For Nick Chisholm, the high of winning a third-straight mountain bike state title was replaced by the pain and frustration of a crash-marred enduro national championships.
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After the 17-year-old Tamworth riders' under-19 state cross-country championship win at Orange this month, he was on a high when he arrived at Maydena, Tasmania, for the nationals on the weekend.
But four crashes in wet conditions over two days in the under-19 event resulted in him finishing 14th.
The crashes left him with a big hematoma on his quadricep.
He said there were "heaps" of crashes at the championships due to "pouring rain" and the course being so steep.
In fact, he said it was more of a downhill course than an enduro course.
I wasn't really too sure how I was gonna go," he added, "because that was my first enduro race this year.
- Nick Chisholm
"I normally don't crash at all," he said.
"I wasn't really too sure how I was gonna go," he added, "because that was my first enduro race this year.
"I haven't really done too much on the enduro bike ... and we really don't have anything steep enough around here to get used to that course."
At the 2019 nationals, he finished fifth in the under-17 age group.
