Crankworx: Hamilton ready for top riders

STRONG RIDER: Louis Hamilton finished second yesterday in the Crankworx Rotorua Air DH event. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Rotorua downhiller Louis Hamilton says he feels in better shape now than he did a year ago when he finished 15th in the Crankworx Rotorua Downhill race.

The downhill race is one of the feature events at Crankworx Rotorua and is being held tomorrow from 2.30pm to 5.15pm, under the gondolas on Mt Ngongotaha.

Hamilton, 21, was one of the best local finishers in the race last year and said he hoped to go even better this time around, when he takes on the best downhill riders in the world. "I'm hoping to improve my 15th spot from last year, that is my goal so hopefully I can pull it off."

Hamilton said he felt stronger and faster this year compared with last.

"I've had another year racing overseas on the international circuit. Coming back from that you always feel stronger and faster, so I'm looking at carrying that on into this season."

Hamilton finished second in the Crankworx Rotorua Air DH event yesterday on Mt Ngongotaha which was a more relaxed downhill event open to social riders.

He was still up against a couple of top elites, who also entered, and did well to finish second behind fellow Kiwi George Brannigan.

"I've ridden up here quite a bit and it was awesome to put a good run together in front of a home crowd ... and I'm stoked with second," Hamilton said.

Brannigan (Queenstown) finished first in the Air DH event while Fabien Cousine (France) finished third. There was only a second separating the front three.

Brannigan said he enjoyed the race but his main focus was the Crankworx Rotorua Downhill event tomorrow where he will be a contender to win the title.

Meanwhile, in the women's race, enduro rider Rae Morrison (Wellington) took out the title followed by Ronja Hill-Wright (Rotorua) and Jessica Jamieson (Matata).

- Results from the Crankworx Rotorua Air DH event yesterday:

Men: 1 George Brannigan (Queenstown) 2m 13.78s, 2 Louis Hamilton (Rotorua) 2:14.00, 3 Fabien Cousine (France) 2:14.79.

Women: 1 Rae Morrison (Wellington) 2m 27.77s, 2 Ronja Hill-Wright (Rotorua) 2:39.36, 3 Jessica Jamieson (Matata) 2:43.08.

-Check out the Rotorua Daily Post website for coverage of the Rotorua Pump Track Challenge held last night at Crankworx Rotorua. The event finished too late for publication.