New Aussie National Championship jersey design proposed

Mountain Biking Australia says that it and Cycling Australia have found a compromise in the design of the Australian National Championship jersey that should ease the worries from sponsors that caused some riders to ride soft in the National Championship race to avoid winning the jersey.

MTBA says a UCI rule that forced the crowned National Champion to wear the current jersey design at all UCI downhill competition sparked the protest. "This rule had always been in place," said MTBA spokesperson Tony Scott in a release to the media, "but had only just begun to be enforced by the UCI in the last two years." In an effort to find a compromise that will allow athletes with concerned sponsors to compete seriously for the national championship jersey, MTBA and CA are proposing a modified jersey design.

"The Cycling Australia Board of Management has resolved that for mountain bike disciplines – cross country, downhill, mountain cross – the Australian Champion will be recognised by one yellow band bordered by two green bands each 4cm wide around both upper sleeves. There will be no other national champions jersey awarded. The green and yellow bands are to be placed on the jersey worn by the athlete in all UCI calendar events."

The design, which Cycling Australia says will remain policy for Australian mountain bike champions until further notice, should not be confused with the thin green and yellow piping worn on collars and cuffs by ‘former’ Australian champions.