Big Foot siblings Lucy and Fergus Mackie have netted doubles on the opening day of the Australian MTBO champs in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Lucy, who stormed to international stardom with a silver medal at the recent junior world titles, won the morning Sprint around Wingello Township by just three seconds from visiting Finnish WOC relay gold medallist Antonia Haga. Fergus (pictured, left) by contrast had almost a minute up his sleeve on Queenslander Joel Young.
It was a great area enhanced by some innovative building of single tracks and cunning course setting, with the finish in the local public school - and the local P&C manning the BBQ.
In the afternoon Middle champs at Wingello Quarries, Fergus finished 30 seconds ahead of Kiwi Conal Boland-Bristow. Lucy had a much easier time and was almost four minutes faster than Marquita Gelderman.
There were also double wins on Saturday to Newcastle riders Erika Enderby in W12, Rhiannon Prentice in W16 and Toy Martin in W70.
Other NSW Sprint winners were Nat Carroll (SHOO) in M12; and the Newcastle trio of Jenny Enderby in W40, Carolyn Matthews in W50 and Rudi Landsiedel in the nonetheless very competitive Recreational class (your debutant scribe can vouch for this!).
New Zealand riders came to the fore in the Middle champs, taking six titles in the older age groups. The only other NSW winner was Sydneysider Liam Wright who is an MTB regular having a go at the orienteering format.
In the AUS-NZ Test match, the Kiwis now lead 13 classes to 10 going into Sunday's Long champs.
