Cooper beats the seniors for short track title

One of the most popular of the three supporting events at the Champs, the short track cross country or dirt criterium drew a fantastic men's field eager to duke it out on the 800m circuit in front of a raucous crowd of downhill racers and spectators.

Eleven racers took on the 20-minute, multi-lap sprint challenge, a field containing a mix of Under 17, Under 19 juniors and seasoned elite competitors. Tokoroa's Mike Northcott controlled the race from the front in the early stages, but the charging first year Under 19 Junior Anton Cooper seemed to be biding his time, before finally attacking 15 minutes in. Cooper had the legs and the lungs to ride away from Northcott and the rest of the men's field to claim an utterly convincing title - his second National Championship win in two days. Hillclimb champion Tom Filmer gamely hung on for third place, behind an exhausted Northcott.

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