Squidly Didly
12-03-2008, 06:41 PM
New Zealand mountainbikers face a super-strong challenge from across the Tasman in the UCI Oceania Mountainbike Championships in Nelson starting on Thursday.
The Australians have sent a powerful contingent to contest the four day event which begins with the Hill Climb and Dual Slalom on Thursday, cross country and 4X on Friday – all at Banford Park – and the downhill at nearby Kaka Hill on Sunday.
Beijing Olympic hopefuls Chris Jongewaard and Sid Taberlay lead the Australian cross country team after finishing first and second in their national championship. Jongewaard, a member of the international Dolphin professional team, will defend the Oceania title he won last year although he has been mixing his time with a highly promising move to road cycling. He placed seventh in the Australian time trial championships recently.
Taberlay is a multi Australian champion who finished 23rd at the Athens Olympics and sixth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand, without leading rider Kashi Leuchs who is racing in Europe, will look to the likes of national champion Stuart Houltham (Lower Hutt) to lead the way along with Commonwealth Games representative Mike Northcott (Mangakino).
It will be as tough in the women’s ranks with the top six Australians from their national championships all competing, including cross country champion Dellys Starr (Victoria), favoured to win an Olympic berth, with New Zealand led by Kaytee Boyd (Auckland) who rode impressively in the recent women’s road tour.
There is also a strong Australian contingent in the under-23 and under-19 ranks but the strongest of the New Zealand chances is in the under-19 division where Wellington’s Samara Sheppard will defend her Oceania title.
New Zealand can expect a strong showing in the downhill events led by multi national champion Nathan Rankin (Levin), current New Zealand champion Kieran Bennett (Nelson) and world top 20 ranked Justin Leov (Christchurch).
Current national champion Sheryl MacLeod (Dunedin) and former world junior champion Scarlett Hagen (Queenstown) lead the charge in the women’s downhill.
Leov, who rides the Yeti/Fox professional team, will be chasing success in the four cross with the women’s favourite, three-time Australian champion Caroline Buchanan.
The Oceania championships also provides as a trial for the New Zealanders to qualify for June’s world championships in Italy.
There are also entries from New Caledonia in the four-day event.
Full results during the event: www.bikenz.org.nz
For further information contact:
Ian Hepenstall
Sports Media NZ Ltd
The Australians have sent a powerful contingent to contest the four day event which begins with the Hill Climb and Dual Slalom on Thursday, cross country and 4X on Friday – all at Banford Park – and the downhill at nearby Kaka Hill on Sunday.
Beijing Olympic hopefuls Chris Jongewaard and Sid Taberlay lead the Australian cross country team after finishing first and second in their national championship. Jongewaard, a member of the international Dolphin professional team, will defend the Oceania title he won last year although he has been mixing his time with a highly promising move to road cycling. He placed seventh in the Australian time trial championships recently.
Taberlay is a multi Australian champion who finished 23rd at the Athens Olympics and sixth in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand, without leading rider Kashi Leuchs who is racing in Europe, will look to the likes of national champion Stuart Houltham (Lower Hutt) to lead the way along with Commonwealth Games representative Mike Northcott (Mangakino).
It will be as tough in the women’s ranks with the top six Australians from their national championships all competing, including cross country champion Dellys Starr (Victoria), favoured to win an Olympic berth, with New Zealand led by Kaytee Boyd (Auckland) who rode impressively in the recent women’s road tour.
There is also a strong Australian contingent in the under-23 and under-19 ranks but the strongest of the New Zealand chances is in the under-19 division where Wellington’s Samara Sheppard will defend her Oceania title.
New Zealand can expect a strong showing in the downhill events led by multi national champion Nathan Rankin (Levin), current New Zealand champion Kieran Bennett (Nelson) and world top 20 ranked Justin Leov (Christchurch).
Current national champion Sheryl MacLeod (Dunedin) and former world junior champion Scarlett Hagen (Queenstown) lead the charge in the women’s downhill.
Leov, who rides the Yeti/Fox professional team, will be chasing success in the four cross with the women’s favourite, three-time Australian champion Caroline Buchanan.
The Oceania championships also provides as a trial for the New Zealanders to qualify for June’s world championships in Italy.
There are also entries from New Caledonia in the four-day event.
Full results during the event: www.bikenz.org.nz
For further information contact:
Ian Hepenstall
Sports Media NZ Ltd