Pople finished second overall in the elite category of the Rocky Trail Entertainment Fox Enduro Rollercoaster State Series.

The result came after competing in five races of the series at Killingworth, Wisemans Ferry, Thredbo, Kempsey and Stromlo from January to August.

Pople said he thought he would have finished in the top five, but was shocked to hear he had done so well – particularly being 36 and competing against 25-year-olds, and in his first year of competition.

Rollercoaster gravity enduro races are a fairly new racing concept to Australia, a blend of downhill and cross-country racing that generally take competitors between 12 and 20 minutes to complete.

For over 20 years, Pople had competed internationally in BMX freestyle and motocross, which he said was a stepping stone to his pursuit with mountain bikes.

“I’ve gone from kids’ bikes to grown-up bikes,” he joked.

He began getting more involved in mountain bikes, and a few friends told him he was pretty good at it, so his competitive nature drove him to enter the event.

“I just thought I’d give it a crack,” he said.

“You never know unless you give it a go.”

But it wasn’t just a fluke for Pople, who trains extensively four to five times a week doing cycling, strength training, swimming and core work.

He thanks his partner Erin for assisting him in his training, driving him up and down the hills for him to practice.

Pople said there is a lot of endurance involved in the sport, and since he started competing he has realised just how much his body can take and the physicality of it.

But he loves the speed of the event, and being in the elite class, the opportunity to compete against the best of the best.

Pople will now prepare for the upcoming state title for downhill riding, with an event at Green Valleys this weekend and the Australian mountain bike national enduro series next year.