Day 1 of the Yeti Trans NZ presented by Shimano propelled racers straight out of the gate into the biggest day of their week— 32 kilometers, six stages, 1585 meters climbing, and 1886 meters of descending in Craigieburn Forest Park. This remote jewel of the Southern Alps captures the heart and soul of exploring rugged wilderness on two wheels, where snow-capped peaks, tussock-covered hills and dense beech forest convene to provide a jaw-dropping backdrop to wild singletrack.
Take caution to fall right when not paying attention due to the insane vistas.
 | The beauty of this area is why we race on different terrain, stage to stage, day to day. If today was dry, you're not necessarily going to do well tomorrow, or vice versa. - Megan Rose |
Trying not to clip bar ends was easier said than done.
An ominous mist settled into the valleys as riders began their journey to the top of Stage 1 via Lyndon Saddle. Trails that were dusty prior in the week, were coated in a thin layer of moisture that made seemingly benign roots, deceitful and slippery, foreshadowing the state of affairs on Luge.
There were some quiet contemplative faces before the shuttles to stage one.
Stage one was damp but not soaking, making for inconsistent grip.
Mat Wright crosses the bridge at the end of stage one.
| Stage 1 was probably one of the easiest stages technically, but between the real wet roots, high speeds and pinball trees, it felt dangerous the whole way down. It was fun, but not the best to race on with first stage jitters. The following four stages were way more loamy. You could grip through the corners and push it a little harder. - Pete Robinson (Queenstown, NZL). |
The second stage routed riders down a wide-open descent of Dracophyllym Flat before starting the first of two mega climbs towards Cheeseman Ski Area. “When in doubt, throttle it out,” advised Ted Morton, Rose’s Wingman No. 1 on Stage 2. “You don’t get hurt in the air.”
The mist was thick during the first three stages, but burnt off as the day heated up.
Where's Wally?
Cheeseman Road is a grunt of a climb, but rewarded with the two favorite stages of the day— Cuckoo Creek and Cheeseman DH. Many of the tracks in Craigieburn Forest Park have been built over time and adopted by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and are recognized by several different trail names. Cuckoo Creek has also been referred to as Harriet and Boyd’s, Halloumi, Pirates and Schmega.
Faces of pain at the top of the Mt Cheeseman Ski Field road climb.
Carl Patton on the rivet on stage three.
After two full stages to start the day, the cold temperatures on the climb up to stage 3 were a welcome relief for riders.
"Whisky" Mike Cowlin Haulin down Cuckoo Creek.
“I felt right at home on Stage 3,” said Will Cadham (Vancouver, B.C.), currently sitting in second place tied with Mike Cowlin (Nelson, NZL) in Open Men behind Paul van der Ploeg (Melbourne, AUS) by 22 seconds. “This loam factory was filled with repetitive bomb holes, that would suck your wheel and kick you into the beech forest if you weren’t careful.”
Ryan Lewis was riding a new Yeti SB5.5 for the race this weekend and looked to be at home through the bomb holes down Cuckoo Creek.
Over, under, and in-between, Cuckoo Creek is a hell of a time.
Nate Hills crushing his way down Cuckoo Creek.
The Open Women are running a tight show with Sarah Rawley (Golden, Colorrado.) taking the lead, Melissa Newell (Wanaka, NZL) one second behind, Rachel Gurney (Wareham, GBR) on the chase by 25 seconds.
Stage 4, locally known as Cockayne Alley, was unanimously a favorite among the crowd. Tearing through the tussocks at the top, Cheeseman DH transitioned abruptly at the treeline into steeps, roots, chutes and catch-berms, keeping racers on their toes through the longest stage of the day, approximately ten minutes, that didn’t let up until the creek crossing before the finish terminal. If there was a constant to the day, it was creek crossing finishes.
Riders may a have started the day high and dry, but quickly got cold and wet as they navigated their way through the myriad of stream crossings.
Paul van der Ploeg tearing apart the tussocks on the top section of Cheesy DH.
Damp, sketchy rooty Chutes into squared up corners waited to trip up riders on Cheesy DH.
| I enjoyed the gnarliest stage the most, it was flowy, almost bike park-esque with mini jumps and doubles at the top, then steep, rooty, and super flowy at the end. I enjoyed how long it was, especially since I'm more into fitness these days. - Noah Sears (Fruita, Colorado) Open Men |
Tussock blasting on stage four.
The big adventure for Sears and his wife was not only racing tracks blind, but on foreign bikes. “Our bikes did not arrive last night, so we were both on borrowed bikes and head-to-toe gear for Day one, which was a pretty big day,” Sears said. “Megan loaned Sparky her brand new Yeti 5.5 so she was stoked. I had a bike that was two sizes too small, flat pedals, and no chamois. But hey, we were out riding bikes in New Zealand!” The Sears’ bikes arrived later in the afternoon from their detours to London and New York, ready to roll for the rest of the week.
The last two stages played to the strength of fitness down the Hogs Back, six kilometers of singletrack straight into Castle Hill Village. The vast views are striking, this place starred as Narnia in the film “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.”
The sun was peaking through the clouds at the top of stage 4.
More than a few people blew this berm and exited into the bushes behind.
The clouds burned off exposing the sensational views as racers gathered for post-race libations and to exchange stories about their day. Day 2 of the Yeti Trans NZ wraps up explorations in Craigieburn with four stages before racers traverse the South Island for three days of rowdy, rocky riding in and around Queenstown.
Relaxing in the clover at the end of day one.
There was plenty of time for beer and yarns at the end of the day.
Post race refreshments.
The Trans NZ will be posting regular updates on Facebook and Instagram throughout the week, and video recaps on Vimeo. Hashtag your photos #transnzenduro to make their way onto the live stream of the Trans NZ’s Media HQ. For more information email megan@ridingbc.com or visit www.transnz.com.
Jake Paddon was one of several riders in the "ones to watch" category. 7th overall today, but my money is on him to move up the ranks as the week progresses.
Results as of Day 1
Open Men
1. Paul van der Ploeg 27:50
2. William Cadham 28:12
2. Mike Cowlin 28:12
4. Pete Robinson 28:17
5. Nate Hills 28:26
Masters Men 40+
1. Christian Wingate 29:49
2. Jose Iniguez 30:26
3. Matt Patterson 30:47
1. Paul van der Ploeg 27:50
2. William Cadham 28:12
2. Mike Cowlin 28:12
4. Pete Robinson 28:17
5. Nate Hills 28:26
Masters Men 40+
1. Christian Wingate 29:49
2. Jose Iniguez 30:26
3. Matt Patterson 30:47
Open Women
1. Sarah Rawley 35:23
2. Mops 35:24
3. Rachael Gurney 35:59
4. Claire Bennett 36:01
5. Eva Dethlefsen 36:23
Master Women 40+
1. Chris Bramwell 42:23
2. Robyn Wong 42:27
3. Sheila Hart 46:08
1. Sarah Rawley 35:23
2. Mops 35:24
3. Rachael Gurney 35:59
4. Claire Bennett 36:01
5. Eva Dethlefsen 36:23
Master Women 40+
1. Chris Bramwell 42:23
2. Robyn Wong 42:27
3. Sheila Hart 46:08
Full Results HERE
Fellow media man, Matt Wood, kept himself amused and smashed some off-chamber scree.
Tom Bradshaw was more than happy to through a huck or two for us between the gaps in riders.
Jake Paddon feeling the pressure from Wingman number 2 Tom Bradshaw.
About Megan Rose— Megan has been riding and racing bikes all over the world for 14 years, and organizing bike events for the past six years. She splits her time between British Columbia and New Zealand, running the Trans NZ and Trans BC. Over the past three years, Megan has personally raced in over 40 enduro events, timed over 68 days worth of enduro races, and personally organized 30 enduro races. Megan and her team look forward to bringing you the best of the best from all of these perspectives.
MENTIONS: @cameronmackenzie / @yeticycles
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Is there really a place for 9 to 5 mortals in these events though?