Commonwealth Games: Canberra mountain biker Dan McConnell hopes to go out with a bang at Birmingham

The Canberra mountain biker will compete at his third Commonwealth Games and, having done it before, he'd love to go out with another podium finish.

He finished third to win claim the bronze medal in the cross country race at the Glasgow Games in 2014 before finishing seventh four years later at the Gold Coast.

McConnell and Sam Fox were Australia's hopes in the men's race, with fellow Canberran Zoe Cuthbert the sole Aussie in the women's race - both to be held near Birmingham on Wednesday.

While it will be Cuthbert's Games debut, 36-year-old McConnell knows he's closer to the end of his career than the start, which was why he saw this as his last Comm Games hurrah.

For McConnell, Birmingham was the main focus of his 2022 campaign as he sets his sights on coming home with a medal around his neck.

He's spent the past month taking advantage of Canberra's network of cross country tracks to get ready for the Games one last time.

"I just want to get there in the best shape I can. I know if it is the best shape then anything's possible on the day," McConnell said.

"But the main goal is to get there in the best shape I can. I've got a bronze in the past so I know that I can be right at the front. We'll just have to see how we go.

"[The podium's] a big driving force and that would be a massive achievement. I just want to keep it open, not too much pressure.

"This will probably be my last Comm Games so I just want to go there and give it the best opportunity I can."

But just because it's McConnell's last Games that doesn't mean he's on the verge of retiring from mountain biking completely.

As long as he's competitive, he will keep the pedals turning over for as long as he can.

It has him even more motivated to perform at Birmingham.

"I'm probably going to start winding it back a little bit. I'm 36 now so I'm not super young, but while I'm still going fast I'll try and do what I can," McConnell said.

"But for sure this will probably be the last Comm Games I do. I just want to make it a good one."

McConnell was expecting a quick race around a relatively flat course in the Cannock Chase Forest.

"I'm really happy to get the qualification. It's been the main goal of my whole year. All is on track and really looking forward to it," he said.

"It'll be a bit different to normal. Not heaps of climbing it will be a really fast track."

McConnell tipped fellow Canberran Cuthbert to also challenge for the podium, despite still racing in the under-23 category on the world stage.

The 21-year-old has been competing in the world cups - where Rebecca McConnell has focused her attention given she's sitting on top of the women's elite rankings.

But Cuthbert was focused on the Comm Games, rather than the World Cup event at Snowshoe, in the USA, that was held on Saturday.

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"It's a really good opportunity for Zoe. She's obviously still under-23 so she's really young, she's by far the next best behind Bec in Australia," McConnell said.

"It's a really good opportunity for her to go and get that experience. She's a real up-and-comer.

"She's a really good chance to be right up there, too."

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Wednesday: Mountain bike cross country at Cannock Chase Forest. Men at 8.30pm, women 11pm.

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