HARRISON Ernst has become the first home-town rider to win Warrnambool Mountain Bike Club’s feature event, the TP180.
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Ernst completed 10 laps of a 5.5-kilometre course to prevail in the three-hour enduro at Thunder Point Coastal Reserve on Sunday.
Gavin Piergrosse was runner-up with nine laps and finished five seconds ahead of James Coomber, whose supreme effort also earned him the under 17 boys’ crown.
Sabrina Ernst completed eight laps to take overall female honours and the under 17 girls’ section. Debbie Rodgers and Karen Crispe filled the podium, with seven laps.
Harrison Ernst, 19, said he was pleased with the win, which backs up his triumph in the 2014 Otway Odyssey 50-kilometre event.
The former Emmanuel College student took up mountain bike riding four years ago and has become one of the top young prospects in south-west Victoria.
“It’s just for the fun of it,” he said. “I love getting out into the bush and riding my mountain bike and I love the fitness aspect of it.
"There’s a lot of training that goes into it. I do a lot of training on the road bike, around 15 hours a week.”
His prowess on the bike is in stark contrast with his football abilities – “any sport with a ball I can’t really play”.
"I did a lot of skateboarding when I was younger, that went on for a fair while. Then I picked up the mountain bike and haven't been back," he said.
Ernst said he opened a handy advantage on the first lap of the TP180, which he steadily grew the longer the enduro went on.
He hopes to carry his form into the Australian Mountain Bike Series (AMBS) and national championships in summer.
“That’s my big goal that I peak for, the national championships,” he said.
“There is also a World Cup in Cairns next year, I’d love to get enough UCI points and qualify for that. There’s a lot of competition to get through, you’ve got to be in the top five to qualify.”
Among other TP180 results, Bool Boys – Gavin Prentice and Darren Shiell – won the men’s pairs while The Kingston Biscuits – Shaun and Kerry King – took out the mixed pairs. Both combinations covered nine laps.
WMTBC president Brett Easton said about 60 riders braved the winter chill to take part. Easton was pleased to see Ernst ride his way into event history.
“He was one of the original juniors when the club started the skills development program, which was part of its beginnings,” he said.
“What he’s achieving is stuff that goes back to our strategic plan of developing pathways for young riders, or any rider really.”