Fastest qualifier Masters speeds to men's downhill national title

The third day of the 2010 New Zealand National Championships happened Sunday at the Long Gulley downhill venue at Brooklyn in Wellington. Difficult weather conditions created a huge variable for the 200 downhill competitors racing for national titles, with hot, dry and vicious gusting winds turning an already challenging race course into a treacherous race for survival.

The morning's seeding session produced a mixed bag of results across the age group categories, with many strong favourites being gathered up in the clutches of the gusting wind to fall off the pace. However, come race time deserved champions were crowned across the board.

In the elite women's race, Harriet Harper was after back-to-back national championship titles. And she did this in style, winning over the fast improving Sarah Walker. A BMX Olympian, Walker was all praise after her foray into downhill racing, recognising firsthand just how tough and uncompromising the sport is. Walker may just have enjoyed this experience so much that it won't be the last seen of her on a 26-inch downhill race bike.

The elite men's race was missing New Zealand's two highest ranked racers - Sam Blenkinsop through injury and Justin Leov. However, the quality of field chasing this 2010 title was extremely high, with all of New Zealand's other top professionals and several visiting international athletes in the field.

Wyn Masters seeded first, and the rest of the top 10 seeded riders were right on his tail time-wise. But this race was to be Master's finest moment, and he followed through on his top seeding time to take the elite men's title from Wanganui's Glenn Haden. Haden had won at Long Gulley before in similar conditions, and lost out to Master's typically powerful and controlled display by only 0.3 seconds.

Levin's Nathan Rankin took third, with Cam Cole and Four Cross National Champion Matt Walker in fourth and fifth. For Masters, this title win seems to have been a long time coming.

Of note was the performance of George Brannigan who was racing in the under 19 category for this title after a summer racing in the elites. Brannigan convincingly won, in a time that would have placed him sixth in the elite field. Likewise local Wellington rider Dan Meilink - who like Brannigan was seeded first in his category, backed that up to win his first senior men's downhill title.

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