With the international elite riders already focussed on the international season, it was the opportunity for under-23 mountain bikers to step up in the final round of the Mountain Bike New Zealand National Series in Taupo.
Hometown rising star Coen Nicol, who was third after the opening two rounds of under-23 XCO racing, took his opportunity on his home course to claim the elite men’s race.
He started fast to open a lead of over a minute and grew his advantage over Waikato rider Fletcher Adams, who had finished ahead of the Taupo rider in the opening two rounds of under-23 races in Christchurch.
Nicol produced a strong performance over the new course to win in 1:31.50, with Adams, from the Te Miro club, 5:36 behind, and one minute ahead of Corban Nicol third.
“It was home track so I had a little bit of an advantage. I got a little gap on Fletcher on the first lap and just kept going,” said Coen Nicol. “There are some good new technical trails with some good XC features which are perfect for racing.”
Nicol, along with several riders, will head to Australia for the Continental series and the Oceania Championships.
It was a similar opportunity in the females with Rotorua’s Milla Phipps, with a second and third placing in the under-23 double round in Christchurch, showing her prospects with a win in the elite women.
She won the elite women’s race in 1:17.47, from Taupo rider Gabby Buchanan.
“It was an awesome race and an awesome course, I’m stoked,” said Phipps who is mixing her time in enduro racing and cross-country.
She, too, will head to Australia for upcoming races before returning for the New Zealand Championships on her home turf.
In other grades, Te Miro rider James Climo made it a clean sweep in the under-19 grade ahead of Auckland’s Levi Gear and Rotorua’s Tommy Mollison.
It proved a double for the Te Miro MTB Club, with Kayley McMillan winning all three rounds in under-19 women ahead of Tauranga’s Dulcie Copeland and Taupo’s Bianca Stewart.
Results:
Male:
U15: George Fisher (Taupo) 1:02.45, 1; Levi Palmer (Marton) at 3:27, 2; Lucas Bell (Cambridge) at 3:40, 3.
U17: Junsei Shirley (Tauranga) 1:15.14, 1; Austin Fisken (Tauranga) at 1:45, 2; Harry Stewart (Tauranga) at 2:23, 3.
U19: James Climo (Hamilton) 1:07.21, 1; Levi Gear (Auckland) at 1:40, 2; Tommy Mollison (Auckland) at 2:52, 3.
Elite: Coen Nicol (Taupo) 1:31.50, 1; Fletcher Adams (Te Miro) at 5:36s, 2; Corban Nicol (Taupo) at 6:35s, 3.
Female:
U15 Lola-Rose Bradley (Hamilton) 1:00.07, 1.
U17 Astyn Nasmith (North Harbour) 1:06.53, 1; Kaylan Nasmith (North Harbour) at 1:14, 2; Oona Hepburn (Tauranga) at 7:37, 3.
U19 Kayley McMillan (Te Miro) 1:21.02, 1; Dulcie Copeland (Tauranga) at 4:34, 2; Bianca Stewart (Taupo) at 7:49, 3.
Elite: Milla Phipps (Rotorua) 1:17.47, 1; Gabby Buchanan (Taupo) at 5:54, 2.
