Welcome to the Australian Mountain Bike Nationals at Adelaide, South Australia.  Affectionately know as RADelaide, it's signs like this on the major freeway that sure puts mountain biking on the map in Australia. -Damian Breach

"Sam who?" is all these local drop bears could think as they wouldn't give a crap about the downhilling.  Sitting high above the track the only thing on their mind is eating, sleeping and waiting for the next American tourist to drop on and attack. Welcome to Australia. -Damian Breach

It was Kovarik's day. 10 years since his last Aussie title and maybe a sign of the season ahead. -Damian Breach

It was hot, dry and dusty all week and the course was getting looser by the minute. -Damian Breach

All the way from Indonesia were a couple of little pint-sized pinners pinning it.  Prior to today I had no idea mountain bikes were ridden let alone raced there.  Damn cool if you ask me. -Damian Breach

The happy couple.  Claire Buchar waits for Chris Kovarik to finish talking to the media so they can celebrate maybe the first ever husband and wife win at a downhill. -Damian Breach

Luke Madill won the means 4X and gave me my mountain bike art. -Damian Breach

With Jared Graves away racing BMX, Caroline was left to fly the newly-crowned-world-champioin flag solo.  She didn't disappoint and took the 4X win with ease. -Damian Breach

Mitch Delfs wouldn't let Vital know who his new team was so we pulled some favours and stopped him from getting access to the shuttles.  Poor Mitch had to carry his bike up the hill all weekend. -Damian Breach

Amiel "KC" Cavalier was just off the pace and finished 6th today.  Amiel also nearly killed me today as I layed there taking photos.  Dang Vital boss man, I need to be paid more money. -Damian Breach [Editor's Note: We give you photo credit, isn't that enough payment?]

Lucky for everyone a little bit of rain came down race day and settled and course and the dust down a little. -Damian Breach

The pressure must have been on Sam Hill when the boss of the company came into town to drop in an say hello. Specialized big gun, Mike Sinyard. -Damian Breach

Local RADelaide boy, Troy Brosnan, took out the juniors - but only by a fraction.  Just goes to show that there's plenty of talent lining up for their chance to shine in the future. -Damian Breach

Shaun O'Connor is getting quicker and quicker and got 2nd today buy only half a second.... at only 18 that's probably more time than it takes him to shave. -Damian Breach

Jared Rando is living in Southern California at the moment and flew all the way back to Adelaide just for the race.  He's rocking a new sponsor for 2010 and he was rolling with one of their new carbon helmets. -Damian Breach

Josh Button finished in 3rd and is ready for a whole season of World Cup racing for his new team, Kona.  Josh also hates waiting for the check after dinner. Not because he's cheap or anything, it's just the physical waiting and the ADD of today's youth. -Damian Breach

Normally the Aussie Nationals is the hot place to find out who's riding for whom in the new season but this year was a little slow on that front.  One rider who's stepping onto a new rig in 2010 is Rhys Willemse, but we'll keep you guessing. -Damian Breach

Sam is the man everyone wants to beat, the man all fans want to win. Reminiscent of a previous World Championship loss, Sam crashed only meters from the finish line and saw another  win disappear in a cloud of dust. The price of pushing the hardest. -Damian Breach

You can't have a photo feature by Damian Breach without one of his snipered panning shots. His favorite from the weekend.