Sharratt, Laird take cross country opener
Season opener sees hometown winners in Christchurch
Sunday's cross country race on the 6km Living Springs circuit produced two popular winners. In the 42km men's elite race, Christchurch's Brendon Sharratt utilised newfound motivation and determination to lead the seven-lap race from start to finish with a crushing win over his elite rivals.
The Living Springs course allowed no opportunity for rest and required an extremely high intensity from competitiors - Sharratt delivering superbly. Sharratt took the win ahead of Brent Miller and Marc Metzler.
The 30km elite women's race produced a front of the field duel that kept the suspense ramping up right through to the last lap. Former New Zealand downhill mountain bike team member Amy Laird completed her rapid transition to cross country racing with a win in her first elite appearance. Rotorua's Samara Sheppard challenged and swapped the lead with Laird several times during the first four laps, but a mechanical issue while chasing Laird on the final lap put paid to a final challenge for the line, Sheppard finally finishing sixth. However, Laird displayed a level of race craft to take the win which will boost her confidence for the rest of the New Zealand MTB Cup and confirm her decision to swap racing disciplines.
Current elite downhill national champion Harriet Harper was also racing her first elite level cross country race and surprised the field to claim third place. Only Hokitika's Cathy Hamer able to work her way through the field after a slow start to split the Laird/Harper downhill influence with second place.
The New Zealand MTB Cup moves to Dunedin for Round 2 next weekend, with the cross country race taking place on Saturday, January 16.
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Brendon Sharratt | 2:14:31 |
2 | Brent Miller | 0:08:19 |
3 | Marc Metzler* | 0:11:28 |
4 | Ethan Glover* | 0:12:36 |
5 | Oliver Whalley | 0:14:53 |
6 | Alexander Revell | 0:19:04 |
7 | Dayle McLauchlan | 0:21:26 |
-1lap | Michael Crawford | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jeremy Inglis | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Amy Liard | 1:57:40 |
2 | Cathy Hamer | 0:00:59 |
3 | Harriet Harper | 0:01:58 |
4 | Sara MacDonald | 0:02:43 |
5 | Sara Taylor | 0:02:46 |
6 | Samara Sheppard | 0:03:31 |
7 | Hannah Thorne | 0:05:59 |
8 | Adrienne Hooper | 0:14:02 |
DNS | Lisa Morgan | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Anton Cooper | 1:34:51 |
2 | Bradley Hudson | 0:02:49 |
3 | Logan Horn | 0:03:06 |
4 | Samuel Shaw | 0:09:07 |
5 | Joel Macmillan | 0:13:53 |
6 | Thomas Prestidge | 0:14:18 |
-1lap | Oli Austin | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Richard Anderson | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Dominic Furkert | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Charlotte Clouston | 2:04:42 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Justin Leov | 1:16:09 |
2 | Nick Kennedy | 0:00:50 |
3 | Lance Griffin | 0:08:02 |
4 | Cameron Cole | 0:08:35 |
5 | Nick Clark | 0:09:44 |
6 | Paul Husford | 0:12:10 |
7 | Carl Schugers | 0:15:03 |
8 | Ben Thomas | 0:16:29 |
9 | Ashley Stapleton | 0:19:45 |
10 | Dayne McKnight | 0:20:42 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Sabrina Jonnier | 1:18:42 |
2 | Kristie Fogarty | 0:04:06 |
3 | Emma Prestidge | 0:04:23 |
4 | Madeline Taylor | 0:06:24 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Chris Taylor | 1:22:38 |
2 | Richard Hayman | 0:01:29 |
3 | Michael Martin | 0:04:12 |
4 | Matt Amos | 0:06:10 |
5 | James Marshall | 0:07:40 |
6 | Darron Charity | 0:10:59 |
7 | Brent Fogarty | 0:18:08 |
DNF | Darren Stafford | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Melissa Newell | 1:15:03 |
2 | Andrea Murray | 0:01:19 |
3 | Sarah Beadel | 0:07:37 |
4 | Jenny Laird | 0:32:54 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Blair Stuthridge | 1:19:33 |
2 | Al Killick | 0:02:36 |
3 | Tim Hoban | 0:02:53 |
4 | Paul McNabb | 0:02:55 |
5 | Rob Soothill | 0:09:19 |
6 | Nick Spencer | 0:10:51 |
7 | Craig Buist | 0:26:41 |
8 | Stephen Gunther | 0:27:19 |
9 | Carlton Pezaro | 0:39:04 |
10 | Harry Brouwer | 0:44:19 |
DNS | James Gurney | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Neil Averis | 1:30:27 |
2 | Hamish Grant | 0:07:12 |
3 | Jeff Long | 0:34:40 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Craig Oliver | 1:19:02 |
2 | Sean Hambrook | 0:02:13 |
3 | Jake Glover | 0:03:12 |
4 | Jacob Stuthridge | 0:07:27 |
5 | Jonty Sanders | 0:07:32 |
6 | Tayia Harrison | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Kayley Murdoch | 1:17:39 |
2 | Caitlin Holmes | 0:06:54 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Charlie Murray | 1:02:31 |
2 | Ben Oliver | 0:02:26 |
3 | Craig Murray | 0:09:31 |
4 | Mitchell Campbell | 0:12:19 |
5 | Fletcher Slierendrecht | 0:18:58 |
6 | Daniel O Brien | 0:40:07 |
7 | Ben Friel | Row 6 - Cell 2 |

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