Launceston mountain bikers Rowena Fry and Ewan Ferrier to ride enduro world series in Derby

Fry is a multiple national cross-country champion who narrowly missed qualification for the London Olympics and has contested world cup events around the globe.

However, the Launceston 34-year-old is a new convert to enduro mountain bike riding and says 18-year-old Ferrier is far better placed to know what to expect when Derby hosts a round of the world series in April.

“It’s a totally different event to anything I’ve done before,” Fry said.

“Being a cross-country rider, enduro is relatively new so in some ways Ewan is more experienced than me and I’ve been asking him all about it. It’s quite exciting for me because it is a new genre of mountain biking.”

Having recovered from glandular fever, Fry found it hard to meet the demands of cross-country training.

“You’d be training for a six-hour ride and my body’s immune system struggled with that and although enduro is also long you do smaller time sections so it should be easier to keep healthy.

“While you might be on the bike for six hours, you are only racing for 20 or 30 minutes across seven stages.

“I found I could not train at the level I wanted to because cross-country is such a taxing sport but I’m managing to do enduro and being in Derby it is local and something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Fry and Ferrier were the only Northern Tasmanians when 20 wildcard entries were confirmed for the event, joining Hobart trio Josh McDonald, Thomas Booth and state champion Edwina Hughes.

Ferrier, of Longford, was named in the Mountain Bike Australia junior development team after meeting its selection criteria.

“I had to provide my latest results,” said the 18-year-old who won the under-19 state title in Clarence and enduro series in Derby.

“I’m pretty happy about it. It’s something I really want to do, riding at that level. I’m treating it as just another race, it’s just a big one.

“I’ve never raced at this level before, I’ve only ever done state races, so I’m not sure what I’m up against.

“With an enduro it’s just you and the track most of the time but that’s what I like.”

The former Launceston Church Grammar and Launceston College student, who came 11th in the 2016 Australian cross-country championships in Bright, said he too is largely unaware what to expect.

“I’ve got no idea about the details but think it is across seven stages. I’m not sure how many people I will be racing against but just want to do the best I can and have a good crack. I’ve got no real expectations.

“I don’t really have any long-term goals it’s just with this being in Derby it would be a shame not to race it.”

One thing the Launceston Mountain Bike Club members are agreed upon is how exciting it will be to compete on the world stage in their home state.

“I think it’s a pretty good advantage being at Derby,” Ferrier said. “It gives me a confidence boost knowing the trails.”

Fry is also spending as much time in the North-East township as possible while improving her fitness in the familiar surroundings of Trevallyn, Kate Reed and Hollybank.

“It’s super exciting that Derby has got this event,” she said.

“I’m a bit nervous because I have not competed at world level since 2012 so it’s been a really big challenge to see where I fit and give me something to train for again which I have not had for a while.

“Most of the trails are not built yet so although there is a local advantage, the course is not released until the Monday of the event and you’re not allowed on until the Thursday so it is quite secretive.”

Fry is also looking forward to renewing a rivalry with a former international adversary.

Frenchwoman Cecile Ravanel used to compete against the Australian in cross-country world cups and, since switching to enduro racing, has become world champion, winning seven of the eight rounds last year.

“I’m really pleased she’s competing because she’s the best in the world but is actually older than me so makes me feel a lot better.”

Previewing Derby on its website, the EWS wrote: “This wild and remote island will offer riders a real adventure. The area has become synonymous with world class mountain biking and riders will get to experience everything from fern forests to granite slabs.”