Totally Wild TV Episode on Channel TEN:
4minutes20 into episode 52 (2/3)
Click HERE: ten.com.au/video-player.htm
Sport For Women Day 2012
WIN News TV Interview: www.facebook.com/pages/Caroline-Buchanan/195088031639
I Support Sport For Women day Because......
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2012 BMX Australia National TV Commercial
Mitsubishi Eclipse Magazine READ HERE: www.eclipsemagazine.com.au/article/4
I recently singed a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors for 2012 :)
....and today picked up my new Mitsubishi Outlander from Commenwealth Motors Mitsubishi Canberra
Automatic climate control, Wireless smart key, Blue tooth, 2wd/4wd, Reversing camera, Auto & manual with paddle shift....Soo many gadgets to get used to! Love "MY" Car
Looking forward to a great year ahead.
Thank you Mitsubishi Motors and my awesome manager Robert Joske Management.
2011 Female BMX Cyclist Of The Year
Monthly Video Updates: Highway68
October - Last BMX World Cup for 2011 in America + an ABA national in Vegas
Got my foot moulded today for a pair of custom BMX Riivo Cycling Shoe....Looking forward 2 the future
www.riivo.com/
Documentary - Up Close With Caroline Buchanan
Trace Sports & IMG Media TV Episode
Photo shoot :)
Portrait of Caroline Buchanan taken in Canberra on the 28th of August 2011. © Stefan Postles / Chalk Studio.
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Australian Capital Territory - Physical Activity Foundation (ACTIVATOR)
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Women's Health Magazine Award Finalist - "Fair Fighter"
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Video Blog August - World Champioships
Sport Australia Hall OF Fame - "Spirit Of Sport" Newsletter
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#2 BMX World Championships - Time Trials
Thanks to www.bmx-videos.com
SBS Cycling Central - BMX Australian Team from Caroline Buchanan on Vimeo.
Muscle and Fitness Magazine July 2011 - 5 page spread and cover
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Womens Health Magazine: Athlete Of The Moment!
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CHRISTMAS SALE!!!!
RADIO Interview: 2010 Season Wrap up with...
Hamish Neal
'Sports Overnight' Host/Producer
Radio Sport 927
'Sports Overnight' is also broadcast on Sky Sports Radio (NSW), ACTTAB Radio (ACT) and Tote Sport Radio (Tas)
web: www.sport927.com.
Mountain Biking Champ wants 10 years
Posted on 19 October 2010. Tags: bmx, caroline buchanan, mountain biking, women, work championships
After a decade of international competition, two MTB world cups, and numerous podium finishes in international BMX contests, World Champion Mountain Bike Rider, Caroline Buchanan reveals some of her 10 year plan to sportstar.com CEO Megan James.
“Anne Caroline Chausson won gold in Beijing for BMX when in her early 30′s, and she is an incredible athlete.” Buchanan says, admitting that she is hopeful of similar longevity. “I think that it all depends on how well you look after your body, but I still want to be competing competitively on the international circuit at the age of 29, and that’s 10 years from now.”
She acknowledges that the journey will be challenging with the sports changing and many young guns rising to the top, but then admits to being attracted to overcoming challenges.
“It is always a great thing winning a race, but what is a great feeling is winning while overcoming odds and rising to the challenge and surprising myself with my abilities,” she says, her conviction evident as she talks of her more immediate plans.
“I was over the moon (with winning my second MTB World Cup). The feeling was just as great as winning the first one. I am definitely happy and proud of myself, but I am now focused on BMX and the 2012 London Olympics.”
“I have done one BMX World Cup, but was not content with my performance there. I always want to be better and I am looking to take my riding to the next level, whatever it takes, “she says.
“The Olympics are the ultimate goal for any athlete, being the pinnacle of sport. When BMX was announced as an Olympic Sport for Beijing 2008 I was ready and competitive enough to be part of the process but too young, as there was an age minimum of 19.
“I always love a challenge so competing at the highest international level in both BMX and Mountain Biking has been great for me to build my skills and knowledge. I enjoy both disciplines but have decided, after winning my 2nd MTB World title that I will focus my energy on BMX.
For Buchanan this means, and she knows it, being at the top of her game in 2011, at all of the BMX World Cup rounds.
“The Australian Team needs to qualify Australia as an eligible country and then, if ranked in the top 4 countries, 2 girls will be selected to go to London to represent Australia,” she says.
Pressing Buchanan on her preparations for the challenges ahead gets a refreshing perspective that is as straightforward as it is pragmatic. She provides a little retrospective that qualifies her enthusiasm for her sport and keenness to compete.
“I was a little tom boy when I was younger and followed in my older brother Sam’s footsteps. We both started racing in 1995 when I was 5 years old and I have never looked back. I was into everything and anything when it came to sport. I even got up to a half grade below black belt in Tae Kwon Do before I was 8,” she says. “But riding my bike was what I loved best.
“I work hard. I don’t know any different, and I have a great support network,” she says, modestly adding that rising to the elite level in some Australian sports, is not that difficult.
“There are simply not that many of us, Australians that is, competing. The test comes when we are competing against the rest of the world. It is actually a greater challenge to remain competitive with the rest of the world, with there being so little competition in Australia.
Buchanan says this challenge is compounded by being a woman in a non-mainstream sport, in which a lot of the sponsorships go to men.
“The most frustrating thing is not getting the recognition that elite athletes in other sports get, and not getting the recognition that men in BMX and mountain biking at the same level get. The mountain bike industry/market is European based and for BMX it is all about America so being Australian it is very hard to get the major $/product support,” she says. “I have the same travelling expenses and the same training expenses as the guys but the prize money is nowhere near the same and most sponsors want the guys.”
“My travel expenses alone are 5 times my income. Luckily I have very hard working and supportive parents. I have the best product sponsors and support in the world, but like most female athletes I need a $ sponsorship.”
“It would be impossible to work full time, train and be at the level I need to be at without competing overseas,” she says.
Buchanan raises revenue with coaching clinics and has done photo shoots for Cleo, Women’s Health and Alpha Sport Magazine. She says is keen to do sports modeling and is a strong advocate for healthy Aussie athletes promoting Australian products rather than overseas imports .
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See Full MTB Worlds Report in "Race Reports" section :) .jpg)
POWERBAR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK :) www.powerbar.com
See more race reports/updates in my race reports section :)
Cleo Magazine June: 1 of 8 Influential Women helping Shape Australia
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THE 4X WORLD CHAMPION SIGNS WITH COMMENCAL !
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COMMENCAL is pleased to announce that the Australian rider Caroline BUCHANAN, 2009 4X World Champion, joins the Team. Drawing her own lines between becoming one of biking’s elite, Caroline has an incredible talent and vibrant personality! She is a young and beautiful girl, with full of promises.
Caroline will be looking to repeat hers successes at an international level aboard the Absolut Titanium 4X.
COMMENCAL’s Australian distributor, Bill PHILLIPS, commented, « Max COMMENCAL and I have spoken about looking at possible young riders for the future that COMMENCAL could support and bring into the Family. Caroline fitted the characteristics: a strong rider, a great competitor, professional in the way she approaches sport and competition, with a focus on her goals and direction. When I first met Caroline I knew immediately she was the person we were looking for. She spoke easily, expressed her self capably and confidently. She is multi disciplined and skilled both in MTB and BMX. Moreover, she told me about her achievements, which are many, her goals for the future, her passion for women in our sport and being a role model for younger girls.
Max COMMENCAL commented « I am delighted to get Caroline on board with COMMENCAL and believe she is the perfect ambassador for the brand. I am excited about the prospect of having a second fantastic female rider on the COMMENCAL team. »
Caroline was competing this week-end for the 4X Australian Championship, and finish on the top of the podium with her Absolut Titanium 4X « The bikes ride is amazing and has perfect specs ! I’m proud to be part of the COMMENCAL Family !”.
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Link: Buchanan 2nd in OZMTB poll http://www.ozmtb.com/?p=250#more-250
Buchanan triumphs in rainbow stripes
Caroline Buchanan delivers gold in 4X at 2010 Nationals
Reigning World Champion Caroline Buchanan won gold in the 4X at 2010 MTB Nationals in Adelaide Saturday, 16 January 2010
In the rainbow jersey of world champion, Caroline Buchanan (ACT) claimed her fifth 4X Australian title at the SRAM Australian MTB Championships at Eagle MTB Park in Adelaide and Luke Madill took out the men’s event.
It was the first outing for the 19-year-old Buchanan in the rainbow jersey of World Champion. Starting as the outright favourite she coped well with the pressure putting in an almost flawless ride.
The women’s race was only ever a race in two as Sarsha Huntington challenged Buchanan through the first two berms as they rubbed shoulders fighting for the lead but the multiple Australian champion eventually got the better of the battle. Emily Hockey claimed the bronze medal in front of her home crowd.
“I wasn’t too sure what was going to happen in that first corner. It got pretty close in the first turn and I was ready for some carnage,” Buchanan said. “I knew that Sarsha would be close and it’s great that she pushes me all the time.
“Being my first mountain bike race since world’s I was feeling a little bit rough in areas but I wear the rainbow jersey with pride and I had an absolute ball with it out there today.
“I was just as nervous for this race as I was for the world titles.
“This (Australian) title feels just as good as the first one.”
In addition to being the first outing for Buchanan’s rainbow jersey, it was the debut for the new 4X course at Eagle MTB Park that the current 4X world champion rated as world class.
“With 4X it’s important to get the lines equal so there’s not one fast line from top to bottom and they’ve done that here,” the 19-year-old said. “It’s on a really good slope. They’ve made it really technical and it will make for really even racing.”
In the men’s race Luke Madill took his third Australian title after going through the quarter final and semi-final comfortably but got pushed to the line in the race for gold by Randal Huntington who made it a husband and wife combination in the silver medal position. The bronze medal went to Graeme Mudd.
“Having that strong first straight helped me a lot and got me out of trouble in the final,” Madill said of the way the race unfolded. “But it’s still hard and you never know who’s behind you because with this track there’s lots of different lines so anything can happen.
“Once you get to the final experience really counts. But having the younger ones push us is good.”
Saturday 16 January at the SRAM Australian MTB Championship will see the race for the green and gold jersey in the elite men’s and women’s cross country where Rowena Fry will aim to defend her crown and Beijing Olympian Daniel McConnell will be aiming for his first title.
RESULTS
Elite men – 4X
1. Luke Madill (NSW)
2. Randal Huntington (QLD)
3. Graeme Mudd (NSW)
4. David Habicht (VIC)
Elite women – 4X
1. Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
2. Sarsha Huntington (QLD)
3. Emily Hockey (SA)
4. Charise Atkinson – DNF
http://www.cycling.org.au/?page=36160&format
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Thursday, 26 November 2009
Four Australians have been nominated in the 2009 cyclingnews.com reader poll.
Cadel Evans, Caroline Buchanan, Jared Graves and Sam Hill have all been nominated in the poll.
Evans, the 2009 road race World Champion and recently named Australian Cyclist of the Year, is in three categories, Biggest Moment of 2009, Best Male Road Rider and Best Rider of the Year.
Graves, who won both the 4X World Cup Series and World Championships, and Hill, the downhill World Cup Series winner, are in the Best Male Mountain Bike Rider category.
4X World Champion Buchanan in the Best Female Mountain Bike Rider nominees.
Best female mountain biker
Anneke Beerten
Caroline Buchanan
Lene Byberg
Heather Irmiger
Sabrina Jonnier
Irina Kalentieva
Willow Koerber
Tracy Moseley
Lisi Osl
Emmeline Ragot
Please Vote here:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 19 November 2009
CUSTOM APPAREL COMPANY CHAMPION SYSTEM AUSTRALIA SIGNS MOUNTAIN BIKE AND BMX RIDER CAROLINE BUCHANAN TO EXCLUSIVE RACE CLOTHING DEAL.
Mooloolaba QLD, Australia – November 19 – Champion System Australia’s Operations Manager, Chris Reynolds, has announced that Caroline Buchanan – Current 4X World Champion, 11 x Australian BMX Champion, 6 x Australian MTB Champion, 3 x Australian MTB rider of the year and 2007 BMX Cyclist of the year – has signed to an exclusive race clothing deal.
Reynolds said “Champion System Australia is proud to be associated with Caroline – she is an excellent ambassador for her sport and her achievements thus far are phenomenal. We look forward to helping her achieve her goals in 2010 and beyond”
Caroline will be wearing Champion System’s Custom BMX/Downhill Jerseys and custom BMX/Downhill Shorts and Pants during her hectic race schedule for 2010. Racing includes the UCI BMX rounds and UCI Supercross World Cup events all over the globe.
Press Contact:
Champion System Australia
Chris Reynolds
852 6271 9622
www.champ-sys.com.au
Video footage from World Championship final, podium and Dirt Mag interview: http://www.carolinebuchanan.com/caroline-buchanan/events/thechamp2009.wmv
WORLD CHAMPION 4x 2009
Jared Graves and Caroline Buchanan deliver double gold for Australia
Jared Graves and Caroline Buchanan delivered double gold for Australia in the 4X finals at the 2009 UCI MTB
Buchanan leading the women's final through the 'Bungle Bungles'. Even though Kintner was doing her best to line up a pass, it was pretty much single file to the line. The packed Ozzie crowd went insane when Buchanan crossed the line for the hometown win. I reckon she could dine out in Canberra on this win for some time. http://dirtmag.co.uk/news/category/events/victors-friday-worlds-8-a-day/dirt-1235687.html
Buchanan wins world title at home!
September 4, Elite women four cross:
- By: Cycling News
- Published: September 4, 15:24,
- Updated: September 4, 16:21
Youngster defeats past champions Kintner and Buhl
Elite women's four cross worlds podium: Jill Kintner (USA), Caroline Buchanan (Australia), Melissa Buhl (USA)
view thumbnail gallery
Caroline Buchanan started a night of Australian celebration on Friday by winning the women's four cross title at the Mountain Bike World Championships in her hometown of Canberra.
Buchanan was blazing fast out of the gate in all three of her races, and in the final beat the 2007 World Champion Jill Kintner (USA). Kintner is usually considered the fastest woman out of the gate, but not tonight. Buchanan was two bike lengths in front by the first corner, and didn't look back. Kintner tried to close in the middle part of the course, but didn't have it, holding on for second, with defending World Champion Melissa Buhl (USA) taking the bronze ahead of Anita Molcik (Austria). The one surprising name missing from the final was World Cup leader Anneke Beerten (Netherlands), who was disqualified for cutting a gate after finishing second to Buchanan in the semi-final.
"There was a lot of pressure, a lot of media," said Buchanan. "I managed to escape most of the day and channel it. On the gate I thought, 'This is my race'. I wanted to win and Jared [Graves] said before, 'As you come down the straight all the lights behind you, so you can see the shadows, you can see if someone is there.'. And I couldn't see anyone.
"So I was crying from probably the Bear Traps down. This is just so emotional for me to do it in my hometown and to have all my family here. On the podium I could see all my friends, everyone I have gone to school with, my butcher, my hairdresser, everyone - absolutely everyone is here, so it's just an awesome feeling."
Kintner, one of the favourites had no excuses. "I pretty much felt good coming into this race. I knew I would be a favourite and I knew I could put a solid lap down in qualifying and get the inside. But you can't always plan on how things are going to turn out. I don't know what was going on at the start - it felt like it dropped faster here for some reason, and I was just slow every time. Caroline did well - home track, home crowd, you know it just pulls you through a lot of the time. I felt like it couldn't happen here in Australia. I could feel that too, and it's a whole race to be a part of, and sometimes you lose."
Results
Big Final
| 1 |
Caroline Buchanan (Australia) |
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| 2 |
Jill Kintner (United States Of America) |
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| 3 |
Melissa Buhl (United States Of America) |
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| 4 |
Anita Molcik (Austria) |
Aussies run away with four cross World titles
- By: Cycling News
- Published: September 4, 22:58,
- Updated: September 4, 23:02
- Race: UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Elite women four cross
Caroline Buchanan wins the women's world championship for Australia.
- Graves and Buchanan win world championships
Riding at home at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia, two of the host nation's gravity racers won World Championship titles in the four cross on Friday.
The 18-year-old Caroline Buchanan kicked off a stellar night for the Australian in the women's race where she defeated two former World Champions and veteran racers, Jill Kintner and Melissa Buhl.
Buchanan was racing in her hometown. "There was a lot of pressure, a lot of media," said Buchanan. "I managed to escape most of the day and channel it. On the gate I thought, 'This is my race'. I wanted to win and Jared [Graves] said before, 'As you come down the straight all the lights behind you, so you can see the shadows, you can see if someone is there.'. And I couldn't see anyone.
"So I was crying from probably the Bear Traps down. This is just so emotional for me to do it in my hometown and to have all my family here. On the podium I could see all my friends, everyone I have gone to school with, my butcher, my hairdresser, everyone - absolutely everyone is here, so it's just an awesome feeling."
In the men's race, Graves took a title he's been chasing for years. As the World Cup series leader, he was the favorite going into the event, and en route to victory, he often won his heats by a comfortable margin.
"I was saying to people earlier in the week that I have lost this race enough now, even as favourite, to know that life goes on if you don't win it. So I was trying to remember that."
"Obviously, I wanted to win it. It has been the biggest goal I have had in mountain biking, to pull it off after the bad run of luck I have had for three years in a row. I had a really good last practice session, so I knew if I kept it upright and just did my thing all night that I was going to get it. I did that, so I can't explain how I feel. It is just unbelievable."
In the final, Graves defeated Romain Saladini (France) and Jakub Riha (Czech Republic) as well as defending champion Rafael Alvarez de Lara Lucas (Spain
Golden four cross double for Australia
Saturday, 5 September 2009
In what was a stunning night for Australia at the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra, Jared Graves and local heroine Caroline Buchanan have claimed a golden double in the four cross (4X) events.
Racing under lights, Queensland’s Graves and Canberra’s Buchanan won Australia’s first medals of the championships after both went through the night undefeated before holding firm in the medal round under the enormous pressure the boisterous crowd brought to claim gold.
For Graves, who last year was a finalist in the BMX at the Beijing Olympic Games, the victory was confirmation of his undeniable status as the best 4X rider in the world after he entered these championships as the World Cup Series leader and world number one. He also won the World Cup round in Canberra last season.
Buchanan’s victory was an even more remarkable performance given the young Australian badly injured her back in Austria just six weeks ago training for a 4X World Cup event in Slovenia. While she courageously made it onto the start line to win that event she was subsequently forced to withdraw from the Australian team for last month’s BMX World Championships in Adelaide.
Graves, 26, who was the top finisher in yesterday’s qualifying round and won his round of 32, quarter final and semi final tonight before the medal decider, said he had entered the competition with a telling carefree attitude.
"I felt a bit calmer today than I normally would at a world titles final,” Graves said.
“I was saying to different people earlier in the week that I have lost this race enough to know that life goes on if you don't win it.
"That’s the biggest goal I’ve had in mountain biking so to pull it off just after the bad run of luck I have had in the last three years in a row now is just awesome.
“I knew I had a really good last practice session I knew if I kept it all night I knew I would get it.
"I did that I can’t explain how it feels so it’s just unbelievable."
Graves also said he was helped by his Olympic experience last year.
"I think I have taken my training to another level this year from last year with the Olympic BMX," he said.
"I learnt a lot last year. I think I have come into this year a bit smarter and I mean this is the ultimate race right here.
You know it doesn't get any better.”
Romain Saladini of France, the only rider all night that looked to have any hope of beating Graves, won silver with 17 year old World Championship debutant, Jakub Riha from the Czech Republic third.
Of the other Australians, Leigh Darrell, Ryan Henderson, Sam Willoughby and Beijing BMX Olympian Luke Madill all bowed out in the quarter finals, while Randal Huntington was eliminated in the round of 32.
In the women’s event home town star and 2008 Canberra World Cup winner, Buchanan, 18, won all three of her rounds including a thrilling final to claim the gold medal from last night’s top qualifier and world ranked number three Jill Kintner of the USA.
American Melissa Buhl won the bronze medal. Dutch woman Anneke Beerten, the world ranked number one, missed the final but won the consolation ‘small final’.
A jubilant Buchanan could hardly contain her emotions after winning her gold.
“Out of 13 years of racing I’ve never won a world title, I’ve always been so close but today I just really wanted it,” a teary
Buchanan said.
“I pushed so hard and I feel so sick at the moment (but) I’m stoked, I’m over the moon and I can’t believe it.”
Buchanan said she knew she could win almost as soon as the start gate dropped.
“It felt awesome, I started crying from about halfway down the track, I was screaming the whole way and from the start I knew that I had it. I was psyched up, I was ready. I can’t believe it.”
Sarsha Huntington, the only other Australian in the field, finished fourth in her semi finals before placing third in the ‘small final’ for seventh overall.
U23 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
South Africa's Burry Stander went in as the odds on favourite and didn't disappoint claiming the rainbow jersey in the 38.82 kilometre under 23 men's cross-country final.
Stander, 22, the current World Cup Series leader and world ranked number four in the combined elite/U23 rankings, opened up an early lead on the field, posting the fastest split times on each of the first five laps of the 6.47km circuit before crossing the line in 1 hour, 47min 26secs.
Frenchmen Alexis Vuillermoz battled strongly for second place but couldn't catch the South African despite posting the fastest last lap of the day and finished 1min21sec behind. Swiss rider Thomas Litscher claimed third, a further 1min 25secs back.
Stander came into the event as an overwhelming favourite by virtue of his outstanding World Cup form and said he had felt some pressure on his shoulders this week, especially when he thought of the pace that the field would face off the start.
“A couple of days leading up to it was pretty nerve racking (but) today I was just focused on the start because I knew it would play a vital part in the race,” Stander said.
“Unfortunately we had a really strong head wind so it wasn't possible to take the lead from the beginning we had to take our chances in the group and then wait until the single track before we made a move.
“Things worked out and I got into the track in second and from there on the race went perfectly.”
Australian Lachlan Norris was a credible 11th, 7mins 33sec behind the winner, compatriot Paul Van Der Ploeg was 16th, Cal Britten 19th, Charlton Durie 34th and Nathan Haas 48th.
ABC Radio Interview
Caroline Buchanan needs a big passport.
This year alone she's raced in Denmark, Andorra, Austria, Scotland and Slovenia - with events to come in South Africa, USA, Switzerland, France....
And Canberra.
The Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships are being held in Caroline's backyard - and she's got a great chance to not only do well, but possibly win a world title.
The Canberra home of the 2009 Worlds, Stromlo Forest Park, are a bittersweet reminder for Buchanan.
While Stromlo's been a happy hunting ground regarding victories, the venue's phoenix-line emergence from the 2003 bushfires are a constant reminder that Caroline's family lost nearly everything in nearby Duffy, saving not much more than a couple of bikes from their gutted house.
Caroline Buchanan first started racing bikes at five. That makes her, at 18, a veteran of 13 years of competition.
Not only that, but she competes in both the Mountain Bike discipline of Four Cross and BMX - that's twice the calendar dates of many of her rivals.
Both events are short sharp sprints over rough, jump and bump filled tracks, up against rivals that will do almost anything to get to the line first.
You need to be tough. Crashing happens.
Caroline had to miss the World BMX titles after a starting gate failed to open and she fell over the top of it, landing on her helmeted face while her body continued over her head, hypr-extending her spine and tearing a disc.
With such a full schedule, she opted not to risk her recovery with the Mountain Bike Worlds just weeks away, and she's no stranger to crashing.
In 2006, aged 16, Caroline travelled to the World Mountain Bike Championships in Scotland, where she crashed in her quarterfinal round - but picked herself up and sprinted.
Her head-down commitment was such that, brakeless, she flew straight through the finish compound and collided with the fence - but she qualified for the semis, before knocking herself out, literally, in that round.
If Scotland signalled Caroline's emergence as a rider to watch, her arrival came in front of a home crowd at Stromlo Forest Park in August 2008 when she beat some of the best in the world to win.
And with another win in Slovenia earlier this year, she's marked her intention to challenge for the rainbow jersey of a world champion when the Worlds come to her backyard.
Inside Sport Magazine - (August 2009) AUS/NZ - 23,873 circulation
World Cup Updates 2009....Go to Race report section or the 09 Overseas section
DOLLY Magazine
TO see full enlarged article go to the Media section (magazine/Articles)
Update:
After the World Cup and finishing school I decided to knuckle down and get organised for the 2009 season. I turned 18 and started my own company called CarolineBuchanan.com. I did this to help me with my future riding career. I have been extremely busy lately organising everything such designing my new race jerseys myself with major sponsors logos incorporated. Desigining a custom sprayed helmet and organising a new race bike through Total Rush Specialized Concepts store and treating my riding/training as a full time job. Tim Chadd has been very helpful in helping me start my own business, taking a managing role and being my mechanic and the World Cup and National Championships.
I was selected to be part of the BMX Elite Development Squad where i have spent the last month and half training and preparing towards the selection races to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the camp so far and I am seeing many improvements in every aspect. I am now preparing my plans for the World Cup season where I will be travelling to Denmark for the BMX UCI Supercross event with the BMX squad and from there going on to compete in the following 3 World Cup 4x races in Andorra, Scotland and Slovenia before travelling home to compete in the BMX and MTB World Championships. I have a very busy year ahead of my and am looking forward to it :)
MTB World Cup, Stromlo Australia (30-31st August)
Stromlo Forest Park was the host for round 6 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Nissan, Shimano, ACT Government and CORC (Canberra Off Road Cyclists). Helped assure everyone that next years World Championships is going to be an event to remember. Stromlo had huge crowds over the weekend of an estimated 15 thousand spectators.
4X
The 4x track really suited me being on home soil with a massive crowd of family, friends and teachers. Qualifying didn’t go as planned I was planning on qualifying 1st to help me with gate selection for the finals but with some viatal mistakes I qualified 3rd placing me into the harder of the 2 semi finals with Fionn Griffiths, Mio Suemasa. Anneke Beerten and myself. I had a really great start both Anneke and myself lead from the start and qualified into the main elite womens final.
When the crowd started chanting my name and cheering really loud I was hungry for the win. I had another awesome gate start in the final coming from lane 3 straight across the track in front of Anneke and Anita to hit the first inside turn in the lead.
With nothing but adrenalin pushing me to the end i managed to hold off Anneke until the last straight when we had a drag race to the finish. My determination helped me dig deep and push through the pain to sprint to the finish for the win.
Realising that I just won my 3rd ever world cup on home soil I broke down into tears, it was a dream come true. Achieving one of my major goals so early on in my career at only 17. This was very overwhelming for me especially doing it in front of my family and friends.
I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help and support of all my sponsors, family, fiends, my awesome mechanic and CORC.
.bmp)
Left to right: Anita Molcik, Anneke Beerten, Caroline Buchanan, Indi Boer, Fionn Griffiths.
DOWNHILL:
The new changes that were made to the track really worked well. The practice sessions during the week felt like race runs because of the amount of spectators cheering. The track started getting really dusty and blown out due to the amount of riders practicing. The rain that rolled in the morning of racing really helped the track.
Qualifying went well with 20 girls and 70 guys qualifying. I qualified in 10 position with a nice clean run. Finals saw crowds get larger and the rain get heavier.
I came down the hill for my final run safely to gain 13th position in the Elite Women’s field, number 1 junior and fastest Australian female.
Video footage link:
Elite women 4x World Cup final:
http://freecaster.tv/1000006_1005737
For updates/ results from the World Mountain Bike Championships and Canadian World cups. Please see "MTB Worlds trip 2008" section
MTB/ BMX Coaching Clinic,
2008 Oceanias New Zealand,
Was held in Nelson, on the South Island of New Zealand. The tracks were crazy steep especially the downhill you didn’t even need to pedal. It was steeper than any World Cup/ World Championship track I have ever herd of.
Attached is a short clip of the Elite Women’s 4x final. An unreal race Tracy and I switched positions 5 times throughout the race. We ended up coming together on the line and I crashed and she won.
Results:
Dual slalom: #1st Elite women (Tracy Mosley 2nd)
4x: #2nd place Elite Women (Tracy Mosley 1st) because she is from Great Brittan not from the Oceania region. I was crowned with the #1 Title.
Downhill: #1st place Jnr Elite Women
Thredbo, RAW NRG Shimano Interschools,
#1 Division 1 = Dual Slalom, Downhill, Short course cross country, long cross country
+ Overall "Queen of the mountain" Award
Australian National Championships Stromlo Canberra 2008,
4x = #1 Elite women
Downhill = #1 under 19s women, Posted the #2nd fasted Elite Aussie Female time behind Tracy Hannah
07/08 National series.....
= #1 4x Elite Women National Series winner (07-08)
= #3 Downhill Elite Women National Series (07-08)
Mt beauty Victoria, Downhill 2008,
Result: #3 Elite Women Downhill
Sydney 4x + UCI BMX round/Camp,
These last few weeks have been super busy here In AUS, with
2 BMX UCI rounds in Queensland were I placed 2nd on the 1st day and 1st on the 2nd day in Jnr elite.
A National Under 19 Training Camp on the Gold coast with Wade Bootes.
(This group are the contenders for the 2012 Olympics BMX London) and then I went down to
Sydney for the Last 2 rounds of the 4x National series in AUS, were I placed #1st on both days in elite women,
and Claimed the Overall 07/08 Elite Women’s 4x National Series Champion
(undefeated the whole round)
Thredbo NSW Australia National series DH and 4x,
Was an awesome weekend put on by Raw NRG Thredbo and MTBA,
with the dual slalom, 4x and downhill events being held over the weekend.
4x = Caroline Buchanan 1st (series leader) Elite women,
Leigh Darrell 1st elite men
Dual Slalom = Caroline Buchanan 2nd Sarsha Huntington 1st
Downhill = Caroline Buchanan 3rd place Elite women,
Tracy Hannah 1st, Emma 2nd.
The Rain pored down in the downhill on Sunday, it would have had to have been the
muddiest/hardest downhill race I have ever competed in with a time of almost 9min. (really long track)
QLD National series 2007 Australia. Rd #2 DH and Rd #3 4x
It was muddy and wet all weekend which made for some interesting racing!!
Result:
4x = #1st (leading the Australian national series and currently holding the 301 leaders plate)
Jarred Graves won the mens.
DH = after focussing on 4x for this race i missed the
downhill practice sessions as i was dong 4x and just missed out on qualifying in the top 5. Tracy Hannah Won the womens and Nathan Rennie
won the mens.
Downhill round #1 Adelaide Australia,
…The muddiest downhill race I have ever competed in!!!...
The 1st round of the downhill kicked off to a great start all running smoothly
and the weather cleared up for final runs.
I had a hard fort battle between the girls in the mud but managed to
finish in 3rd place in elite women, by hundredths of a second,
“the racing was so close on a short track”.
A good start to the Australian downhill national series for me.
Currently sitting on points in
#1st 4x (elite women) and #3rd Downhill (elite women)
The Australian national 4x series has kicked off with the 1st and 2nd
round held at Olympic Park Sydney. It was an incredibly hot day 36
degrees and its not even summer yet!!!
The racing was close in the women elbow to elbow in every race,
Day 1, I came away with the win and claimed the series leader plate,
and again on day 2, I claimed the win in the final and hold the series leader plate till the next
4x round in Queensland in a few weeks.
In the men’s Leigh Darrell took
out the win both days also.
Oceania’s 2007 Thredbo,
Dual Slalom coming back to the mountain bike scene in Australia with
Thredbo playing host at the 2007 Oceania’s. The weekend was cold
with rain on and off and temperatures of -9 Degrees at the top of Thredbo.
Many countries participated New Zealand, Malaysia, New Caledonia and more.
Results:
#1st Elite women Dual Slalom
#1st Elite women 4x
#1st Under 19’s Downhill
Snowmass Norba Results =
4x = 2nd place Pro Women, to Melissa Buhl USA National 4x champion, KHS team member
Downhill = 10th place Pro Women, a tough field with Buhl 1st and some big names like
Kathy Pruitt (USA'S Downhill national champion) and Marla Streb.
22 seconds between the top 10
Mountainbike Worlds Fort William Scotland 2007:
Qualified:
4th jnr women Dh
5th Elite womens 4x
Apart from the odd glimpses of sunlight it was raining on and off typical Scotland weather
the downhill and 4x tracks were lots of fun and definitely world class standard.
After good qualifying runs in both the dh and 4x, I made it through the quarter final in the 4x sitting in second behind a Netherlands girl
I washed out in the 3rd corner and got back up sprinted and got back on my bike and chased
all the way to the line coming from 4th to 2nd and qualifying in to semi final.
I drew a hard heat in the semi final (top 8) riding against the best girls in the world,
I was sitting in 3rd Out of the 1st corner and hit elbows with a Japanese girl in the 2nd straight resulting
in me crashing into the lip of a double and knocking my self out and being concussed, I was put into a neck brace
and stretched off the track with a police escort to the hospital,
lucky I did not remember anything until later that night.
The doctor said no racing for 6weeks because of soft tissue damage in my head and such a big impact.
This meant that I was unable to compete the following day in the Downhill,
where my qualifying time would have placed me 3rd.
* Overall my 2007 worlds trip was a great success meeting new people/Sponsors, putting faces to names and getting recognised on the world scene.
Looking forward to many more years of travelling and competing in the future!!
THANK YOU to all of my Sponsors, the Australian team, parents and friends for making this trip a success
2007 MTB Australian Championships Stromlo Forest Park ACT,
Hot and very dusty could explain the weekend! The brand new Forest park facility
built by Glen Jacobs is now playing host to the 2009 World Championships here in Australia.
The facilities are fantastic with Mountain X, Downhill,
Criterion and Cross country all at the one venue.
Luke Madill Won the Elite men 4x and I took out the Elite women’s 4x
Jarred Graves won the Elite men Downhill Foxy took out the Elite women’s Downhill and I Won the Under 18s
in a time of 4:16 69 2nd best overall time in the Elite women’s.
Black Hill 4x National Series Final,
It was a good end to the last round of the National MTB 06-07 rounds on Robbie’s home track
with a close 2nd place to Jill Kintner 2 time World Champion. With enough points to take the overall
National 06-07 4x Elite Women’s series winner!
I will be unable to compete in the last round of the Downhill at Mt Beauty but still hoping for an over all series podium
2008 Oceania Championships,
ALPHA MAGAZINE Photo Shoot Preview:
http://player.video.news.com.au/theaustralian/?S6dGiNV0_HGWsZvvYu_oBn1RUXQBN8Nl
2009 World 4x Champions Caroline Buchanan and Jared Graves from Billy Trailstar on Vimeo.