Cooper and Gray earn back-to-back junior championships
Age group categories warmed up the cross country course on Saturday morning at Codgers MTB Park in Brook Valley, Nelson, before the elite and junior racers got their turn in the afternoon.
The elite races provided excitement and anticipation for the very vocal crowd watching on a race course designed in part to allow fantastic viewing options. Dirk Peters rode like a man possessed today in the six-lap elite men's race, and led from start to finish to win by over two minutes. Any slight threat of a challenge and Peters had the perfect answer - more pace and aggression which carried him to his first national championship title as an elite athlete. Peters couldn't have been happier, and clearly enjoyed his win against the deepest field of competition seen at a national championship for many years.
In the elite women's race, the contest was always going to be between Beijing Olympian Rosara Joseph and in form New Zealand MTB Cup leader Karen Hanlen. Hanlen sat on Joseph's wheel for the first two laps, before applying the throttle during lap three to hammer home an unbeatable lead.
Hanlen stretched her legs for the remainder of the race to win by a stunning three minutes, and the smiling ex-multi-sporter reinforced her form with her first national championship title. Both Hanlen and Joseph are gunning for the 2012 London Olympics spot, and Hanlen's early season challenge to what has been Joseph's domain in recent years is providing a fascinating prelude to the upcoming Olympics selection process.
Anton Cooper is fast becoming a drawcard at these events, and his race craft and domination of his junior rivals something of a talking point. Starting two minutes behind the elites, Cooper first paced away from his U19 competition and then steadily clawed back the outright leader on course (Peters), before passing him on the fourth lap. Cooper won comfortably from surprise package Sam Gaze and claimed back-to-back national championship wins in the juniors.
Like Cooper, Mary Gray also won her second junior national championship title in the women's event. She led from the start.
The contest between Wellington riders Gavin McCarthy and Tony Keith in the Masters 30-39 went right down to the wire. Only a slight slip on the last descent by McCarthy prevented what was sure to be an all out sprint for the line after both riders were inseparable for their four laps. Keith eventually took the title by 18 seconds.
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Other racers that shone and took home championship titles were Garth Weinberg (Masters 40-49), Eden Cruise (U15 Men), and Ben Oliver (U17 men) and Shannon Hope (U17 women).
The New Zealand Mountain Bike National Championship programme will conclude on Sunday with the downhill and cross country eliminator races in Nelson.
