Jones takes tactical win in men's race

Cross country competitors faced hot and humid conditions and an unrelenting and intense race course at Cougar Park in Tokoroa on Sunday.

From the start, local Mike Northcott led the strongest elite and under 23 men's field this summer. Riding at a brutal pace, Northcott maintained only a slight gap on the field through the early part of the six-lap race. Rotorua's Carl Jones applied continuous pressure throughout the race to finally break Northcott's hold at the front. Jones assumed the lead on the last lap and went on to take the win over Northcott. National Champ Stu Houltham worked hard to take the final podium spot and was full of praise for Jones's win.

"Carl raced the smartest tactical race I've seen in years," said the multi-time national champion Houltham.

The elite and under 23 women's race was Rotorua's Nic Leary's first New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup race this summer, and she took the lead at the end of the start loop, never looking back. In the end, she collected a dominant win with a five-minute advantage over Rotorua's Samara Sheppard. Tokoroa's Michelle Bellamy was a further minute back in third place.

Early NZ Cup pace setter Amy Laird was out of sorts at Cougar Park, not able to get spinning and clearly tired - Laird faded to eighth and will look to recover fully for the major Championship events coming up at the end of the month.

On course with the elites were the emerging Under 19 riders. The men's race contained an intriguing front of the field tussle between Richard Anderson and Sam Shaw. Anderson had a slow third lap, losing a minute to Shaw, who sensed and then took his opportunity, attacking for the lead which he carried through to race end for a 29-second win. For Shaw, this win meant a lot after a disappointing 2009.

"It was the toughest race of my life yet," said Shaw after crossing the line.

The next round of the New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup will happen this weekend the downhill taking place at Summer Hills MTB Park in Tauranga on Friday and Saturday February 12 and 13 the cross country happening at the Pukete MTB Park in Hamilton on Sunday, February 14.

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