With Brenda Clapp racing, Chris Burr needed a new wench for his Fringe Hill establishment. Ms. Laurence Mote answered the call.

Nelson’s George Bennett demolished the race record as Saturday’s fourth Santa Cruz Coppermine Epic mountain bike race attracted a larger and more competitive field of riders than in previous years. Riders came from throughout the country to test their skills and fitness on some of New Zealand’s best trails in arguably the country’s toughest mountain bike race.
Bennett, who recently turned professional, rode away from the rest of the field to win in an incredible 2hr 3min 15sec, smashing the previous course record by six minutes. He made a break from the talented men’s field—which included last year’s winner Robin Reid, an Olympic time trial representative; Tim Wilding, the 2007 NZ Xterra and 2009 singlespeed champion; and Richard Ussher, arguably the world’s best multisport athlete—only minutes after the start.

Chris Burr and his mobile Sprig and Fern bar has become a welcome sight for regular Coppermine Epic entrants.

Once Bennett attacked the other riders, he wasn’t seen again until the finish line. He was several minutes ahead at the top of Fringed Hill, but a poorly tuned bike almost cost him his lead. Wilding had chased hard all the way down the Maitai Valley, and it almost paid off in the finish loop as Bennett lost his chain. Just as he regained it, Wilding appeared, charging hard for the line. Wilding finished second in 2hr 3min 37sec. Ussher came home for third place in 2hr 7min 49sec.

The women’s race was also hotly contested, with the lead changing only minutes from the finish line when Suzie Wood also had mechanical problems, jamming her chain. Maggie Bichard seized the opportunity and won in 2hr 35min 9sec, leaving Wood to take second place in 2hr 38min 9sec, with Brenda Clapp third in 2hr 45min 10sec.

The winners walked away with $500 from NBS and performance prizes from Macpac.

The course was in an excellent condition, aided by work the Nelson City Council recently completed. The Coppermine loop is widely regarded by recreational cyclists as one of New Zealand’s best rides.

The race has two courses, climbing to Coppermine Saddle through the mineral belt and returning to Nelson down the Maitai Valley. The courses cater for recreational to expert riders.

All riders were glad to cross the finish line, where they were rewarded with liquid refreshments from the Sprig and Fern and a seafood barbecue provided by Solander. Many riders also took up the option of some therapy for sore legs, with a rub-down from Massage Works waiting to greet them.

Full Results here

Wow, last night will go down in The Underground Super D’s three year series as the biggest gong show so far. Climbing up the tip track to the start at the radar dome Mark and I rode out of sun and into dense low cloud. Twenty people had ponied up for the start, including Tim (T Rex) Wilding, with his TallBoy fresh of his second place at the Huka XL. As everyone guessed the infamous Red Rocks track was the course, its been at least four years since I last rode it and that thing is still as scary as ever. Richard Leacock and the Giant Iguana took the win again (12:30), followed closely by T Rex (12:50) and Ryan from Bicycle in third (12:52). Leif lost a chain, Banga lost a chain and a pedal, Mark got lost and Mariska and Cowboy DNF’d and had us about to call out search and rescue when they rolled over the finish line about an hour after starting! Next week it’s Mirimar but I’ll bring the details on Tuesday next week.

The Iguana watching the sun set. Photo Aidan Forrest

Tryfan and the Hippy do math. Photo Aidan Forrest

T Rex seconds from second place. Photo Aidan Forrest

It’s not about winning or losing… um it is actually. After taking part in my second Huka Challenge this weekend I can safely say that I’m a very average XC racer. See that’s me right in the middle of the start bunch (in the yet to be released orange Giro XAR) and that’s where I stayed the whole race to finish in just over 6hrs. Which was over two hours and twenty minutes behind race leaders Mike Northcott and Tim Wilding (who finished three seconds apart around the 3:43 mark) and just over an hour and forty minutes behind Lester (who did a 4:19).

At this point (54km mark) I wish I looked as chipper as Tim does on board his brand new Tallboy!

I haven’t done a lot of races in my time, perhaps 20 since I got my first Scott Mtn Express in 1990 but this race is without a doubt the hardest I’ve ever raced. It didn’t help that a good 24km of the 82km race were in the blazing hot and windless sun and that I was running a 1×9 setup on my Nomad (I’m not making excuses I’m just sayin’). What I don’t get is that over a race that long and that hard it comes down to a cramp inducing sprint to the finish where the 1st and 2nd places are separated by 3 seconds.

Ever wondered what it would look like to have your race disappear from your grasp on the finish line whilst cramping? Wonder no more (thanks Tim).

I’m no mathematician but I think Tim and Mike must have had an average speed of something like  22km/h. The story goes that with 200m to the finish line Tim and Mike were side by side, Tim thought he’d get his sprint on early, got two pedal strokes out and cramped up, meanwhile Mike watched Tim attack and got his sprint on and managed four or so pedal strokes before he cramped… but those four pedal strokes were enough to push him over the line in a well deserved first place.

Results

Huka XL

Mike Northcott – 3:43:56
Tim Wilding – 3:43:59
Mark Leishman – 3:46:28
Dirk Peters Male – 3:49:27
Brendon Sharratt – 3:50:38
Stuart Houltham – 3:51:20
Carl Jones – 3:58:57
Sam Shaw – 3:59:04
Calum Chamberlain – 3:59:05
Holden McGroin – 4:01:17

Annika Smail – 4:19:17
Karen Hanlen – 4:24:46
Nic Leary – 4:27:54
Katherine Oneill – 4:32:21
Eloise Fry – 4:36:05
Raewyn Morrison – 4:49:21
Marguerite Ritchie – 4:50:07
Marjolein Ros – 5:00:16
Samara Sheppard – 5:04:14
Sarah Beadel – 6:24:08
Louise O’Connell – 6:29:2

]]> http://spokemagazine.com/2010/11/30/celebrating-mediocrity-at-taupos-huka-challenge/feed/ 0 http://spokemagazine.com/2010/11/24/t-rex-has-a-brand-new-bag-as-well/ http://spokemagazine.com/2010/11/24/t-rex-has-a-brand-new-bag-as-well/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:59:40 +0000 Caleb Smith http://www.spokemagazine.com/?p=7337

Not wanting to leave T Rex (Tim Wilding) out, I should mention that he too will be rocking a new steed for the Huka XL, but unlike Samara’s, his has clown wheels and is made of plastic. Well, carbon actually, and as you can see from these pics it’s a pretty sweet build. Tim says his gear selection and cadence hasn’t changed at all on his new Santa Cruz Tallboy with the switch to 29er wheels which can only mean one thing; he’s going faster than normal. And unlike the rest of the pro field racing at the Huka XL, Mr Rex has a little extra riding on it. You see he works for Contact (Taupo’s main sponsor) and I’m sure there is pressure round the water cooler to back up his Lake Hawea Contact Epic first place with a second win in Taupo (he did take the win at the inaugural event). So it looks like Cabin and T Rex will be battling it out for 29er supremacy this weekend which will be very interesting to watch (not that I’ll be able to see from the back of the field…).

XTR goodness out back, Fox F29 up front... damn son!

Tim's gone for the murdered out look with the build. Although it doesn't look like he was brave enough to unload the can of matt black plasticote on the forks.

I’ve recently competed in a few very fun races and I’ll give you the lowdown on them in a short while because they’re stories worth telling, but this is all about Karapoti.

Saturday was one of those beautiful days where nothing seemed insurmountable. I led from very early on, happy to control the pace through the gorge and avoid the shower of muddy spray that you expose yourself to when following another.

The Warmup climb was a bit of a revelation. Instead of being pushed back by a steady stream of guys coming past, as I expected, I was able to maintain the aggression and shell a few more riders so that at the top it was me, Brendon Sharratt and Stu Houltham. I haven’t done so well on the climbs in recent years and so this was the first hint that I might be in good shape to place well today.

Deadwood followed the Warmup climb and it was here that I had a sweet wee moment, passing Stu while climbing. That certainly doesn’t happen often and so I quietly savoured that act. I was working bloody hard for it though, with my heart rate at 180bpm since the start.

It was along the rolling ridge at the top of Deadwood that I dropped Stu and Brendon. I’m not sure precisely where it was but it wasn’t so surprising. I really like that type of terrain, where you maintain the momentum of the previous downhill to drive up the following climb. It was an area of strength for me, but there were a few more areas of weaknesses ahead—Rock Garden and Dopers—and so I still expected to have company at some stage.

It wasn’t to be. I rode the Rock Garden the best I ever have, thankful to be on my Santa Cruz as I went down it. Hiskey had shown me how quick you can ride it a month or so earlier, and while I don’t think I even approached his speed, it was hugely useful in resetting my expectations.

I was looking forward to Devil’s Staircase where I felt I would have an advantage over all but Cabin, who is also training for Xterra. I didn’t quite bound up this hike-a-climb but I moved pretty fast, and crucially didn’t have to contend with screaming legs unaccustomed to walking, as it was when I was a cyclist.

Big Ring Boulevard was a blur with a few pockets of spectators at crucial junctions yelling encouragement. Then things got a bit desperate. With one climb remaining my legs were beginning to feel the effects of my earlier effort. My bike hadn’t quite emerged unscathed through the muddy bogs / rock gardens / bush either and I’d lost my two easiest rear gears. There was nothing for it but to climb as best I could and adopt an air of fatalism accepting that I might be caught.

Dopers seemed to go on for an interminable length of time as I hurried to stay hidden in the bush. I was having to stand a great deal though thankfully my Maxxis Aspens were hooking up well, as they had done all day, and I didn’t have to devote too much energy to maintaining traction.

Finally I crested, and with only downhill remaining I could begin contemplating the prospect of a win. I was riding raggedly though and took a tumble part way down when I fluffed a line through one of the clay bogs. It wasn’t major, though I did knock my head, but it was disruptive to my flow.

Once I was back on the flat and I just drove it as hard as I could to the finish. I was still convinced that someone would catch me and so it was with a huge sense of relief that I dropped into the final river crossing, 100m from the finish knowing that no one was immediately behind.

It was a great feeling to cross the line victorious, and a huge privilege to be wearing the Roadworks shirt as I did so. Oli Brooke-White has been one of my best supporters for a long time now and I knew that he’d be thrilled to add a Karapoti title to his already extensive riders’ results.

I completed the course in 2hr 21min 09 sec, some 2 minutes ahead of Brendon Sharratt in second place. From my rough reckoning this is the 6th fastest time ever recorded, with guys like Kashi Leuchs and Clinton Avery bettering my effort. I was hoping to go sub 2.30 so was pretty chuffed by this.

The Karapoti Classic was also doubling as the NZ MTB Marathon Championships so I’ve taken that title too. Attached is a pic of me in the national shirt with Oli—we’re pretty happy.

It turns out that my very comfortable Lazer helmet did the job it was designed to do and sacrificed itself when I crashed. It must have been a much stronger impact than I thought.

I would like to thank my sponsors who have all been with me for so long, and who all provide the gear that allows me to perform like this. Cheers Santa Cruz, Pearl Izumi, Maxxis, Roadworks; you guys are the best at what you do.

Dirk Peters puts the hammer down on his last lap for third place in the elite category and the under 23 title.

The second day of the 2010 Mountainbike National Championships was completed today on Mt. Victoria in Wellington. Quality fields in all categories took on the technically challenging and highly regarded Mt. Vic course, in the multi-lap Cross Country Olympic format race.

Ex Wellingtonian Samara Sheppard landed third place in elite and like Dirk she also nabbed the under 23 title.

The morning race start for age group categories was exceptional on several fronts—the absolutely crushing display from Christchurch Under 17 Mens winner Anton Cooper, the emergence of the lightning quick Under 17 Female winner Kara McDermid (Palmerston North), and a first national championship title for Rotorua’s Mark Leishman’s long cycling career. For Leishman racing today in the 30-40 mens category, this victory and title was a return to his roots. Mt. Victoria was where Leishman first raced competitively in the mid 90s and today’s race completed a journey through many different cycling variants for the talented dirt racer.

Last weekend Tim Wilding rode from Picton to Nelson, raced the Coppermine Epic and then rode home to Wellington. Early this week he decided that it might be fun to race the nationals as well, so why is he so damn happy?

The feature event in the afternoon for Elite/U23 and Under 19 Men and Women promised a lot of action, and right from the start gun this was certainly delivered. With amazing settled and hot weather combined with the highly technical race course came a level of attrition that claimed several fancied athletes. However, Mens Elite winner Mike Northcott (Tokoroa) and Women’s Elite winner Nic Leary (Rotorua) controlled their races from the front to claim well deserved National Championship titles. Brendon Sharratt (Wellington) and Dirk Peters (Rotorua) claimed the 2nd and 3rd podium spots, with Peters also the Under 23 National Champion. Fiona McDermid rode strongly to 2nd place in the Women’s race, with Samara Sheppard (Rotorua) 3rd and like Peters, claiming a deserved Under 23 National Champions title.

The Under 19 race was a showcase for two athletes riding off the front of most races they compete in. Richard Anderson (Blenheim) dominated his rivals from the start gun to win, and Alexa Peters (Rotorua) did the same to her competitors to win her National Championship title.

Competition continues on Sunday with the Downhill National Championship event at Long Gully. Racing is under way at 1.30pm, after a morning practice session and seeding at 11am. Short Track Cross Country racing also takes place on Sunday at the Long Gully Downhill venue at 12.30.

If you want to buy a race photo you can check out the full gallery here.

Oli Brooke-White sent me a text the other day letting me know that 2009 NZ Singlespeed Champ and all round nice guy Tim Wilding was going to be in town. We rendezvoused on Sunday morning for a quick shoot and got a few pics in the bag.

That SS tattoo

Tim was in town to pick up his freshly built Santa Cruz Carbon Blur XC, which is insanely light and built with some amazing bits, like these crazy Rotor Q chain rings (kind of like bio-pace).

Tim's deadspot elminiating Rotor Q rings

Tim Wilding on Salvation