Mountain biking: XC champ joins Rotorua race team

Ben Oliver, 18, of North Canterbury will jump up to the under-23 ranks next season.

Mountain biker Ben Oliver has joined the Rotorua-based New Zealand Cross Country Racing (NZXC) team.

The current Under-19 Oceania and New Zealand cross-country mountain bike champion will join the team for the 2014/2015 season.

Oliver, 18, from North Canterbury, is one of the country's most exciting young mountain bikers.

The season ahead marks a jump into the under-23 ranks for Oliver.

"I'm really excited to be on board with NZXC Racing. It's a new thing for me and the next step I need to take to progress my mountain biking ambitions," he said.

"After travelling with them in patches over the last two international seasons ... I'm looking forward to being fully in the NZXC environment.

"I enjoy the company of the other NZXC riders - training with them and having a great team support base at races. It's the next step to becoming professional and the best set-up in New Zealand."

Oliver will stay based in North Canterbury, but will spend time in Rotorua and travel with the team on the domestic and international race blocks during 2015.

NZXC director Sam Thompson welcomed him to the team.

"He's a great kid, obviously very talented, but humble to boot. He's a great fit with our other riders. We're really looking forward to working with him, his coach Dave Plew, and his family as he steps up the Under-23 ranks with NZXC Racing."

The NZXC Racing team now includes local riders Dirk Peters, Carl Jones, Katie O'Neill and Amber Johnston, as well as Oliver and Queenstown's Kate Fluker.