Mark Frendo (AUS) wins technical first stage at Crocodile Trophy

The 19th Crocodile Trophy started with a lap race in Smithfield near Cairns on Saturday.

More than 80 riders from 15 countries kicked off the race and with an overall race time of 1 h 30:14 min the Australian Mark Frendo took out the stage win and elite leader’s jersey with a 1:06.4 min gap ahead of Jan Fojtik (CZE) and Wolfgang Krenn (AUT). Fastest Australian was Steven Rankine from Cape York and women’s lead was claimed by Liesbeth Hessens from Belgium.

He had been called the “dark horse” among riders of this year’s Crocodile Trophy stage race after the first training rides at the Smithfield World Cup trails over the past few days in Cairns. And the 28-year old rider from Brisbane didn’t disappoint – straight from the start at the James Cook University event centre in Smithfield he set a high pace, creating himself a 30 second lead right way, which increased to over a minute within five laps of the 6.2km course that was dominated by tight singletrail sections, set out by the hosting Cairns MTB Club.

“I prepared as best as I could for this race, today really suited me because I have a bit of a cross-country background  and I just gave it a go and it all went to plan”, said the U19 and U23 national MTB champion who plans to keep challenging his fellow elite racers over the coming eight stages.

Jan Fojtik (CZE), whose older brother Ondrej won the Crocodile Trophy in 2008 also proofed to be in top form and said he enjoyed the course layout, “I like such technical trails and today’s race was great fun. But my brother warned me that anything can happen at the Crocodile Trophy, we still have eight days ahead of us.” Like so many others, today’s third, the Austrian Wolfgang Krenn, agreed, “I think the real race starts tomorrow. The steep climbs towards Copperlode Dam will be the first endurance test for the field.” The Canadian Marathon National Champion Cory Wallace was content with his fourth place today and said that his goal was to race consistent until the long and hot Outback stages on day five and six, which will take them over 163km Mt Mulligan to Granite Creek Dam and then to Laura on a 116km stage where a 50km time trial will be held for stage seven.

Fastest Australian leader jersey goes to Rankine
With Mark Frendo wearing the overall race leader’s jersey at tomorrow’s stage two start at the Cairns Esplande, Steven Rankine, currently fifth in the general classification, was again awarded the leader jersey for the best Australian in the race, a title he claimed in last year’s event as well. The Master leader jersey went to Johan Schrauwen from Belgium and in the women’s field, Liesbeth Hessens (BEL) won ahead of Maria Cristina Prati (ITA) and Giordana Sordi (ITA). Hessens will start tomorrow’s stage with a 15:34 minute lead. In the Adventure Team classification the Cairns local team with Jon Standage and Brendon Skerke is took the lead.

For more information, visit www.crocodile-trophy.com