After picking up state championships, Tamworth Mountain Bikers Justin Roberts and Nick Chisholm will take to the national stage.
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The duo competed at the 2017 NSW XCO State Championships and beat all their NSW opponents.
Roberts rode in the under 15s doing three laps of the 4.8-kilometre track while Chisholm was in the under 17s and did four laps.
Roberts – who is part of the Armidale-based 2 Wheel Academy – made a handy start and was spurred on by extra competition.
“I was in fourth but second and first – they were from Queensland and Victoria so they didn't count for the state championship,” Roberts said.
“I got up into third – which was first – about lap two. It made me push a lot harder [having extra competition].”
Chisholm – who is a Merida Bikes Australia Ambassador and supported by Bicycle Central on Marsh Armidale and GU Energy Australia – was slow to start but powered into the race.
“I was four or five riders back,” Chisholm said.
“At the end of the first lap [I hit the lead]...and led the rest of the way.”
The pair will now compete at Orange in the Mountain Bike Australia National Series on December 9-10.
Chisholm will start the event ranked number two in the nation while it will be Roberts’ first taste of national level racing.
National series rounds will then be held in Nerang, Pemberton and Canberra with the series champion announced in March.
Also, in February the boys will head back in Armidale for the Mountain Bike Australia National Championships where they’ll both start from the front line.
