women 2^nd place only to be beaten to the line by Rowena Fry who had placed 2nd in the Elite Women XCO the day before!

2013 Oceania Championship XCE Podium: from left to right Holly Harris, Rowena Fry and Elmily Parkes.

Photo courtesy of Russ Baker MTBA

Holly’s next challengers will be in Europe. She heads over to a Swiss training camp in early May, competes in a Swiss provincial MTB race and then heads to the 1^st round of the UCI MTB World Cup in Albstadt Germany on the 18 May.

Well done Holly. NEMTB wishes you all the best in Europe!

Holly chasing Rowena Fry in XCE.

Photo courtesy of Russ Baker MTBA