Grit on Display: Max Delivers at National MTB XC Rounds 3 & 4

Mackay Cycles brand ambassador Max delivered another standout performance over the weekend at Rounds 3 and 4 of the National MTB XC Series, held at La Larr Ba Gauwa MTB Park near Bendigo, Victoria.

Race Highlights

Saturday – Speed and Precision 🥈

Cool, sunny conditions greeted the riders on Saturday and Max wasted no time getting into position—sprinting the opening uphill fire road to hit the singletrack near the front. By the end of Lap 1, Max was in a tight three-rider lead group.

On Lap 2, an early split left Max tussling for the podium with a solid gap back to the rest of the field. On the fourth and final lap, Max dropped the hammer, attacking over the crest and into the singletrack—opening over a minute on third place in half a lap to secure a brilliant 2nd place.

Sunday – Courage Under Pressure 💪

An overnight thunderstorm settled the dust, and Sunday brought overcast, chilly conditions. A fast downhill start into a tough uphill once again had riders sprinting for singletrack positions.

After another strong start, Max pushed the pace to take the lead and force the selection early. By the end of Lap 1, the top three were wheel-to-wheel with a big gap to the rest. On Lap 2, the long high-power climbs narrowed it down to two riders, with Max right at the pointy end. The gap back to third grew from 30 seconds to over a minute halfway through Lap 3.

With gold in sight, Max was lining up another late-race move—until disaster struck. In a fast downhill switchback, Max hit a hidden tree stump and was catapulted off the bike, landing heavily on his wrist and knee. After a painful stop (and the agony of watching riders pass), Max showed real grit—remounting to complete the final 1.5 laps in significant pain and largely one-handed.

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Eyes Forward

Max now has time to recover and refocus with a two-month break before the National Series heads to Mt Stromlo, Canberra for Rounds 5, 6 and 7 at the end of February 2026. After showing speed, stamina and grit in Bendigo, Max is already looking ahead to redemption in Canberra.

Go Max! 👊🚵