Scott Bowden, your fastest U23 Aussie.

Sam Gaze took a win today by a hair's margin.

Jan Vastl crashes in the rock garden. The course would claim multiple victims during the day.

Sam Gaze looks over his shoulder as he is about to finish in Cairns.

Bec Henderson and Emily Batty warming up in a bit of shade.

Annika Langvad looked quietly confident at the start.

Eva Lechner and Catharine Pendrel keep cool prior to the start.

Catharine Pendrel rode hard today and fought it out with Bec Henderson, but Henderson would have her in the end. Pendrel finished fourth.

Linda Indergand powering up the climb to the top of the course. Indergand rode to second.

Annika giving it all in the descent.

Bec Henderson was poised for a good result in Cairns. In pursuit of Annika Langvad, followed closely by Catharine Pendrel.

Once Langvad got out in front, she stayed there.

The women battle during the first laps of the course on the narrow trails of Cairns.

Annika Langvad going into her final lap, taking no chances and aero-tucking it all the way down the finish straight.

Chloe Woodruff and Emily Batty duking it out past the hecklers.

Sabine Spitz weaving her way through the #leafbro to a fifth place finish.

Kate Courtney started two minutes behind the pro field in the U23 class and ended up powering up to the twenties in the pro field by race end taking the win in U23.

Bec Henderson had the ride of her World Cup career on home soil, taking third.

Bec Henderson had a strong start and got out front early.

Annika Langvad pulls out win number one.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy! Third for Bec Henderson. Well deserved.

Some days you have the track, others it has you.

Eva Lechner, spent at race end.

Have to replace those sugars.

These Italian guys fueled many of the press guys here in Cairns. Grazi!

Julien Absalon, moments from the start.

Julien Absalon now rides a dropper post in his BMC.

Start lap shuffle.

What would an XC piece be without Nino whipping out some style?

Nino Schurter seemed unleashed in the first lap, riding away from the field right from the start. Maxime Marotte was on fire however, giving him a run for his money.

Lars Forster's first elite level World Cup race went pretty well with a sixth. Watch this man.

The atmosphere in Cairns was amazing. Thanks Aussies, for your incredible cheering. Yours truly is still in recovery after capturing this one for your enjoyment.

Maxime Marotte plunging into the gnar on his way to second place.

Mathias Fluckiger had a strong ride, he even took the lead at one point. He came across the line in fourth.

Meet Mathieu van der Poel, a Dutchman, 21 years of age. Van der Poel won the cyclocross World Championships in 2015, now he is aiming for the 2016 Olympics. In his first international mountain bike race in Cyprus, he won one of the stages. In his first World Cup, starting far back in the field on a tough track, he came in 32nd after destroying his rear wheel.

Julien Absalon had troubles early on but he battled his way back through the field to take third.

Florian Vogel pointing it down Croc Slide. Vogel took fifth place today.

Aussie Dan McConnell was a favorite for the podium here, but double flats dimmed those hopes.

Julien Absalon suffered a flat in the race and due to a dropped and lost allen key he lost over a minute extra in the tech area. There's only one way back to the top after such an event - push harder than anyone else.

Nino Schurter crosses the line with Maxime Marotte coming in just behind him.

The sting of washing off a hard fought battle.

Lukas Fluckiger congratulates brother Mathias on a race well ridden.

With all the rain we've had this week you wouldn't expect to see riders come through with so much dust on their legs.

Certainly not the last time we will see Nino on the top step this season.

See you and your wacky wildlife next year Cairns.

Here we are at the start of a fresh new World Cup XC season. Not just any season, an Olympic season. This isn't our typical year of XC. World Champs comes mid-season in Nove Mesto, so we have current year World Champions heading to the games. For most of the riders who have been selected by their respected federations for the games, it's the highest honor. As such it could be expected to see some surprising results these next few rounds. Most of these guys will be training to peak for the games. With the exception of a very select few, not many will be able to peak for Worlds, and then peak again so soon for the Olympics. It could be possible for someone who is going to the games who knows they don't have a great shot a medaling to peak early and take a shot at a World Championship. For that, we shall have to wait and see. What we do know is that there were a few big names missing from this first round. Jolanda Neff, Gunn-Rita, and Pauline Ferrand Prevot to name a few. At any rate, it will be an interesting season.What we did see in Cairns wasn't so unusual, but there were a couple surprises. Annika Langvad rode an incredibly strong race, starting the season of as she finished the last one. Linda Indergand took second, and Aussie Bec Henderson battled her way to a phenomenal third place finish. Nino Schurter added one more win to his name. Maxime Marotte took a well raced second place. Julien Absalon was third after fighting his way up from mid-pack. Now that we have some chess pieces on the board, we will have to wait until Albstadt to see if this is a pattern that will gel, or if there will a shake-up of the status quo.Full XCO results here