How Hayley won a national mountain bike title

Lismore mountain bike sensation Hayley Oakes triumphed in tough conditions and now she’s got a huge challenge ahead.

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Outstanding Northern Rivers cyclist Hayley Oakes, 17, took out the Australian Women's U19 Mountain Bike title in Tasmania in 2021 when she was only 16 years old.

Winning the AusCycling National Championship U19 Women’s XCO division at just 16 years of age proves how hard this talented Lismore athlete has worked.

Ever since she took up mountain bike racing, Hayley Oakes has been powering through the ranks at competitions, giving her older and more experienced competitors grey hairs as she clocks up local, state and national mountain bike events and wins like a machine.

Now, after a gruelling race in soggy conditions at Maydena, Tasmania, last month, Oakes has made the global mountain bike world sit up and take notice.

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Outstanding Northern Rivers cyclist Hayley Oakes, 17, took out the Australian Women's U19 Mountain Bike title in Tasmania in 2021 when she was only 16 years old.

“This was muddiest race I have ever been in,” she said.

“We were stopping on the trails and picking up sticks to poke mud off our bikes.”

But wet weather and boggy trails didn’t prevent Oakes from riding a gun time of 01:09:58.323 over the six laps, finishing more than five minutes ahead of her nearest competition Zoe Pollock who recorded a time of 01:15:09.133.

Oakes also showed that saturated trails don't hold her back with a fastest lap time of 00:31:34 and an average lap time of 00:34:59, while her slowest lap time of 00:38:24 was much quicker than her competitors who came in third to sixth places.

“It was pretty much so greasy, almost like the course was unrideable and at some stages everyone was off and running,” she said.

“Our bikes were so packed with mud we picked sticks to unclog them and we were covered in mud.”

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Outstanding Northern Rivers cyclist Hayley Oakes, 17, took out the Australian Women's U19 Mountain Bike title in Tasmania in 2021 when she was only 16 years old.

Now Oakes is waiting on confirmation she will be able to wear the green and gold for Australia at the World MTB titles in Val di Sol in Italy, in late August 2021 – pandemic allowing.

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Outstanding Northern Rivers cyclist Hayley Oakes, 17, took out the Australian Women's U19 Mountain Bike title in Tasmania in 2021 when she was only 16 years old.

Now in Year 12 at Emmanuel Anglican College, Oakes is planning on how to make the sport she loves her career.

“Somehow I always knew I could do this,” she said.

“After Year 12 I’m planning on heading overseas to get some exposure and experience.

“This is all thanks to not only my coach Donna Dall from Progressive Coaching Systems for supporting me through every training session, my parents drove me to every race in the lead up to the nationals and my major financial sponsor John Robinson Accounting in Mullumbimby, my team Trek Shimano Australia and sponsor Vittoria Australia.”