Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Mountain Biking: Keeping up with Mr Jones

Rotorua Daily Post
23 Oct, 2015 02:04 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rotorua rider Carl Jones has won four consecutive titles at the Whaka 100 but isn't confident heading into tomorrow's race. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua rider Carl Jones has won four consecutive titles at the Whaka 100 but isn't confident heading into tomorrow's race. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua rider Carl Jones has won four consecutive titles at the Whaka 100 but isn't confident heading into tomorrow's race. Photo / Andrew Warner

Champ aims for fifth Whaka title

If Carl Jones wins another title at the Whaka 100, the organisers may just have to name the event after him.

The Rotorua mountain biker is going for his fifth straight victory at the 100km endurance race in the Whakarewarewa Forest tomorrow.

Jones has never finished outside the podium at the event but explained he was not feeling too confident this time around.

In previous years he has trained between 20 and 25 hours a week leading into the event, but is now working full-time at Mountain Bike Rotorua and well below his peak fitness.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Now I'm riding about eight hours a week," Jones, 27, said. "I'm really unfit compared to what I used to do.

"I'm in the real world now working full-time, so I don't have as much time to train. In the last few years, riding 100km was pretty easy but this year it's going to be a real mental and physical challenge.

"I will definitely give it everything I have got though, I have never not been on the podium, but it is going to be an uphill battle."

The favourite to break Jones' streak this year will most likely be Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sam Gaze (Cambridge) who was leading the race last year but took a wrong turn.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He went the wrong way in the last couple of kms and that's where I overtook him," Jones said. "I was gaining on him but he had about a minute's lead [when he took the wrong turn]."

The MetService is predicting some rainy weather this weekend in Rotorua which will make it even tougher for riders.

Jones said he actually fared pretty well in muddy conditions, so was not too concerned about the poor weather. He said if he had any advice for first timers this weekend it would be to keep consuming food and liquids.

"Don't stop eating and don't stop drinking, and don't go too hard too soon."
The event tomorrow includes a few different distances on offer including 100km, 50km, 25km and 15km races.

Discover more

Strong comeback for star rider after spate of injuries

18 Oct 08:42 PM

Mountain Biking: Locals dominate in opening round enduro races

20 Oct 07:06 PM

Motocross: Big names on their way

21 Oct 07:15 PM

Mountain Biking: All downhill for Wright

17 Nov 07:13 PM

Event director Tim Farmer said about 500 riders would be taking part, including a record 200 riders in the feature 100km race. Farmer and his team have been out marking the course all week and he said it was a lot different from previous years.

The men's and women's winner in the 100km event will collect $1000 each, plus there's also prize money up for grabs during the inaugural Whaka Shootout (time trial) tonight.

* The feature 100km event starts and finishes at Waipa carpark, with riders starting at 8am tomorrow and the winners expected to finish about 1pm.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

03 Jul 10:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025
All Blacks

All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025

05 Jul 09:19 AM
Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m
New Zealand

Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m

05 Jul 09:16 AM
Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ
New Zealand

Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ

05 Jul 08:41 AM
Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash
Auckland

Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash

05 Jul 08:16 AM
Recap: All Black beat France to begin 2025 campaign
All Blacks

Recap: All Black beat France to begin 2025 campaign

05 Jul 07:57 AM

Latest from Sport

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

03 Jul 10:00 PM

The Māori All Blacks face Scotland in Whangārei on Saturday.

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM
'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM
Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

24 Jun 09:26 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search