Of the handful of Tasmanian mountain bikers set to compete in Sunday’s inaugural Australian round of the Enduro World Series, Dylan Calow has the best idea what to expect.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 24-year-old Perth water services operator’s meticulous preparation stretched to entering the opening round of the series which was held in a muddy Rotorua last week.
Fresh back from New Zealand, Calow said he can’t wait to use that knowledge on home soil in Derby.
“I just wanted to ride the trails over there and also get some experience on different ground,” he said.
“It was really good. Very wet and slippery but a great event and good to see some pro faces and get to ride with them.
“Derby should not be as tough as Rotorua. We had a torrential downpour, very muddy and the tree roots were horrendous, but I know it’s still going to be tough here.”
The former Queechy High student came 121st of 148 riders in New Zealand in a total time of 47:59.870 – 10 minutes behind Kiwi winner Wyn Masters, one of about 100 pro riders.
“I spent about eight hours in the saddle but actually found it not too bad. The first three stages were very difficult and I came off probably a dozen times but then I decided to just have some fun and enjoy the trails.”
Calow, who has been riding for a couple of years after following his brother Sam’s tyre tracks, completed his preparation by coming eighth in Launceston Mountain Bike Club’s king of the mountain race up Ben Lomond on Sunday.
Like Calow, Stephen Matthews landed a spot through the EWS lottery and has an apt analogy for what they are in for.
“There are three ways to compete – pre-qualification, wildcard or lottery – but you are all in the same race so are against the best in the world. It is like a soccer fan jumping onto the field and playing against Ronaldo,” he said.
“It’s massive. I’m really excited and can’t wait to get into it. It’s Tasmania’s chance to put our best foot forward with the world’s eyes on us.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on social media and people from Western Australia are saying they have a “home” EWS round and they are thousands of kilometres away, but for us it’s just 90 minutes from home so we’re incredibly blessed.”
The 23-year-old teacher at Launceston Christian School came seventh in the under-23 national cross-country championships in Canberra in 2015, second in the 2016-17 Tasmanian Gravity Enduro Series and now races for the Scott Pro-Dig team.
“I want to have a crack and see what the highest level in the world is like,” he said.
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
