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Harriet Harper and Charlotte Clouston take NZ Champ titles for 2010

 

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Harriet Harper and the spectators, Wellington National Champs 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley

 

Wellington's forecast for today's New Zealand National DH champs was for tsunamis and strong winds. Up on the hill, we were safe from the waves caused by the earthquake in Chile as they hit NZ, making beaches up and down the country slightly wetter than usual. The wind was far more dangerous, causing a large number of crashes and forcing riders to choose new lines from those they'd been praticing to keep their wheels on the ground.

 

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Harriet Harper, final jump at National Champs 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley

 

2009's National Champ Harriet Harper took the Elite Women's win again. She had very little competition, with just BMXer Sarah Walker and French rider Sophie Borderes joining her in the top category. Martha Hucker writer Rita Langley DNS'd after a crash in practice caused another concussion, and spent the day taking photos.

Harriet was not happy with her race run, saying the win had played a part in sending her off the track. Otherwise, she was stoked to be National Champ again and will be representing New Zealand at this year's World Champs in Mt Ste Anne, Canada.

 

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Harriet Harper, New Zealand's Elite Women Downhill Mountain Bike Champ 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley

 

Open women was won by Charlotte Clouston after local ripper Sarah Atkin crashed approaching the end jump, a section whose cross-winds had forced several other riders into the edge of the main rut and then over the bars. Martha Hucker interviewed Charlotte about her win, and that will be up shortly.

 

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Charlotte Clouston winning National Champs 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley

ELITE WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP PL- SEEDING OVERALL
1 Harriet Harper 40 Blenheim 3:14.75 +0:00.00 1- 3:05.89 124
2 Sarah Walker 179 Kawerau 3:32.58 +0:17.84 3- 3:47.51 156
3 Sophie Borderes 41 France 3:33.56 +0:18.82 2- 3:26.86 159

OPEN WOMEN
PL NAME SURNAME # FROM TIME GAP PL- SEEDING OVERALL
1 Charlotte Clouston 191 Waimautu 3:22.33 +0:00.00 1- 3:26.18 137
2 Sophiemarie Bethell 145 Auckland 3:26.75 +0:04.42 4- 3:43.93 145
3 Georgia Wight 142 Alexandra 3:29.51 +0:07.18 5- 3:47.03 149
4 Sophie Tyas 190 Auckland 3:29.74 +0:07.41 3- 3:40.23 150
5 Naomi Wilson 127 Queenstown 3:37.81 +0:15.47 6- 3:57.50 166
6 Veronique Sandler 144 Nelson 3:39.82 +0:17.49 7- 4:04.80 168
7 Kaytee Campbell 122 Ngaruawahia 4:16.89 +0:54.56 8- 4:21.73 179
DNF Sarah Atkin 164 Lower Hutt DNF 2- 3:31.77

Full results here.