He finished 10 minutes clear of second, in the men’s expert division, and posted the second fastest time overall.

There were hot conditions for the race, which was held at Goat Farm in Perth.

Rowan’s division was the second top category after the elite men.

Several riders did not finish in the 32-degrees heat but Rowan excelled and finished only 1½ minutes behind the top elite rider.

“I enjoyed the race. It was very tough, with lots of hard hills to climb,” he said.

“Only a few competitors were able to climb on particular hill but the descents were good fun.

“The conditions were tough because it was hot and the race was in the middle of the day, but I am pleased with my result,” said Rowan.

The race was 31.5kms in total and consisted of five laps around the course. Rowan finished every lap faster than his rival competitors.

The Mail also spoke to Rowan about his win in the Cape to Cape Mountain Bike Race, which is a four-stage race covering 35-60kms each day.

“It was very tough mentally and you wake up tired each morning. There was lots of sand and climbing and I was trying to hangon to the pro guys throughout the race.

“It’s great to have a local mountain bike event and I am really happy to have won it,” he said.