Sunday drew the country's top cross country racers to the Cycle Obsession MTB Park, with a short loop of the Summerhill complex thrown in for good measure. A tough, technical course was softened up in the morning's age group category racing for the afternoon elite/under 23 and under 19 feature.
With several highly talented juniors having progressed into the elite/under 23 category for 2011, the racing was eagerly anticipated and the spectators on hand weren't disappointed with the way the feature races unfolded.
In the men's elite/under 23, Mike Northcott seized an early lead which he stretched each lap for the first three of six. But a collision with a tree at the top of the hill tore his front brake lever off the bike, and Northcott had to somehow try to fend off a stalking Sam Shaw for the remainder of the race. Northcott almost succeeded, but Shaw played a smart waiting game and attacked at a crucial point to win by 24 seconds.
In the elite/under 23 women's race, a new talent on the NZ MTB Cup circuit shook the field up - established Whakatane multi-sporter Karen Hanlen is trying her hand at Olympic format mountain bike racing this season and led from start to finish to claim a wonderful debut win.
No other female athlete could match Hanlen up the two steep climbs, and despite falling heavily on the technical descent in her third lap, Hanlen was never threatened for her win over Rotorua's Samara Sheppard.
In the supporting under 19 men's race, Oceania Champion Mathew Waghorn held off a determined Nigel McDowell for a close win, setting up what is sure to be an ongoing tussle for the rest of the NZ MTB Cup national series.
The RaboDirect New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup continues this weekend in Napier for both cross country and downhill racers, at the Eskdale MTB park. Added importance is attached to Sunday's Round 2 cross country race, being a UCI Category 2 event - Olympic UCI ranking points are up for grabs as well as a sizeable prize-money purse.
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