Joseph returns to racing on home soil with victory

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The return of Rosara Joseph to New Zealand mountain bike competiton after a four-year absence while studying in the United Kingdom was the highlight of the cross country race day on Saturday. Newly signed with RaboBank-Giant for the 2011 World Cup season, Joseph was keen to get her wheels back on the dirt in New Zealand and have a hit out against the storng elite women's field who have been competing during this national series.

Olympian Joseph showed her class with a comfortable five-minute win over New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup champion Karen Hanlen and wasn't seriously challenged once into the Living Springs singletrack. On her first lap of five, she rode to the front and clear of the others.

The elite men's race provided an intriguing strategic contest. A group of five riders was tightly bunched together for the first three laps, with all of them biding their time and calculating when to make a move. However, the short fuse variable in this pack was Under 19 junior Anton Cooper, on the same race start as the elites and circulating at the front of the field with the leaders.

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Cooper decided to attack this group on the fourth lap, and split it apart dramatically while riding off the front himself. While Cooper went on to comfortably win his five-lap junior race, it left the elites scrambling to recover some composure for the rest of theirs.

National Champion Mike Northcott withdrew while circulating with the leaders, tired and saving his legs for next weekend's championship race. Whakatane's Carl Jones took the initiative and the lead, and played a cat and mouse game with a fast closing Kyle Wood, managing to barely hold him off for the win. Christchurch local rider Brad Hudson raced to his best series result, in third.

Spectators and supporters were teated to some fantastic Under 17 junior racing on the morning race start, with the Oliver brothers Craig and Ben dominating their competiton - younger brother Craig claimed the winner's honours on his home track.

New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup riders will switch modes to a National Championship focus. Dunedin is host to this important event in 2011, and a six-event schedule kicks off on Thursday February 24 with a dual slalom and hill climb, Four cross racing on Friday February 25, Cross country on Saturday, February 26, and short track cross country and downhill racing on Sunday, February 27.

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