Mountain Bike National Championships: Tough racing ahead

Rotorua locals Dirk Peters, above, and Carl Jones are also in the mix in the men's field. Photo / Ben Fraser

Last year it was a head-to-head between New Zealand's top two mountain bikers, and spectators at this year's Mountain Bike National Championships can expect more tough racing.

Tomorrow will feature age-group racing in the morning with the elites in the afternoon. The elite field will include Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallists Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze. It was Gaze who edged ahead of Cooper last year.

Rotorua locals Dirk Peters and Carl Jones are also in the mix in the men's field.

The women's race will be competitive too, with defending champion Katie Fluker up against Olympian Karen Hanlen as well as locals Katie O'Neill and Amber Johnston. "I think the battle between Sam and Anton is probably going to be the most interesting part," said race director Megan Dimozantos.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how that pans out. It will be an interesting battle at the top but I'm not going to pick a favourite - I know them all."

Spectators can walk or ride to the race HQ at Radio Hut Rd - known to locals as the Challenge Block. But if you want to take the easy route there will be a shuttle bus picking up from Longmile Rd for a gold coin.

Ms Dimozantos said the course was the same as last year, with all tracks in the Challenge Block.

The start and finish line is at the intersection of Radio Hut Rd and the horse track. Riders will go in a clockwise direction taking in Down the Guts, Challenge Uphill, Boulderdash and Rock Drop before racing along the Mudpool Rd and uphill along the horse track to the finish. The elite men will race seven laps and the elite women six.

The first age-group race will start at 10.30am with the final, elite, races at 2pm.

Details
What: 2015 Mountain Bike National Championships
Where: Radio Hut Rd, Whakarewarewa Forest
When: Tomorrow from 10.30am
How Much: Free, but shuttle bus costs a gold coin