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The elite men's downhill podium in Christchurch. (Image credit: Max Carter-Smith)
Sam Blenkinsop (LaPierre) on his way to winning the first round of the New Zealand downhill cup. (Image credit: Max Carter-Smith)
Saturday's downhill race produced some extremely tight racing in the quality elite fields and also across all other age group categories. The elite men's race was won by LaPierre professional Sam Blenkinsop over Trek World Racing's Justin Leov. Christchurch's own Cameron Cole (Maxxis) was nudged into third by 4/10ths of a second after posting a race time that looked like it would stand against all comers. However, Blenkinsop, as second last man down the course, put on a display of superb power and strength to set a time that fastest seed Leov could not match. Blenkinsop collected the first win of the 2010 New Zealand Mountain Bike Cup.
The elite women's race was dominated by 2009 World Cup Champion Sabrina Jonnier from France, with a typical display of raw power on the long Living Springs course.
Friday's practice day for the downhill field contained an unprecedented and controversial decision, with the original course being changed mid-day due to safety reasons. However, the substitute course, while lacking the usual level of technical challenge required at national level, produced tight racing through all age group categories.
Latest Videos From The next downhill round will be held in Dunedin on Sunday, January 17.
Full Results
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Elite men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Sam Blenkinsop 0:03:45.51 2 Justin Leov 0:00:01.03 3 Cameron Cole 0:00:01.42 4 Brook Macdonald 0:00:02.78 5 Matt Scoles 0:00:04.60 6 George Brannigan 0:00:04.63 7 Wyn Masters 0:00:04.90 8 Matt Walker 0:00:07.48 9 Hayden McGregor 0:00:09.92 10 Fabien Pedemanaud 0:00:11.03 11 James Dodds 0:00:11.20 12 Kieran Bennett 0:00:11.34 13 Joseph Nation 0:00:13.82 14 Daniel Sims 0:00:14.05 15 Mike Davis 0:00:15.24 16 James Rennie 0:00:15.62 17 David Reinhardt 0:00:20.64 18 Eolo Fronco 0:00:26.43 DNS Joel Gebbie Row 18 - Cell 2 DNS Tim Eaton Row 19 - Cell 2
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Elite women # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Sabrina Jonnier 0:04:15.91 2 Sophie Borderes 0:00:27.15 3 Rita Langley 0:00:53.69 DNS Dawn Daley-Coers Row 3 - Cell 2 DNS Gabrielle Molloy Row 4 - Cell 2
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Under 19 men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Jed Rooney 0:03:55.77 2 Daniel Franks 0:00:01.03 3 Rupert Chapman 0:00:01.57 4 James Hoggan 0:00:09.73 5 Leighton Kirk 0:00:09.77 6 Sam Baker 0:00:14.34 7 Warrick Trompetiter 0:00:14.93 8 Jimmy Wilson 0:00:16.00 9 Corey Penney 0:00:16.28 10 Nick Bygate 0:00:16.64 11 Mat Priorr 0:00:17.23 12 Blake Robinson 0:00:19.69 13 Reuben Olorenshaw 0:00:22.74 14 Tobias Handcock 0:00:23.40 15 Rogan Young 0:00:25.75 16 Nathan Sheppard 0:00:26.62 17 Lachlan Cruickshank 0:00:29.07 18 George Diver 0:00:29.23 19 Kirk Fisher 0:00:30.03 20 Oscar Tatom 0:00:31.70 21 William Parata 0:00:33.30 22 Jackson Carter-Smith 0:00:37.49 23 Tom Blakeway 0:00:44.49 24 Josh Barnard 0:00:48.54 25 Jono Francis 0:00:49.09 26 Liam Malone 0:00:59.46 27 Dan Whearty 0:01:00.27 28 Hayden Ryan 0:01:00.60 29 Barry Gilbertson 0:01:57.73 DNF Ryan Lewis Row 29 - Cell 2 DNF Brandon Ransfield Row 30 - Cell 2 DNS Brandon Dunn Row 31 - Cell 2 DNS Kieran Thompson Row 32 - Cell 2 DNS Nick Taylor Row 33 - Cell 2
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Under 17 men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Troy Stewart 0:04:09.31 2 Jake Robinson 0:00:01.86 3 Kurt Summerfield 0:00:07.40 4 Reece Potter 0:00:07.57 5 Harry Chapman 0:00:08.57 6 Zach Baker 0:00:10.64 7 Hunter Jenkinson 0:00:10.67 8 Tom Burns 0:00:10.68 9 Jacques Vosloo 0:00:12.17 10 Campbell Mercer 0:00:15.05 11 Harry Ness 0:00:17.30 12 Michael Gunter 0:00:20.42 13 Mitchell Scammell 0:00:20.70 14 Dan Mccombie 0:00:22.61 15 Tim Adams 0:00:25.58 16 Connor Smith 0:00:30.89 17 Caelab Drummond 0:00:32.14 18 Andy Wilson 0:00:32.16 19 Daniel McNab 0:00:32.60 20 Daniel Lawton 0:00:34.02 21 Logan Ness 0:00:34.57 22 Richard Scott 0:00:35.65 23 Morgan Taylor 0:00:38.82 24 Jamie Rosier 0:00:40.77 25 Michael Franks 0:00:41.68 26 Bradley Dent 0:00:49.96 27 Alex Faulkner 0:00:56.04 DNS Cameron Flick Row 27 - Cell 2 DNS Mitch Thomas Row 28 - Cell 2 DNS Leo Sandler Row 29 - Cell 2
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Senior men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Peter Cooper 0:03:55.32 2 Richard Laycock 0:00:00.30 3 Hayden McKay 0:00:03.08 4 Sam Perry 0:00:05.22 5 Cameron Kay 0:00:06.93 6 David Balderstone 0:00:07.55 7 Jake Boylett 0:00:07.83 8 Rufus Wenlock 0:00:09.43 9 Daniel Heads 0:00:10.54 10 Ollie Knight 0:00:12.33 11 Kyle Wilson 0:00:13.67 12 Daniel Meilink 0:00:14.76 13 Nick Mcconachie 0:00:14.95 14 Tom Mathews 0:00:14.99 15 Ethan Helliwell 0:00:16.20 16 James Mcconachie 0:00:17.45 17 Eliot Jackson 0:00:17.95 18 Joel Flanagan 0:00:18.22 19 Ben Tyas 0:00:20.10 20 Cam Johnson 0:00:20.35 21 Alastair Parkin 0:00:20.47 22 Kevin Fife 0:00:23.42 23 Heraud Aurelien 0:00:24.84 24 Matt King 0:00:26.10 25 Tom Kennedy 0:00:26.21 26 Matt Burns 0:00:26.43 27 Steven Pattle 0:00:26.85 28 Orion Daley-Coers 0:00:28.14 29 Matt Ineson 0:00:28.73 30 Oliver Morris 0:00:29.28 31 Asher Ellery 0:00:31.04 32 Callum Hunter 0:00:34.07 33 Jamie Lyall 0:00:41.34 34 James Allan 0:00:47.08 35 Chris Mancey 0:00:47.16 36 Nick Gasson 0:00:47.73 37 Dylan Shanchez-Pinsent 0:00:50.58 38 Nick Middleton 0:00:51.24 39 Trevor Scott 0:00:56.76 40 Gary Mattson 0:00:59.63 41 Erik Wardrop 0:01:01.54 42 Anthony Gunter 0:01:05.91 DNS Daryl Kingsford Row 42 - Cell 2 DNS Luke Johns Row 43 - Cell 2 DNS Mark Johns Row 44 - Cell 2 DNS Sean Kennedy Row 45 - Cell 2 DNS Graeme Adriaens Row 46 - Cell 2
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Master 1 men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Derek Winwood 0:04:11.25 2 Bevan Adlam 0:00:02.26 3 Scott Couzins 0:00:02.64 4 Boyd Grinstead 0:00:04.87 5 Nick Sutcliffe 0:00:06.83 6 Cameron Bisset 0:00:07.14 7 Neil White 0:00:10.13 8 Andy Chapman 0:00:20.64 9 Shaun Hodges 0:00:26.87 10 Kevin English 0:00:34.63 11 Mike Inwood 0:00:44.67 12 Chris Paassens 0:01:08.54 DNS John Oldale Row 12 - Cell 2 DNS Zach Paulin Row 13 - Cell 2
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Master 2 men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Murray Stark 0:04:38.00 2 David Smith 0:00:00.62 3 John Boylett 0:00:10.75 dns Andrew Allan Row 3 - Cell 2
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Hardtail men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Nathan Petrie 0:04:49.39
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Open women # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Madeline Taylor 0:04:39.08 2 Charlotte Clouston 0:00:05.27 3 Sophiemariie Bethell 0:00:06.35 4 Georgia Wight 0:00:07.05 5 Naoni Wilson 0:00:08.40 6 Veronique Sandler 0:00:16.45 7 Amanda Pearce 0:00:21.84 8 Sophie Tyas 0:00:23.61 9 Baylee Jackson 0:01:29.29 DNS Taj Nielson Row 9 - Cell 2
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Under 15 men # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Josh Mccombie 0:04:36.42 2 Richard Scandrett 0:00:12.16 3 Mitchell Barnard 0:00:22.49 4 Liam Taylor 0:00:23.02 5 Matt Lawton 0:00:44.85
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Sweeper # Rider Name (Country) Team Result 1 Snowy 0:04:52.82