CANBERRA’S Eliza Kwan knows Sunday’s win in Orange is just the beginning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A first-time competitor at the Ginja Ninja 250, Kwan’s nine-lap time of four hours, 41 minutes and 1.01 seconds was enough to see her defeat an encouraging ladies field in the opening round of the 2015 Fairfax Media Evocities MTB Series at Kinross State Forest.
“I’ve got a lot of friends who come up here and race the Ginja Ninja every year,” Kwan said.
The Canberra-based former triathlete bettered Liz Smith, whose eight laps and 4:16.49.44 time nailed her second, and the third-placed Brooke Rowlands, another rider who finished with eight laps in an impressive time of 4:23.33.06 on Sunday.
“Brooke Rowlands is always really good, her family is from here,” Kwan said.
“I think she’s not quite on form ... but she was there in the back of my mind and was coming around fast. But otherwise I just wanted to get in as many laps as I could.”
Labelling the Kinross State Forest trails “unreal”, Kwan said the goal leading into the opening event of the new MTB series was always to win, and said a “fairly consistent” lap time meant she was able to pip the 11-strong females in the solo open category.
“It’s always the goal, I guess,” she said.
“But more so it’s about going out there and having a good time and smooth out some lines.
“The track is quite good because if you come back a couple of times there are some technical parts that terrified me a couple of years ago, and I absolutely couldn’t ride them, but it’s nice to come back and see progression.”
A relative novice having only been involved in the sport for two years, Kwan said she was looking forward to the rest of the series, which kicks off again in Western Sydney for the Wylde Western Sydney 7 hour on Sunday, April 12.
“I’ve done the Albury Six Hour and Wagga before. They’re both really good races,” she said, looking forward.
“It depends on how many more girls come out of the woodwork. I’d like to think a few will, there’s a few girls in Canberra I know that are gearing up for it.”