Tuhoto Ariki-Pene during Thursday's Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Tuhoto Ariki-Pene during Thursday's Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Rotorua’s Jenna Hastings and Tuhoto-Ariki Pene both successfully defended their national elite downhill mountain bike titles on home turf yesterday.
The event doubled as the seeding run to determine start order for Saturday’s Specialized Kārearea Downhill at Crankworx Rotorua.
Both riders will get to wear the New Zealand sleevein international competition this year after a closely-fought final, a Cycling NZ release said.
It was heartbreak, however, for another local star, Lachie Stevens-McNab, who started as the favourite and defending Crankworx downhill champ.
He suffered a costly slide near the top of the course and was unable to recover the lost time, ultimately finishing mid-pack.
Jenna Hastings during Thursday's Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Hastings proved why she’s the rider to beat on Rotorua dirt by securing the top seeding position for Saturday’s Kārearea Downhill and defending her National Downhill Championship title.
She was the final rider down the course, winning in 3:18.288 to finish four seconds ahead of Auckland’s Trek Factory Racing professional Sacha Earnest, who finished top-10 on the elite UCI world series last year.
With the fastest line down the demanding Rotorua course, Hastings will be the final rider to drop in during Saturday’s finals.
Pene delivered a strong run to stop the clock at 2:59.953, securing the prestigious national sleeve once again, while Australian Luke Meier-Smith earned the top seed for the Kārearea Downhill with a time of 2:55.659.
Tuhoto Ariki-Pene during Thursday's Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Pene said the win was special and even better to achieve at the event and in Rotorua.
Crankworx Rotorua continues today with theRotorua Pump Track Challenge under lights at Skyline Rotorua, while tomorrow brings the Specialized Kārearea Downhill Finals andRotorua Roulette event.
The festival concludes on Sunday with Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza and Crankworx Rotorua Dual Slalom.
