Mountain biking: Cooper smashes record

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anton Cooper was in a class of his own when he won the 43km mountain bike section of the Peninsula Challenge yesterday in record time.

Now a fulltime member of the pro team Cannondale Factory Racing, Cooper last raced the event in 2009, when fellow Cantabrian Brendon Sharatt established the race record of 1hr 56min 54sec. Cooper (20), confined that time to the history books yesterday, clocking 1hr 50min 34sec.

''Coming back to win and take the record is quite cool,'' he said at the finish.

After settling in with the pack on the climb from the start, Cooper took control of the race and kept his pace going, riding off the front.

''It was a hard day out there. There were some really steep climbs. I just kept an eye on my computer and tried to keep a solid average speed,'' Cooper said of his race yesterday.

He admitted that he had an eye on Sharatt's record going into the race and used the King and Queen Race of Sticky Forest race in Wanaka on Saturday as a warm up.

Cooper leaves next week for world championship racing in Europe. International racing will take up most of his time between now and September, when his focus will return to preparation for national and Oceania championships.

''I like to turn up to local races as well,'' he said.

''That's how I started out. It's kind of cool to turn up to those races and have a bit of fun and catch up with people. There's always challenges to you can set yourself along the way as well. Makes for great training.''

Second across the line was Brent Miller (Christchurch) in 2hr 3min 42sec and Shaun Portegys (Alexandra) was third in 2hr 9min 54sec.

Local champion Mary Gray won the open women's section in 2hr 23min 57sec.

The victory completed a successful weekend for Gray, who on Saturday took fastest time in the open women's section of the Palmerston to Mt Cargill road race.

''I could notice that I'd done something yesterday,'' she said in reference to Saturday's road race.

Gray recent successes have been a third place in the Oceania championships in Queensland back in February and a fourth placing in the Tour de Lakes in Central Otago over Easter.

Crossing for second place in the open women's section was Kath Kelly in 2hr 36min 9sec and Ronel Cook was third in 2hr 43min 4sec.

On the associated 23km short course, Kurow farmer John Benny held off a strong challenge from Dunedin's Andrew Fraser and pulled away over the final 5km to win in 1hr 19min 25sec. Fraser was second in 1hr 22min 6sec.

A battle royal took place in the race for the open women's title in the 23km event. Natalie Munn pulled away of the hill down to the finish, clocking 1hr 36min 57sec. Merrin Brewster claimed second place in 1hr 37min 2sec.

''I think I would have got you had I not gone through that puddle,'' Brewster joked with Munn at the finish.

Third was Sarah Tiong in 1hr 47min 59sec.

 

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