Queen of the Queenstown tracks Jess Blewitt once again took the crown in the female downhill at the Torpedo7 National Mountain Bike Championships at Coronet Peak yesterday.
The 20-year-old defended her title against a strong field, beating other elites Jenna Hastings and Kalani Muirhead, with a time of 3min 12.75sec.
The younger competitors also made their mark, 16-year-old Aucklander Sacha Earnest less than two seconds behind the champion.
In the male elite category, Queenstown’s Toby Meek claimed the title, followed by Sam Blenkinsop, of Canterbury, and Nelson’s Sam Gale.
On Saturday, 21-year-old Aucklander Matthew Wilson and 22-year-old Sammie Maxwell, from Taupo, took out the overall cross-country races, with Maxwell making it her third elite title in a row.
Nine-time men’s elite champion Anton Cooper spent most of the race up front, but struggled with ongoing affects of illness and injury, finishing fourth.
Many of the weekend’s racers will be looking to the Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand, which hits the track tomorrow in Alexandra and finishes back in Queenstown on Sunday, March 12.
— On Saturday, Auckland rider Matthew Wilson (21) and Taupo rider Sammie Maxwell (22) claimed the overall honours in cross-country racing at Coronet Peak.
Recovering nine-time champion Anton Cooper and multi-runner-up Ben Oliver both faded in the men’s race as Wilson sailed uphill and on to claim his first national mountain bike title of any type.
Wilson, who has prospered this year when racing points upward, reeled off the two fastest laps of the race in the final two circuits to claim the combined elite and under-23 title.
The Auckland rider, who enjoyed his first European racing season in 2022, overtook Craig Oliver on his way to clocking 1hr 13min 49sec for the six-lap test of the toughest. Rangiora’s Craig Oliver finished 26sec back in second and younger brother Ben 13sec in arrears in third.
"I thought I was dreaming for the last lap," Wilson said.
"I have yet to win a national championship. I placed second at the U19s and a few podiums in U23 but never won a national title so it is pretty cool to come out swinging to take the elite title at my first attempt."
It was not his first honours when a race heads skyward. He rode for the Rush Velo team in the Tour of Southland, and claimed the mountains jersey in the UCI-sanctioned NZ Cycle Classic for the same team.
"I eased into the race and knew it would be a demanding course, and if you pushed too soon and blow up, you would go backwards pretty quick," Wilson said.
"I tried to keep a steady pace and keep a lid on things. I felt good and was not pushing too hard and pulled back time. I paced it pretty well as the two last laps were my fastest."
Meanwhile, Maxwell made it three elite titles in succession with a dominant performance in the women’s race.
Maxwell set the early pace and was then able to dictate proceedings, proving to be in a class of her own to win in 1hr 15min 44sec.
Nearly 3min back was Nelson’s Josie Wilcox, and a further 3min to Rotorua’s Ruby Ryan.
"Getting the early gap was the key," Maxwell said.
"I ran a bigger chain-ring and I knew if I got a gap on the first lap then I would be able to ride my own pace.
"I was then able to dictate when I attacked and when I didn’t — so that my legs did not run out of steam towards the end."
— Additional reporting staff reporter
