Strong field for Denmark round as Albany takes its turn to host WA State Downhill Series at Mt Clarence

If it’s wet and muddy out there, the mountain bike season must be getting under way. The Denmark Mountain Bike Club hosted the opening round of the 2026 WA State Downhill Series on March 28, flying in the face of cyclone Narelle and providing a super test for the 97-strong field. It’s Albany’s turn this weekend, hosting round two, the Southern Ports State Downhill on April 18-19 at the Mt Clarence track with the racing starting at noon on Sunday. Perth’s Bailey Christie, a former under-21 national champion who bought his first mountain bike with his pocket money at primary school, was the elite winner in Denmark. He covered the course in 1min. 18.3810sec. to pip Margaret River brothers Gus and Roly Kyme. Gus Kyme was second by 0.7sec with Roly Kyme third, just over two seconds adrift. Albany’s Jessica Waldron was the first elite female through, in 1:55.3414, but it was under-19 winner Ruby Beckett who was the fastest woman overall, romping home in her age group in an impressive 1:52.2705. Beckett’s was one of several triumphs by riders in the Monkey Rock fold. Jake Drummond won the under-19 male race, just over half a second clear of Ollie Lear in 1:25.1065, while Mackenzie Stables won at under-16s, beating runner-up Flynn Devenport and third-placed Parker Eastman. Even bike shop owner Nathan Devenport got in on the act, winning the masters 3-4 age group ahead of Clint Barker in 1:39.3507. Other men’s winners were Charlie Vince in the expert men, Jayden Genders in the masters 1-2 and Tommy Lukac in the under-17 boys. Sara Clarke took out the 19-29 expert female category while Lewis Task won the masters 5-6 and Sara Bradley the masters 5-6+. Steven Buursema was electric on the e-bikes, beating Stefan Lam by eight seconds when finishing in 1:53.8127.