Mountain Biking: Oceania cross-country next target

Harrison Mudgway reflects on his recent success and looks forward to the Oceania Mountain Bike Cross Country Championship in Toowoomba this week. Photo / John Borren

Coach Chris Willett has no doubt his newest national champion has the potential to go further in mountain biking.

Harrison Mudgway (17) recently won the New Zealand Under-19 Mountain Bike Cross-country title in Rotorua and has now set his sights on the Oceania title race in Toowoomba on Thursday.

"We are definitely going with the expectation that he will be the first New Zealander and on the podium," said Willett.

Harrison shares his coach's optimism.

"I am a little bit nervous, but more confident than nervous. My goals are top three and to have a good race - and make sure everything goes to plan." he said.

If it does, it will be in contrast to the way the national championship race in the Whakarewarewa Forest panned out, where he sacrificed a telling lead to get help from his rivals.

It was a decision, Willett said, he hopes Mudgway won't have to make again.

"He had quite a lead going into the last lap but in his mind his legs weren't feeling the way they should, so he eased off and let the guys catch up to him to give himself a rest," said Willett.

"I decided to wait for the sprint. I didn't want to do that, but seemed like my only chance," said Mudgway.

He said he still believes if he had continued at the pace he had set himself, he wouldn't have won.

"He was lucky he was still able to put himself in a position to win - but from my standpoint, I wouldn't want him to ease off in the future," said Willett.

In the end, it was the closest of finishes with less than the width of a wheel separating Mudgway from teammate Nathan Johnston.

Mudgway and Willett have been working together for 10 months, but the national title was only an interim target.

"It was a stepping stone to the Oceania Championships which are much more important. It's gratifying to see him win, it's a big tick in the box, but, in his mind, he didn't race that well so we will look at that."

Willett believes Mudgway has the potential to reach the elite level in the sport, but that the next few years are critical.

"I worked with the Canadian under-23 team and, from a technical ability standpoint, he is above and beyond where those guys were. But he will need to do some physical work over the next two or three years.

"He will need to be laying down that foundation so when he is 20 and 21 he is really starting to perform where he should be. Maybe he will fall off the radar a bit as far as results go as he gets bigger and stronger. From a coaching standpoint that's okay, but from an athlete's standpoint it can be difficult to handle."

Mudgway is part of the NZXC cross-country mountain biking team supported by Torpedo 7, Camelbak and Shotz and has received help from Cycle Obsession at the Mount and Tauranga Mountain Bike Club.

He began racing at Summerhill in Welcome Bay and last summer, in just his second year in the sport, won the 17-35 and overall Summer Series titles.