A special day at Motu

OUT ON HIS OWN: A spectacular backdrop is secondary to Callum Gordon as he focuses on the path ahead in the Motu Special mountainbike races on Sunday. Gordon, fresh from a stint of road racing in the United States, defended the 50-kilometre Weka Special title on his 23rd birthday. He was 15½ minutes ahead of the runner-up. Picture by Scottie T Photography

GISBORNE’S Callum Gordon celebrated his 23rd birthday by easily defending his title in the headline event of the Motu Special mountainbike races on Sunday.

Gordon, who is back home from a stint of road racing with the SoCalCycling.com team in California, rode away to win the two-lap Weka Special.

He completed the 50-kilometre, two-lap course in 2 hours 6 minutes 33 seconds — 15½ minutes ahead of Whakatane’s Joel Wilson (2.22.04), with Gisborne’s Brent Sheldrake third in 2.26.51.

Gordon was 20 minutes faster than his winning time of 2016r although the course was a lot muddier that year.

The Motu Special mountainbike races again featured five fun-challenge events themed on special native birds found in the Motu area — weka, falcon, blue duck, kiwi and tomtit.

The day was a fundraiser for Motu Community House.

The 25km Falcon Special saw Gisborne duo Toni Hoskin and Nicki Davies cross the line amicably together in 1.32.19, with Rose Candy third in 1.45.25. Gordon’s mother Steferl Gordon was fourth just 15secs back.

No women contested the 50km Weka race, so Hoskins and Davies were declared joint winners of the trophy.

Adam Tate was best of the men in the Falcon Special. He won in 1.20.04 from Opotiki’s Jim Robinson (1.23.36) and Cody Hall (1.27.43).

The Weka and Falcon riders did the same course as last year, soaring from an altitude of 450 metres at Motu to almost 800m, before swooping dramatically to the historic Marumoko Road and past Whinray Scenic Reserve back to Motu.

The 12km Blue Duck Special was also a vigorous effort up and down the main hill.

Daniel Cobb was first in 42.51 while Caroline Richardson (54.46) narrowly headed off Vicki Tate (55.06) for the women’s honours.

Luke Fisher (18.39) won the Kiwi Special 5km race ahead of Josh Phillips (19.44) and Erueti King (20.06).

The Tomtit Special 5km race for the younger ones was keenly contested, with Wairoa’s Flynn Watts (20.52) and Gisborne’s Ella Rouse (26.59) flying home as first boy and girl.