Australia’s 2015 Cyclocross National Championships just finished, and featured some neat events including a team relay. However, the men’s championship race unfortunately was not without controversy. Paul Van der Ploeg and Christopher Jongewaard were battling bar-to-bar, hopping the small wooden planks just before a hairpin turn, when momentum took its toll and sent the riders wide.
Rubbin’ is racin’ so they say, or at least Harry Hogge says, but does this include grabbing? Judge for yourself in the great Instagram video capture by Cycling Tips.
Paul Van der Ploeg was the eventual winner. The most recent video on YouTube from anon 4664, shown at the top of this article, shows that the tire grab wasn’t the only infraction. From the other angle, Van der Ploeg clearly releases his hands from the bar and gives his competitor a shove into the race tape.
The Women’s Elite Race ended on a more positive note. Although many doubters were skeptical of Lisa Jacobs defending her title after sustaining an injury to her Achilles, she was able to fight forward for yet another win. Jacobs was able to take second place last year in the Qiansen Trophy Race in China behind Ellen Van Loy, and she remains the one and only Women’s Elite Champion that Australia has ever had as she has won every national championship race since the country included the category.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2015 Australian Cyclocross National Championships.
