Northcott, Fry win cross country round

The 2010 New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup was completed over the weekend in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest. The six event cross country national series was wrapped up in style at the world famous Rotorua mountain bike mecca, with tough racing across all elite and age group categories.

Saturday's race was held in perfect conditions, on a multi-lap race course that couldn't have been any better. Technically challenging, with tough climbs all worthy of a national series final, the Whaka course stretched riders to the limit.

Local Rotorua riders shone through across the age group categories on the morning race start, notable race winners being Garth Weinberg (Masters 1), Marcello Ojerio (Masters 2) and Nigel McDowell (Under 17 Men's). The feature Elite, Under 23 and Under 19 race in the afternoon kept the crowds enthralled, with tactical exchanges happening right through both men's and women's events.

The elite women's race was dominated again this week by Eloise Fry, who while riding to her own race plan at the front of the field, had to deal with constant and building pressure in the five lapper. Monique Avery and Michelle Bellamy were locked in a two-way duel right through the race and used their own tussle to exert pressure on Fry. However, their efforts were to no avail with Fry riding too smart to be reeled in, eventually riding away to a three-minute victory.

In the elite men's race, it was a similar story; however, winner Mike Northcott didn't have this one securely sewn up until he had the finish line in sight. A group of four determined athletes stalked Northcott from start to finish but couldn't break his hold on controlling the race off the front. Dirk Peters saw off the challenges from Carl Jones, Brendon Sharratt and Stu Houltham and maintained contact with Northcott through to the fifth lap to secure second place, with Carl Jones recovering from a mid race slump to grasp a battling third place finish. Sharratt rode consistently to fourth, and did enough with this result to claim the overall New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup title for 2010.

The under 19 men's race provided a lesson on how to destroy your opposition - Richard Anderson (Blenheim) exploded out of a tight, leading bunch of five to attack the race on the fourth and fifth laps, opening a gap he would hold through to the finish for an emphatic win. Sam Shaw just held off Christchurch's Logan Horn for the second podium step, with the chasing riders clearly exhausted.

With the New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup now in the bag, riders have a short turnaround to prepare for the National Mountain Bike Championships, which start this Friday, February 26 in Wellington.

See below for full results for the final round in the New Zealand MTB Cup as well as final results for the North Island Cup and the New Zealand overall Cup.

Full Results