FULL SPEED: Tauranga rider Samuel Lord navigates a course during the 2017 Cyclezone Winter Series. PHOTO/PHOTOS4SALE
FULL SPEED: Tauranga rider Samuel Lord navigates a course during the 2017 Cyclezone Winter Series. PHOTO/PHOTOS4SALE
New series champions will be crowned as the 2017 Cyclezone Winter Series concludes in Rotorua tomorrow.At the pointy end, the series has always provided a strong indicator of the form of the country's top and emerging talent.
TomorrowJosie Wilcox, a fresh face on the women's scene, will attempt a cleansweep of the premier long course event, while Wellington's Edwin Crossling returns from international racing to try to put an end the winning streak of Cosmo Bloor.
In the mid-course events, emerging teenage talents Alex Coventry (Whakatane), and Sammie Maxwell (Taupo) look to make it three from three for 2017.
Seemingly more than any other mountain biking event, the Winter Series is also one that continues to attract athletes from other codes across to the dirt. A quick browse of race two results highlights some interesting names.
Two-time New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-Country champion Brad Groombridge is a regular and lined up just a day after completing the Tarawera 100 - New Zealand's most gruelling Moto XC race - blistered hands and all.
Infamous New Zealand road cycling champion Gordon McCauley was there, alongside former downhill professional Glenn Haden.
DOMINANT: Manawatu's Josie Wilcox is aiming for a clean sweep in the final round of the Cyclezone Winter MTB Series in Rotorua. PHOTO/PHOTOS4SALE
And then there was Taupo's Kyle Smith. Better known as an ITU triathlete, Smith shocked many as he rode to third overall just days before flying out to North America. It must have done the trick as two weeks later Smith sprinted to third Elite and first under-23 at the 2017 ITU World Cross-Triathlon World Championship in Penticton, Canada.
During the final day, event organisers Tim and Belinda Farmer will be quietly looking on with pride at the racing community they have nurtured.
While the nature of Rotorua's amazing trail network plays an obvious role in attracting riders year after year, there is a certain magic about NDuro that has seen the series not only survive, but continue to thrive.
Consistently attracting riders of all abilities and ages, with fields in excess of 600 riders, the variety of terrain, welcoming atmosphere, close racing, challenging yet achievable courses, and exciting event villages have created an event experience difficult to beat.
Only time will tell who will stand out on Sunday. But one thing remains certain; that as New Zealand's most popular MTB series wraps up its 16th season, it will feature racing on what are without a doubt some of the best mountain biking trails in the world.
