The high tides weren't the only thing riders had to contend with on the final day of the Mountains To Beach.
Recent rains in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shires saw the Surf Safari stage become a contest of wills rider versus nature. The rains, while welcome to all locals, meant that every lake crossing on the 49km stage from Bermagui to Narooma was a wet one. This combined with a high tide, saw many competitors wading chest deep with bikes held aloft. One or two $7,000 bikes endured a full dunking in the salt.
The crossings combined with soft sand beaches and lush grass paddocks made it a real challenge for some of the remaining 135 competitors. A stiff northeast headwind slowed progress too. No such trouble for the lead riders though, with Jason English finishing in 2:07:01 with Andy Blair again coming in second, two minutes and seven seconds behind on 2:09:08. Nick Both was third, just a second behind Blair on 2:09:09
The win provides English with his second Mountains To Beach title. His total time for the 385km event was 11:42:21, eleven and half minutes ahead of Blair, second overall in 11:53:49. Third place went to Andrew Fellows on 12:04:32, 10 minutes further back.
Blair said after the race that although disappointed he didn't win, he'd be back next year to try again. "The race provides so much variety of mountain biking and scenery; it truly is the most challenging of journeys and after two years and two second places I want to be capture top spot!" he said.
In the women's category, Megan Dimozantos from New Zealand found the terrain difficult but enjoyable and this was borne out in her three minute win over Belinda Porter. Dimozantos' total time was 2:57:33, with Porter coming in at 3:00:52. Clare Lonergan came in third, almost 15 minutes later on 3:15:42.
Almost half an hour separated Dimozantos and Porter in the overall category, with the former completing the race in 15:48:47 and Porter finishing in 16:18:24. Lonergan came third on 17:03:47, 45 minutes after Porter.
Full Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men 18-39
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Jason English
2:07:01
3
Andy Blair
2:09:08
4
Nick Both
2:09:09
5
Brad Morton
2:13:23
6
Andrew Fellows
2:13:38
7
Nicolas Menager
2:13:39
8
Dennis Van Mill
2:21:46
9
Tremaine Dickenson
2:29:34
10
Tim Curry
2:30:24
11
Adrian Keough
2:32:59
12
Greg Porter
2:35:16
13
Aaron Wood
2:37:24
14
Craig Armour
2:42:34
15
Scott Pomroy
2:42:48
16
Mark Shephard
2:43:16
17
Ian Heddle
2:43:22
18
David Evenden
2:46:11
19
Grantley Butterfield
2:46:18
20
Steven Timbrell
2:48:03
21
Ron Whitehead
2:49:21
22
Matthew Norton
2:49:44
23
Michael Leung
2:54:26
24
David Reid
2:55:58
2
David Smyth
0:02:00
25
Paul Rutten
0:02:12
26
Anthony Breen
0:07:04
27
Chris Ryder
0:14:10
28
Adam Mcgrath
0:15:37
29
Lloyd Newell
0:16:19
30
Kieran Macdonell
0:19:21
31
Stuart Bouveng
0:21:51
32
Mark Caulfield
0:24:24
33
Richard Rooimans
0:28:55
34
Jason Mcavoy
0:34:34
35
Rob Parbery
0:37:13
36
Adam Wallace
0:39:24
37
Chris Wilson
0:48:23
38
James Fraser
1:13:23
39
Dave Jackson
1:17:28
40
Conor Smyth
1:17:29
41
Adam Roberts
1:20:04
42
Matthew Barr
1:28:46
43
Andrew Thompson
1:52:36
44
Jason Rutkowski
1:55:45
DNS
Andrew Myers
Row 44 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo women 18-39
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Megan Dimozantos
2:57:33
2
Belinda Porter
0:03:19
3
Clare Lonergan
0:18:09
4
Amanda Sanderson
0:25:02
5
Susan Birtles
0:38:28
6
Karen Field
0:46:27
7
Alisha Houghton
1:01:29
8
Belinda Ingram
1:10:26
9
Emily Garland
1:14:15
10
Poppy Moore
1:29:55
11
Cherie Rusbatch
1:47:59
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men 40-49
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Richard Peil
2:32:51
2
Garry James
0:00:03
3
Peter Salisnew
0:13:14
4
Peter Hinds
0:14:28
5
Peter Cheesman
0:14:48
6
Luke O'Brien
0:15:13
7
David Cottee
0:16:17
8
Trent Moore
0:16:33
9
Keith Hannan
0:17:20
10
Bill Thomson
0:18:34
11
Richard Davis
0:21:55
12
Ian Andrews
0:23:58
13
Scott Taylor
0:36:27
14
Simon Thompson
0:39:54
15
Damian Tice
0:40:51
16
David Jackson
0:41:50
17
Ray Giddins
0:42:30
18
Dean Heke
0:45:13
19
Tony Frazer
0:45:50
20
Rob Sudmeyer
0:47:28
21
Bill Taylor
0:48:36
22
Spencer Pither
0:49:44
23
Richard Searle
0:51:20
24
Mike Ford
0:51:32
25
Liam Doherty
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Ken Glasco
0:51:45
27
Gerard Knapp
0:56:45
28
Nick Marlin
0:56:52
29
Greg Hatton
1:01:10
30
Mike Aylott
1:05:52
31
Andrew Mierisch
1:19:40
32
David Mcfeeter
1:20:55
33
John Fredericks
1:20:58
34
Simon O'Brien
1:23:58
35
Stephen Cousins
1:57:24
36
Matthew Munn
2:09:45
37
Greg Seaegg
2:21:01
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men supermasters 50+
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Paul Millington
2:49:31
2
Greg Howarth
0:42:15
3
Menno Zwerwer
0:49:41
4
Richard Poyner
0:50:45
5
Phil Mathewson
1:01:12
6
Phil Ryan
1:07:31
7
Steve Pulley
1:42:49
8
John Reeves
1:52:28
9
Peter Jackson
1:52:38
10
Richard Pinker
2:07:14
11
Bob Horne
2:10:28
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Duo men
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Ryan Hawson & Ben Randall
4:45:15
2
Darren Smith & Mark Tupalski
0:13:49
3
Ben Bailey & Jan Verbesselt
0:41:47
4
Peter Clayton & Robert Booker
0:46:49
5
Dugald Macarthur & Jadd Brammall
1:02:35
6
Mark Herdman & Peter Naude
1:16:11
7
Steve Debeck & Andrew Debeck
1:22:24
8
Matt Magraith & Phil Wyndham
1:29:15
9
Martin Keir & David Keir
2:12:16
10
Ashley Staude & Tim Staude
2:51:24
DNF
David Cunningham & Chris Dunton
Row 10 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Duo masters
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Craig Pullen & Kim Mcfadden
6:28:16
2
Ian Richman & Marea England
0:54:01
3
Helen Jeffs & Shane OBrien
1:16:06
4
Stephen Brady & Ciara O'Sullivan
1:46:51
5
Hilary Smith & Ken Boer
1:46:57
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men 18-39 final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Jason English
11:42:21
2
Andy Blair
0:11:28
3
Andrew Fellows
0:22:11
4
Brad Morton
0:29:49
5
Nicolas Menager
0:34:56
6
Dennis Van Mill
1:14:26
7
Nick Both
1:22:12
8
Tremaine Dickenson
2:02:01
9
Tim Curry
2:11:14
10
Greg Porter
2:23:35
11
Adrian Keough
2:46:13
12
Ian Heddle
2:48:10
13
Aaron Wood
2:51:51
14
Craig Armour
2:54:17
15
Mark Shephard
3:03:49
16
Steven Timbrell
3:04:49
17
Scott Pomroy
3:27:32
18
Jason Mcavoy
3:36:50
19
Anthony Breen
4:16:07
20
David Evenden
4:18:34
21
Ron Whitehead
4:24:10
22
Matthew Norton
4:37:22
23
Lloyd Newell
4:37:57
24
Michael Leung
4:43:35
25
David Reid
4:44:05
26
Paul Rutten
5:13:07
27
Kieran Macdonell
5:16:15
28
Grantley Butterfield
5:33:32
29
Adam Mcgrath
5:57:58
30
Mark Caulfield
5:58:14
31
Richard Rooimans
6:09:33
32
David Smyth
6:12:23
33
Chris Ryder
6:17:12
34
Adam Wallace
6:52:25
35
Stuart Bouveng
6:58:26
36
Jason Rutkowski
9:11:19
37
James Fraser
10:33:54
38
Adam Roberts
10:43:50
39
Dave Jackson
11:18:28
40
Matthew Barr
12:04:36
41
Conor Smyth
12:09:24
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo women 18-39 final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Megan Dimozantos
15:48:47
2
Belinda Porter
0:29:37
3
Clare Lonergan
1:15:00
4
Amanda Sanderson
2:23:25
5
Susan Birtles
3:20:31
6
Alisha Houghton
4:57:44
7
Karen Field
5:33:58
8
Emily Garland
5:50:24
9
Belinda Ingram
6:36:16
10
Poppy Moore
7:03:34
11
Cherie Rusbatch
7:40:20
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men 40-49 final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Garry James
13:31:31
2
Richard Peil
0:20:57
3
Peter Cheesman
1:38:50
4
David Cottee
1:46:12
5
Peter Hinds
1:49:37
6
Luke O'Brien
1:50:48
7
Richard Davis
2:11:57
8
Keith Hannan
2:16:59
9
Peter Salisnew
2:22:48
10
Trent Moore
2:24:52
11
Ray Giddins
2:25:11
12
Bill Thomson
2:38:32
13
Ian Andrews
2:47:45
14
Simon Thompson
4:01:05
15
Tony Frazer
4:02:30
16
Spencer Pither
4:21:40
17
Bill Taylor
4:22:18
18
Mike Ford
4:36:46
19
Gerard Knapp
4:39:55
20
Ken Glasco
4:40:04
21
Scott Taylor
4:44:27
22
Richard Searle
4:45:30
23
Damian Tice
4:48:48
24
Rob Sudmeyer
4:51:38
25
Nick Marlin
5:09:15
26
David Jackson
5:15:30
27
Dean Heke
5:31:20
28
Greg Hatton
6:01:04
29
Andrew Mierisch
6:08:12
30
Simon O'Brien
6:24:02
31
Liam Doherty
7:11:28
32
Mike Aylott
7:38:49
33
David Mcfeeter
7:47:35
34
John Fredericks
7:59:18
35
Stephen Cousins
8:41:42
36
Matthew Munn
9:54:00
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men supermasters 50+ final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Paul Millington
15:09:59
2
Menno Zwerwer
3:48:56
3
Phil Mathewson
4:39:32
4
Greg Howarth
4:57:50
5
Richard Poyner
5:18:21
6
John Reeves
7:19:46
7
Phil Ryan
7:56:09
8
Steve Pulley
9:38:59
9
Peter Jackson
10:37:49
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Duo men final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Ryan Hawson & Ben Randall
25:52:23
2
Darren Smith & Mark Tupalski
1:10:47
3
Peter Clayton & Robert Booker
4:12:49
4
Ben Bailey & Jan Verbesselt
4:51:49
5
Dugald Macarthur & Jadd Brammall
6:11:26
6
Mark Herdman & Peter Naude
7:35:28
7
Steve Debeck & Andrew Debeck
8:14:41
8
Matt Magraith & Phil Wyndham
9:54:05
9
Martin Keir & David Keir
11:57:13
10
Ashley Staude & Tim Staude
14:55:44
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Duo masters final general classification
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Craig Pullen & Kim Mcfadden
34:16:20
2
Ian Richman & Marea England
4:18:42
3
Helen Jeffs & Shane OBrien
5:33:13
4
Hilary Smith & Ken Boer
11:22:33
5
Stephen Brady & Ciara O'Sullivan
11:33:40
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