Billings brothers conquering the mountain trails

Wangaratta brothers Levi and Jackson Billings enjoyed remarkable success at the Victorian Mountain Bike Cross Country State Championships and Championship Series at Eildon on Saturday, 14 February. Sixteen-year-old Levi won the 2026 Victorian Cross Country Mountain Bike State Championship in the under-19 men's category on the Saturday and backed up boldly next day in the final round of the Victorian Mountain Bike Championship Series to finish number one overall for the series. Jackson, just 14 years old, finishing in sixth place on the Saturday amid tough competition in the under 17 men's category, and followed up the next day to end the series in fourth place overall for the series. The Eildon course, conveniently located within walking distance of the town centre, offered exhilarating racing over short, steep sections of gravel, singletrack, and narrow, technical trails. Now competing in the under-19 category, Levi raced alongside the Elite Men, allowing him to test his skills and endurance against some of the fastest mountain bikers in Victoria. Despite the age difference and formidable competition, Levi said he was feeling quite confident ahead of Saturday's event. "I knew that I had done all I could to prepare myself for the race," he said. "And the course suited me quite well, with punchy climbs and fast high-speed descents." Levi led his category for the entire race and with a winning margin of 5min 17sec in a time which would have seen the teenager finish sixth in the Elite Men's event. "I think the main difference between under-19s and Elite Men, besides age, is a mix of experience of racing and having the strength to be able to push harder for longer periods of time," Levi said. "Over the weekend, I learnt fueling is really important before, during and after the race, even if I don’t feel like it. "I also learnt that I have the ability to keep up with the elite men for a couple of laps, which means all of my training is working and I will be in a good position when I reach elite men in a few years’ time." Jackson said his main challenge on Saturday was the amount of small punchy climbs on the course, and how over the race the fatigue built up in my legs. "The steep climbs led to my legs leaving me on the final climb on the last lap," he said. "I found it was easy for me to perform well on the descents and on the faster sections of track. "When racing out of the bunch, I found it more efficient to make up time back to the leading group on the descent because that is one of my strong points, and I know it's a lot harder to try to catch them on the climb." Jackson's campaign was hampered by a cold in the week leading up to the weekend. "It also didn't help my recovery on Saturday after my race, but I think my body has adapted over the past year to be able to back up races over the weekends, so I didn't feel too fatigued on Sunday," he said. "It is what we train for. "A mechanical on Sunday during my race, when my seat post would not stay in position and became too tight, causing it to stop working consistently, was challenging. As any good sportsperson will tell you, Jackson said there were valuable lessons learned over the intense racing weekend. "I learnt how important it is to plan out how I am going to race, such as where my main attack points are and where I am going to fuel during the race," he said. "For example, on Saturday, I found it really difficult to fuel on the bike because of how tight and twisty the course was without a main fire road or open section apart from the start finish line." Although Jackson had some setbacks he was very happy with his result and having the opportunity to race against his mates from across Victoria. Over the past four months, the brothers competed in events held in Avoca, Gippsland, Eildon, and Buxton, navigating both new and familiar trails. Their success at the state championships and in the series was the result of rigorous training, support from their local bike shop, Westend Cycles, and their involvement in both the Victorian and National Mountain Bike Academies. Here, they benefited from expert coaching and training opportunities at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, as well as at top mountain bike parks in Victoria. The boys' participation in the State Series contributed towards their preparation for their next races, where they will compete at a national level in three rounds of the National MTB Series at Stromlo Canberra on 27 February - 1 March, and then off to the MTB Nationals Championships at Mt Buller on 20-22 March.

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