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Martha Hucker interviews Charlotte Clouston, NZ Junior Champ

Charlotte Clouston took the win in the Junior Women category at last weekend's New Zealand National DH champs 2010. Martha Hucker caught up with her afterwards: "I didn't expect to win, but I thought that I could if I rode well. The track was more difficult in the wind on race day, and there were some really awkward corners. It was hard to get flow, and there was a lot of pedalling too. Also, the field is quite competitive, and I knew it was going to be hard to finish ahead of Sarah Atkin [NZ series winner]. But I'm super stoked to win!"

 

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Charlotte Clouston winning National Champs 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley

 

The sixteen-year-old is in year 13 at Kaipara College, and mountain biking isn't her only talent - she also won her school's athletics competition, and is head girl this year. It's not a great place for training though: "There aren't many hills around where we live. I ride with JAFAKIDS, which is part of the Auckland Mountain Bike Club, and we mostly do cross country. But I think it really helps. It's cool riding with friends too, me and Sophiemarie Bethel and Sophie Tyas ride together a bit, and having friends who ride too is really motivating and makes it more fun". There's more about JAFAKIDS here: http://aucklandmtb.co.nz/jafakids/

 

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Charlotte Clouston, Rotorua 2010.
Photo: Jono Church

 

Charlotte has been Junior National Champ before, back in 2008. But she missed the 2009 season due to injury: "I broke my ankle just two weeks before the first Nationals race, so I missed the entire season, it was so bad! But I started riding again and it took a long time to really get my confidence back. I knew I wasn't riding as fast as I was capable of, but I didn't want to crash. It wasn't until a race in Dome Valley, when I just knew I could win it if I rode well, and I did, so after that I had more confidence again."

 

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Charlotte Clouston, Tauranga 2010.
Photo: Jono Church

 

Charlotte is riding a GT Fury for 2010, thanks to R&R Sport. "It's an awesome bike! So nice to ride, and nothing's gone wrong with it at all. Oh, except breaking the derailleur, but that was a stupid crash!" The Junior Champ title means automatic qualification for World Champs, which Charlotte intends to make the most of. "I'm definitely going! I'll have to do some fundraising though..." So watch out for this fast Kiwi at Mt Ste Anne this year. Good luck Charlotte!

 

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Charlotte Clouston, Junior National Champ 2010.
Photo: Rita Langley