McConnell outsprints Norris for cross country win

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Cross country racers faced ideal conditions at Forrester Park on Saturday. When the dust settled, Daniel McConnell and Nic Leary walked away with the Oceania titles in the elite men's and women's races, respectively.

The elite and under 23 women's race featured a quality field and a tantalising trans-Tasman rivalry between Nic Leary (New Zealand) and Rowena Fry (Australia). Leary attacked for the lead on the first pinch climb in what was a decisive tactical move, and maintained her lead for the rest of the four lap race, despite Fry's best efforts to reel her in. New Zealand's Fiona McDermid also challenged and finished the race in third only seconds behind Fry, completing a great day' racing for the Manawatu.

In the elite men's race, a different challenge unfolded. Lachlan Norris (Australia) and Daniel McConnell (Australia) claimed the clear air at the front of the race to work together on extending a healthy lead during the six-lap race.

It was behind these two that the race had some chasing excitement - Paul van der Ploeg (Australia), Andrew Blair (Australia) and Adrian Jackson (Australia) provided an effective Australian block on the rest of the field. However, New Zealand's Mike Northcott worked steadily away at the strong Australian presence to finally break free at the end of the fifth lap into third position, which he held to the line.

At the front, the race win came down to a sprint finish between Norris and McConnell, which McConnell claimed after an inside pass on the final corner.

From start it was clear that a lot was at stake in the under 19 men's race, a group of six athletes tussled and exchanged race positions at the front of the pack for the first four laps of their five-lap race. During the fifth lap, a surprise winner emerged who had absolutely demolished any hope of being challenged for the lead heading to the line. Mathew Waghorn of New Zealand won to the delight of the New Zealand crowd and his supporters.

Age group racing took place in the morning and showcased a strong field of Dunedin local entries, with many top New Zealanders and a sprinkling of Australian and French Polynesians. Mark Lieshman (Masters 30+) and Anton Cooper (Under 17) raced four laps in their respective classes and provided an amazing demonstration of experience versus youth at the front of the field. Both won their categories easily, and Lieshman was full of praise for the tactical nous of the young Christchurch rider, being able to observe very closely the way Cooper built his win.

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