New DH Course Has Riders Excited

Brook “The Bulldog” MacDonald is salivating at prospects as the nation’s best gravity riders take to a new track for the New Zealand Mountain Bike Championships in Rotorua on Sunday. The race is part of the 3rd annual Rotorua Bike Festival.



The 23 year old professional from the Trek World Racing is excited by the challenge of the new course at the Skyline Rotorua Mountain Bike Gravity Park down the slopes of Mt Ngongotaha.

The track is near the course used for the UCI World Championships eight years ago, and the world number nine ranked rider is super-impressed. “The track is amazing,” said MacDonald ahead of Sunday’s downhill competition. “They have done such a good job of it and it is going to be good racing on Sunday.” The Gravity Park runs alongside the Skyline Skyrides and luge tracks, and includes more than 8kms of trail networks of varying terrain. Sunday’s track for the championships is 2.2km long and descends nearly 300m, comprising some super fast tracks, a challenging rock garden, testing tree roots and big jumps. “For sure it is going to separate the boys from the men.”


MacDonald, who won the title in 2013, would love to take the national jersey back to Europe for this year’s World Cup circuit, where he wants to build on his solid 2014 season, highlighted by a podium placing at the world championships. His fellow Hawkes Bay and Trek World Racing teammate, George Brannigan will defend the national title he won in Rotorua last year, with a podium in Leogang, Austria the best World Cup effort for the world number 26 in an injury-hit season. Both know they will need to watch the experienced Sam Blenkinsop. The top ranked Kiwi at number five in the world enjoyed a superb season including victory at the World Cup round in Cairns as well as the Oceania title and he was seventh at the world championships. He has moved to the Canadian Norco Factory Racing team off-season, who have established a new gravity race team for 2015. Taranaki brothers Edward and Wyn Masters also enjoyed excellent seasons on the international stage, ranked 30th and 35th respectively on the world listings, and sure to provide some challenges. There will also be interest in the efforts of Kawerau’s Matt Walker and Rotorua’s Louis Hamilton.


Lower Hutt rider Sarah Atkin will defend her women’s title in what should be a tight battle. Atkin, who also won the Oceania Championship, will be challenged by Queenstown pair of Veronique Sander and Alanna Columb. Sandler, 21, was 15th at the world championships and her 11th placing at Fort William in Scotland was her best on the UCI World Cup, while Colum, 26, had three World Cup finishes in the top-15 including eighth at Mont Saint Anne in Canada.

Practice this afternoon with the timed seeding run tomorrow at 11am with racing from 1pm.

More on the Rotorua Bike Festival.

Words: Ian Hepenstall
Photos
• Brook MacDonald in action in last year’s national championships in Rotorua (Alan Ofsoski).
• Matt Scoles gets air in 2014 (Alan Ofsoski).



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