showfeatures
Show features
articles
New Zeland National DH Champs 2009

NZ’s racing season finished this weekend with the New Zealand National MTB Championships 2009 for all mountain biking disciplines held in Nelson. The downhill course was the notorious Kaka Hill – a gnarly, technical mix of steep rocks, rocks, and some more rocks… and if you make a mistake, it’s normally a big drop off the side of the track. The commissaires had insisted on some changes since last year to make the couse easier, but it was still enough to scare the pants off most people who were seeing it for the first time. And then it rained… a LOT. Most riders came off the track or off their bikes at least once per run, so it made for some interesting results in the downhill. And there are no results at all for the women’s four cross as it was on the evening of DH practice day in the pouring rain and no-one showed up!

alt

Nelson mud - Emmeline Ragot after practice, Champs 2009.
Photo: Rita Langley

International riders are not eligible for the NZ Champ title, but visting Elite racers took out the top three spots. Emmeline Ragot was back on the bike after injuring her AC joint in her shoulder three weeks ago, and won the Elite Women’s category. “The course was very technical because it’s very steep and rocky, and it was even more technical with the mud on the rocks. It was my first race after injuring my shoulder, I rode more slowly because I was worried I would crash and my shoulder feels weird! In my race run, the first part was good, but for the last part I was thinking about not crashing, so I didn’t concentrate very well and was almost crashing!” Sabrina Jonnier came second despite not liking the mud, and rated the Nelson course as her favourite of the three she has raced in New Zealand. German rider Harriet Ruecknagel practiced heaps and rode hard to come in third place.

alt

NZ National Champs podium 2009.
Photo: Rita Langley

The NZ title was won by Harriet Harper who has dominated this season’s racing, winning both the North and South Island Cup titles as well as the NZ series. Despite having the slowest seeding run, she came back in race run to put in a super fast time and win her first national championship. “I got pretty loose and did some tripod-ing, it didn’t really feel like a race run, it was weird. I still won even though I didn’t get my good luck kiss this morning, so I proved that superstition doesn’t count!” Christchurch rider Amy Laird seeded second slowest and encountered an obstruction on the track in her race run and did not finish. Luckily for her, the commissaires allowed a re-run and she posted the 5th fastest time for Elite women.

The combined Open Women’s category was won by new riderGeorgia Wight who placed second in the Coronet round and decided to make the trip up and see how she would go at Nationals. Madeline Taylor (who has won the Island Series for this category) sprained her ankle but still rode, finishing fourth after Aucklanders Sophie Tyas and Veronique Sandler. Local rider and sole Senior womanAmanda Pearce finished fifth.

alt

NZ National Champs open women podium 2009.
Photo: Rita Langley

Keep an eye on Martha Hucker this week as we publish interviews with the NZ’s top riders as well as the visiting internationals….

Elite Women
1 Emmeline Ragot, France
2 Sabrina Jonnier, France
3 Harriet Ruecknagel, Germany
4 Harriet Harper, Blenheim
5 Amy Laird, Christchurch
6 Gabrielle Molloy, Rotorua
7 Katrina Strand, Canada
8 Dawn Daley-Coers, Nelson
9 Rita Langley, Golden Bay

Open Women
1 Georgia Wight, Alexandra
2 Sophie Tyas, Auckland
3 Veronique Sandler, Auckland
4 Madeline Taylor, Napier
5 Amanda Pearce, Nelson
6 Sarah Atkin, Lower Hutt

For full results from BikeNZ click here