Christchurch teenager Jacob Turner and Timaru’s Amy Hollamby claimed the major honours at the Cyclo Cross National Championships in Christchurch.
The event was staged as part of the annual Aotearoa CrossFest which made its debut in Christchurch in 2019, with the 2020 event cancelled because of covid and the 2021 event staged in Upper Hutt last year.
Hollamby, an accomplished cyclist across the disciplines, claimed the lead on the second lap after a flying start from former international mountain biker, Sonia Foote from Rotorua.
Once in the lead the South Canterbury rider settled into a fast pace in the seven lap elite women’s race staged at KartSport Canterbury’s course in Halswell.
She went on to win in 54:28 with Hokitika’s Sharlotte Lucas, the former Oceania road champion, edging Foote for second, 24 seconds behind the winner.
“I have never won an elite national championship so this is quite special,” said Hollamby.
“I knew it was going to be fast off the mark. That was actually my aim. I don’t like following on a mountain bike-cross bike so I wanted to be up near the front.
“I was surprised how much of a gap we had on the opening lap and I thought I can’t hold that pace so decided to see what happened because 50 minutes is a long time.
“I knew I had the fitness to last the distance once I got into the lead. Sometimes riding you have good days and you have bad days. Today was one of those days when everything went right and I felt good the whole way. I got into a good rhythm and held it the whole way.”
There were double celebrations in the Hollamby household, with son Noah finishing on the podium in the under-19 race.
Turner, racing in the under-23 grade, better all elite riders to take the national champion’s jersey in the elite men.
The Christchurch rider is a former Oceania under-17 mountain bike champion and was second in the under-19 division last year, and won the under-19 cyclo-cross title in 2019.
He earned a grant from the Inspire Foundation and had hoped to compete in Europe this year but Covid had thwarted his plans, although he gained some solace with his national title today.
“The game plan today was to ride from the front, ride strong and set some attacks out of the corners. I had to make sure I was at the front through the barriers so there was no-one in my way,” said Turner.
“Everything went to plan and I felt great throughout.”
He led throughout going on to win the nine-lap race in 1:00:38, finishing over a minute clear of second-placed under-23 rider Adam Francis from Palmerston North with the elite men’s winner, Sam Lindsay (Auckland) third fastest, after recovering from a crash.
The women’s under-23 title went to Christchurch’s Annabel Bligh in 1:01.16 with the 2019 under-17 winner finishing clear of second placed Caitlin Titheridge (Ashburton), who won the under-19 title in 2019.
Results:
Male, Under-15: Frankie Revell (Christchurch) 50-42, 1; Cooper Pringle (Christchurch) 1 lap, 2; Wilbur Talbot (Pleasant Valley) 1 lap, 3.
Under-17: Joshua Rowe (Cambridge) 45:52, 1; Jyde Low (Hastings) 46:50, 2; Henry Lovegrove (Christchurch) 48:28, 3.
Under-19: Coen Nicol (Taupo) 41:56, 1; Maui Morrison (Cambridge) 42:29, 2; Noah Hollamby (Timaru) 42:53, 3.
Under-23: Jacob Turner (Christchurch) 1:00.38, 1; Adam Francis (Palmerston North) 1:01.23, 2; Corban Nicol (Taupo) 1:03:57, 3.
Elite: Sam Lindsay (Auckland) 1:01.39, 1; Henry Jaine (Redwood Valley) 1:02.17, 2; Logan Horn (Christchurch) 1:02.39, 3.
Female, under15: Sophie Best (Timaru) 47:40, 1; Sophie Hiswin (Porirua) 49:13, 2.
Under-17: Millie Donald (Paraparaumu) 41:03, 1; Shaylah Sayers ((Christchurch) 41:43, 2; Poppy McIvor (Invercargill) 43:29, 3.
Under-19: Maria Laurie (Christchurch) 39:03, 1; Eva Nyhan (Lincoln) 43:12, 2; Maddy Sinclair (Blenheim) 46:54, 3.
Under-23: Annabel Bligh (Christchurch) 1:01.16, 1; Caitlin Titheridge (Ashburton) 1:03.06, 2.
Elite: Amy Hollamby (Timaru) 54:28, 1; Sharlotte Lucas (Holitika) 54:52, 2; Sonia Foote (Rotorua) 54:58, 3.
Credit: @__blissfield__
Details: http://cxnationals.nz/