Mountain Biking: New four-cross course wins praise

A world class four-cross course has been built on Signal Hill for the Oceania mountain bike championships that start in Dunedin tomorrow.

"It has been professionally designed by Nathan Greenwood, of Queenstown, and is one of the biggest in the world," the president of Mountainbike Otago, Hamish Seaton, said yesterday.

"It cost $20,000 and has made Dunedin one of the top mountain bike destinations in New Zealand."

In four-cross, four cyclists ride down the hill together and the top two advance to the next round.

"It is like a big BMX course.

"There is wide space and the event is a lot of fun," Seaton explained.

"The riders often try to cut each other off."

Since the course was completed last month, it has had a lot of use by cyclists ranging from beginners to experts.

The Oceania championships is a chance to showcase the event.

The course is 800m long and has a vertical drop of 90m.

It occupies the lower third of the course and can be viewed by spectators at the bottom.

The new Signal Hill four-cross course is rated as one of the steepest put together for this type of event.

It is a fast and exciting course and the knock-out style in four-man heats under the four-cross format makes it exciting for spectators.

Former New Zealander James Pritchard (Perth) returns for this event and will bring his characteristic loose and huge air jumping style to the four-cross race.

The Oceania championship is the only international level mountain bike event on this year's New Zealand calendar.

In the flagship cross-country, downhill and four-cross disciplines the winners of the elite titles will get automatic entry to this year's world championships in Canada and Union of Cycling International points will be collected from winners in all elite events.

Mountainbike Otago members have done a lot work on the tracks since the New Zealand series in January.

The downhill course has been watered and adjusted.

"It shares the finish with the four-course event and has a big jump at the end," Seaton said.

"There is a new line through the Rock Garden at the top.

"It will be a bigger challenge because of the strength of the international field, with top riders coming from Australia," Seaton said.

The cross-country course at Bethunes Gully and Forrester Park is well established and not much work was needed on it.

The three main courses in Dunedin have been given the "thumbs up" by the International Cycling Union and a development camp for New Zealand and Australian riders will be held in Dunedin next week in conjunction with the New Zealand Academy of Sport.

Teams from New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia will be competing at the four-day championships.

There are 400 mountain bikers competing at the championships with 200 in the downhill, 150 in the cross-country and 60 in the four-cross.

There are other events open to lesser riders and local riders will be able to enter in these. They are the hill climb, dual slalom and short track cross-country.