Blenkinsop blasts to victory
Harper beats number one seed Siegenthaler in women's downhill
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New Zealand's crop of elite, world ranked top 25 riders wasn't holding back at the final race of the New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup on Sunday in Christchurch, with the pressure on for both the event win and also the overall Cup titles.
Wanganui's Sam Blenkinsop (Lapierre International) had taken a couple of weeks off the series, missing the previous two rounds in Nelson, but returned to competition in Christchurch in blistering form. Teammate Cameron Cole of Christchurch had set the pace in seeding but the pressure ratcheted up for the race run, with Blenkinsop racing a clean and blistering fast run to claim the win. George Brannigan (Ancillotti) had his best podium result of the series with a second, and Justin Leov was third.
Leov was rushed all day - destroying a rear wheel in seeding, the Trek World Racing rider had barely enough time to repair the damage before needing to be at the start line for the race, and pulling out the third was a bonus considering the lack of a seeding run to base that on.
Fasest seeds Cam Cole and Brook MacDonald (MS Evil) couldn't post competitive times - Cole punctured at the top of the course, and MacDonald had a nightmare first corner, missing a corner peg and loosing so much time that he knew his run was effectively over.
Nelson's Harriet Harper (Santa Cruz) turned the tables on fastest elite women's seed Emilie Siegenthaler (Scott 11) to win in Christchurch, and the reigning National Champion looks to be holding the sort of form that will take her to next weekend's National Championships as the hot favourite.
Again this weekend, the Junior under 19 race was something special to see. Reuben Olorenshaw showed a maturity coupled with the speed and composure worthy of his seventh fastest time of the day to bounce back from a seeding run down the order to win again this weekend. His challengers have been hot on his heels right through the New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup, but Olorenshaw has worked out the elusive formula of racing to win, also claiming the series title for his stellar season.
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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Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Blenkinsop | 0:03:13.06 |
| 2 | George Brannigan | 0:00:01.05 |
| 3 | Justin Leov | 0:00:02.77 |
| 4 | Richard Leacock | 0:00:06.91 |
| 5 | Sam Baker | 0:00:07.31 |
| 6 | Edward Masters | 0:00:07.36 |
| 7 | Rupert Chapman | 0:00:08.47 |
| 8 | Hayden Lee | 0:00:08.77 |
| 9 | Reon Boe | 0:00:09.22 |
| 10 | Dan Sims | 0:00:11.11 |
| 11 | Tom Matthews | 0:00:12.31 |
| 12 | Ewan Doherty | 0:00:12.84 |
| 13 | Gerard Wolfe | 0:00:13.29 |
| 14 | Tim Mackersy | 0:00:14.19 |
| 15 | Rob Venables | 0:00:26.32 |
| 16 | Thomas Jeandin | 0:01:29.56 |
| 17 | Cam Cole | 0:01:44.87 |
| 18 | Brook Macdonald | 0:01:52.83 |
| 19 | Mike Davis | 0:12:21.82 |
| DNF | Nathan Rankin | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Wyn Masters | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Kieran Bennett | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Joseph Nation | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | James Dodds | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Reuben Miller | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Daniel Heads | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harriet Harper | 0:03:49.38 |
| 2 | Emilie Siegenthaler | 0:00:05.54 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reuben Olorenshaw | 0:03:20.70 |
| 2 | Daniel Franks | 0:00:00.99 |
| 3 | Reece Potter | 0:00:06.68 |
| 4 | Jay Barrett | 0:00:08.82 |
| 5 | Nick Bygate | 0:00:09.80 |
| 6 | Zach Baker | 0:00:10.37 |
| 7 | Louis Hamilton | 0:00:11.07 |
| 8 | Jake Robinson | 0:00:13.80 |
| 9 | Brandon Ransfield | 0:00:14.64 |
| 10 | Dan Mccombie | 0:00:15.89 |
| 11 | George Diver | 0:00:18.32 |
| 12 | Warrick Trompetter | 0:00:21.37 |
| 13 | Tim Adams | 0:00:26.66 |
| 14 | Harrison Redshaw | 0:00:28.36 |
| 15 | Kurt Mcdonald | 0:00:28.59 |
| 16 | Cameron Flick | 0:00:32.49 |
| 17 | Mitch Townsend | 0:00:32.64 |
| 18 | Corey Prutton | 0:00:32.75 |
| 19 | Tyler Brooker | 0:00:39.59 |
| 20 | Campbell Mercer | 0:00:42.09 |
| 21 | Michael Gunter | 0:00:43.93 |
| 22 | Trent Gilchrist | 0:01:00.87 |
| 23 | Hunter Jenkinson | 0:01:58.39 |
| DNF | Mat Prior | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Lukas Chalmers | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Conor Smith | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Mitchell Scammell | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Cawte | 0:03:32.29 |
| 2 | Harry Chapman | 0:00:02.88 |
| 3 | Leo Sandler | 0:00:06.46 |
| 4 | Kurt Summerfield | 0:00:11.84 |
| 5 | Josh Mccombie | 0:00:12.23 |
| 6 | Kieran De Grey | 0:00:14.43 |
| 7 | Connor Hamilton | 0:00:17.53 |
| 8 | Bradley Dent | 0:00:19.43 |
| 9 | Andy Wilson | 0:00:20.18 |
| 10 | Carl Goodwin | 0:00:22.28 |
| 11 | Alfie Simmons | 0:00:24.53 |
| 12 | Dan Lawton | 0:00:28.56 |
| 13 | Jake Paddon | 0:00:28.82 |
| 14 | Raphael Kammlein-Cutler | 0:00:32.30 |
| 15 | Josh Airey | 0:00:34.75 |
| 16 | Richard Scandrett | 0:00:35.37 |
| 17 | James Minty | 0:00:35.44 |
| 18 | Liam Taylor | 0:00:35.83 |
| 19 | Rod Hall | 0:00:36.63 |
| 20 | Toby Walker | 0:00:42.27 |
| 21 | Josh Hicks | 0:00:47.44 |
| 22 | Dan Prior | 0:00:48.57 |
| 23 | Nick Brimfield | 0:00:52.54 |
| DNS | Cameron Hancox | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Alex Collings | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Michael Franks | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Ben Shaw | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Perry | 0:03:24.12 |
| 2 | Bryn Dickerson | 0:00:00.27 |
| 3 | Tom Winwood | 0:00:00.36 |
| 4 | Jake Boylett | 0:00:00.48 |
| 5 | Nick McConachie | 0:00:03.03 |
| 6 | David Balderstone | 0:00:04.84 |
| 7 | Kieran Thompson | 0:00:05.11 |
| 8 | Cameron Kay | 0:00:06.00 |
| 9 | Zach Williams | 0:00:07.42 |
| 10 | Leighton Kirk | 0:00:07.58 |
| 11 | Stefan Gardner | 0:00:07.69 |
| 12 | James McConachie | 0:00:09.21 |
| 13 | Cam Johnson | 0:00:09.68 |
| 14 | James Hampton | 0:00:11.82 |
| 15 | Daryl Webb | 0:00:12.13 |
| 16 | Jimmy Pollard | 0:00:12.84 |
| 17 | Dominic Stulen | 0:00:14.33 |
| 18 | Adrian Loo | 0:00:15.43 |
| 19 | William Mathieson | 0:00:18.62 |
| 20 | Ben Tyas | 0:00:19.01 |
| 21 | Jacob Leach | 0:00:21.38 |
| 22 | Jeff Austin | 0:00:22.18 |
| 23 | Jonas Meier | 0:00:26.81 |
| 24 | Doug Winter | 0:00:29.10 |
| 25 | Adin Johnson | 0:00:29.49 |
| 26 | Orion Daley-Coers | 0:00:32.40 |
| 27 | Oscar Tatom | 0:00:33.63 |
| 28 | Scott Taylor | 0:00:40.79 |
| 29 | Brandon Sbordone | 0:00:41.56 |
| 30 | Allie Diamond | 0:00:52.67 |
| 31 | Jon Stout | 0:03:54.76 |
| DNF | Brandon Dunn | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Jamie Lyall | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Olly Morris | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Corey Russ | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Tyrone Price | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
| DNS | Matthew Ridd | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boyd Grinstead | 0:03:38.99 |
| 2 | Hayden McKay | 0:00:00.48 |
| 3 | Ricky Pincott | 0:00:02.56 |
| 4 | Cameron Bisset | 0:00:05.39 |
| 5 | Shaun Hodges | 0:00:17.51 |
| 6 | Andy Chapman | 0:00:27.39 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darryn Henderson | 0:03:48.25 |
| 2 | David Smith | 0:00:16.46 |
| 3 | Vaughan Love | 0:00:19.09 |
| 4 | John Boylett | 0:00:26.79 |
| 5 | Andrew Allen | 0:00:31.87 |
| 6 | Murray Stark | 0:00:33.09 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Ballin | 0:04:11.77 |
| 2 | Ben Walker | 0:00:25.35 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amanda Pearce | 0:04:16.39 |
| 2 | Dawn Daley-Coers | 0:00:53.47 |
| 3 | Pippa Holdom | 0:01:28.37 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sophie Tyas | 0:03:58.97 |
| 2 | Sarah Atkin | 0:00:09.10 |
| 3 | Sophiemarie Bethell | 0:00:14.29 |
| 4 | Veronique Sandler | 0:00:23.27 |
| 5 | Phoebe Coers | 0:00:56.76 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connor Sandri | 0:03:52.23 |
| 2 | Matt Lawton | 0:00:19.93 |
| 3 | Fergus McIntosh | 0:00:20.05 |
| 4 | D J Holmes | 0:00:34.00 |
| 5 | Jordan Shadbott | 0:00:37.12 |
| 6 | Oliver Jarman | 0:00:38.90 |
| 7 | Kale Edwards | 0:00:45.17 |
| 8 | Joshua Botting | 0:00:52.78 |
| 9 | Nils Heiniger | 0:00:54.20 |
| Rider Name (Country) Team |
|---|
| Micheal Armstrong |
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