Not all downhill for easy rider

GETTING up at 6am to ride longer distances than most people drive to work isn’t a big deal for Tarrawanna’s Kyle Ward.

Ward, 15, rides up to 80km a morning, five days a week to condition his body for the gruelling discipline of cross-country mountain biking.

Cross country is the marathon to downhill’s 100m sprint – the shorter, more explosive discipline is over in minutes, while cross country riders are in the saddle for more than an hour – hence the taxing training required.

The year 11 Holy Spirit College student has two favourite training regimens – a ride from his home to Jamberoo and back (80km) or from home, up Mount Keira and down to Sandon Point and back (60km).

Ward said the training required by cross-country riding was the biggest attraction.

“Everyone does downhill – I get more satisfaction out of cross country because I have to train hard,” Ward said.

Ward’s hard work recently paid off at the fourth and final round of the Australian Cross Country Championships at Mt. Beauty, Victoria where he finished second after a sprint to the finish in the under 17s cross country.

In round four at Thredbo, Ward finished fourth – his results at Thredbo and Mount Beauty translating to fourth overall in the series, despite missing two rounds.

Just before the Victorian event Ward took to Canberra’s Mount Stromlo for the Australian National Championships, where he finished sixth.

Ward was hoping for a little more during the Australia Day Long Weekend in Canberra.

“Mount Stromlo was a dustbowl and 32 degrees,” Ward said.

“Local knowledge was an advantage in the 30km race – three of the top six were from Canberra.”

Ward got interested in mountain biking after being invited by mates to compete in the Australian 24-hour Mountain Bike Championship in Canberra in October, 2004.

He has since completed every 24-hour race held in the nation’s capital.

“I had never ridden in a competition event before – it was an unbeatable atmosphere, not to mention the volunteers and riders” he said.

These days Ward rides with Wollongong Mountain Bike Club.