The atmosphere was absolutely electric on Sunday at Mt Stromlo as Australia’s queen of 24 hour racing, Jessica Douglas crossed the line just 13 and a half minutes in the lead following a classic battle with Katrin Van Der Speigel and the USA’s Eszter Horanyi to claim the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championship. Douglas battled Van Der Speigel, Horanyi and Swiss rider Andrea Kuster throughout the early parts of the night but lead most of the way, particularly after the half way mark, just keeping the others at bay.

Douglas said of her win that she would consider retirement now with two Australian titles and a Worlds Championship, but that we should also ‘ask her again in a week’ and paid tribute to the other competitors in the women’s event, her husband and support Norm and her own solid preparation in taking the victory. She said that the last three hours were a mental battle to keep on the bike as “it was so brutal, my mind was saying you know you need to do it but I really don’t want to.”

He’s been long known now as ‘Mr Consistency’, but fellow Aussie Jason English seemed to surprise no-one but himself in taking his second consecutive World Solo Championship. English took the lead of the race on lap 6 after watching Canada’s Cory Wallace roar off into the distance initially. Wallace suffered 2 flats out on course though – one taking 8 minutes off his lap and the next taking twenty with both certainly putting a dent in his mental game. He crossed the line 45 minutes and 18 seconds after English and 2 minutes or so before Team Ay-Up’s Andy Fellows.

Of huge note is the effort of young Aussie Victorian Scott Chancellor out on track as he raced as to as high as 2nd place throughout the night and eventually finishing 4th after his 22 laps. He is certainly a huge contender for future world titles, really only just missing out on a podium this time.

And in the singlespeeds I have to ask again where Brett Bellchambers gets his strength from? Taking out the men’s Singlespeed World title and finishing 7th overall is a huge accomplishment. With the depth of talent at a race like this, it goes without saying that Bellchambers would be giving the rest of the world a huge shunt if the playing was (mind the pun) more evenly geared. Right behind Brett though was his ‘young Padawan’ Ed McDonald and experienced Southern Highlander Brendan Den.

The singlespeed row was one of the more relaxed places to be in the paddock with the crew from the Mal Adjusted Team (including Bellchambers, McDonald and Women’s singlespeed winner Bec Parkes’ support teams) donning beards, downing beers and generally keeping us all amused and awake throughout the night. Bec took to the final lap with a can of Coopers in her bottle cage to celebrate taking the Women’s Singlespeed title.

And so another World Championship comes to a close and the first outside of North America too as I wonder where they will be next year, will Jess Douglas retire (I doubt it’s possible she could) and will English make it 3 in a row?