Yeti Trans NZ Enduro Presented by Shimano - Day 3, Coronet Peak
The tables turned on day three of the Yeti Trans NZ presented by Shimano. The “hump day” of the race week, presented a 50/50 split of pedal-intensive stages and a rowdy, seemingly never-ending steep downhill. Locals found their groove on familiar tracks and put time into the top of the pack.
 | I know the trails from living in Queenstown the past two years, and gave it full-speed on every one of them. I thought I would lose it all in the pedaling on stage two since I had to get off of my bike a few times. But on the last stage, I gave it everything and just hung on to stay in the rut. |
For those racing blind, it was a wild experience that left a lasting impression on the caliber of trails that New Zealand has to offer.
“It’s Queenstown, the Whistler of the South,” said Ted Morton, Wingman No. 2 who has been discretely racing on the side of his other duties, currently sixth overall in the Open Men. “Stage 4 down Corotown is my all-time favorite trail in New Zealand. It’s raw, rugged, long and the views are amazing. It’s the Remarkables; enough said, you can’t beat it.”
Four stages centered around Coronet Peak, New Zealand's first commercial ski field, took racers on a 28.8 kilometer journey— 1370m climbing and 2250m descending— starting from a max elevation of 1651m to the base of infamous Skippers Canyon, and back to the peak for arguably the toughest track of the week.
| It was a spectacular day - super sunny, but not too hot. Today the first two stages suited people who have a bit more stamina, the last two stages suited people who were more DH-oriented, so it was a good mix of everything. There were a few changes of the hot seat. In the open women's category, it has been a different winner every day which is telling of the different strengths in the field. |
Racers were shuttled to Coronet Peak’s base area where they climbed 350m to the peak and all gathered by the lift before the fastest racers dropped in. “I always like day three, because everyone rides to the top so we can clear the trail that we’re racing down,” Rose said. “The vibe is great— everyone is cheering, bantering, and spectating. I think this is particularly special to day three.”
Pre race wee at the loo with a view
Stage one dove straight into the top portion of Coronet DH with a few drops and pinch slot that attempted to grab pedals, instigating further banter from the spectators. Riders veered off onto Coronet XC connected by a steep access road, pushing most of the riders off their bikes and into cyclocross mode.
| The downhill track on stage one was super gnarly and put you on edge over blind kickers, straight into a redline effort up the steep climb. That was the hardest part. Your heart rate was pegged by the top, so it was super painful to keep pedaling. Every corner ripped so hard afterward, it made you forget the prior pain. |
The short transition up to the top of Rude Rock presented a delightful view of its iconic namesake, however there wasn’t much time to take it all in before taking the plunge. At six kilometers, 120m climbing and 700m descending, stage two was the longest stage of the week, combining new school flow with Pack Track and Sack and Skippers Pack Track, a historic pack track created and used by gold miners in the 1860s.
A very erect rock formation.
Pete Robinson (Queenstown, NZL) and Milan Mysik (CZE) tied for first on Stage 2 at 12:26. Everyone experienced the trail in a slightly different way— either ending up in a hole masked by tussock, hitting the rut of death at the wrong angle, or not executing the barbed wire fence obstacle with grace.
| Trying to ride stages blind against locals is challenging, but it's always going to a factor in gravity enduro racing. The trails are super rowdy, and trying to predict what's on the other side of a blind crest is very hard when you've never seen the trail before. |
“At one point I was running without my bike along the trail. I had to go back and get it. My Di2 had gone into safety mode and it went into its easiest gear, so it took some time to get back into proper descending mode.” van der Ploueg also wrapped his shoulder around a pole after the first chute on stage four.
The climb out of Skippers Canyon gave racers ample time to gawk at the astonishing beauty that is world-renowned for cinematography.
| I transitioned with Fraser Wilkinson who I found out to be a senior layout technical director at Weta Digital and created many of the scenes in The Hobbit and Avatar. How rad is that to be riding with someone with so many hidden talents and familiar with this terrain in an entirely different way, despite never riding these trails before. |
Stage three down Zoot Track was naturally a hoot with mini booters, rough rock drops, and dual “choose your own adventure” lines. With only one more stage looking ahead, the nervous energy increased on the shuttle back up to Coronet Peak.
Is this enduro or MotoGP?
The fourth and final stage down Slip Saddle, a double-black rated trail, shook up the standings and riders’ perspective of “steep”. With a maximum gradient of 46 degrees, the natural descenders overtook the reasonably fit, and crushed the ruts, ignoring arm pump through the 1.8 kilometer, 500m descent.
| That was the steepest trail I have ever ridden in my entire life! I cannot believe some of the shit that I just rode. The exposure is so different from the forests I am used to riding in. The dirt is different; it feels super dry, but it was surprisingly super grippy. |
The transition down Bush Creek through 15 creek crossings completed the journey, where cold beers awaited thirsty and relieved riders, adjacent to the enchanting historic Arrowtown.
A refreshing way to end the day.
Just what the riders wanted to find at the end of the day.
| Today was definitely eye opening, a totally different experience from Craigieburn. Especially that last stage which was scary at several points. I don’t think I have ever ridden anything that steep. |
For day four, the enduro circus heads to Alexandra, the hottest and coldest town in New Zealand, to scurry around trails on private property in the semi-desert, not available for mapping on Trailforks. To find out what they are all about, you’ll have to tune in for tomorrow’s recap, updates on Facebook and Instagram, 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.
DAY 3 RESULTS
Open Men
1. Mike Cowlin 26:27
2. Pete Robinson 26:29
3. Milan Mysik 27:02
4. Jason Thomsen 27:11
5. Paul van der Ploeg 27:18
Open Women
1. Eva Dethlefsen 32:54
2. Mops 33:29
3. Rachael Gurney 33:35
4. Sarah Rawley 33:45
5. Claire Bennett 34:16
Master Men 40+
1. Jose Iniguez 28:19
2. Christian Wingate 29:17
3. Matt Patterson 29:22
Master Women 40+
1. Robyn Wong 39:34
2. Chris Bramwell 40:46
3. Sheila Hart 45:05
OVERALL RESULTS
Open Men
1. Pete Robinson 1:13:14
2. Paul van der Ploeg 1:13:16
3. Mike Cowlin 1:13:18
4. Nate Hills 1:14:53
5. William Cadham 1:15:06
Open Women
1. Mops 1:32:12
2. Sarah Rawley 1:32:20
3. Rachael Gurney 1:32:43
4. Eva Dethlefsen 1:33:04
5. Claire Bennett 1:33:55
Master Men 40+
1. Jose Iniguez 1:18:29
2. Christian Wingate 1:18:50
3. Matt Patterson 1:20:06
Master Women 40+
1. Robyn Wong 1:49:24
2. Chris Bramwell 1:51:51
3. Sheila Hart 2:00:23
Full Results HERE
About Megan Rose— Megan has been riding and racing bikes all over the world for 13 years and organizing bike events for the past six years. She splits her time between British Columbia, Canada, and New Zealand, running the BC Enduro Series and the new Trans BC for 2016, and running the Trans NZ race. Over the past two years, Megan has personally raced in over 24 enduro races, timed over 58 days worth of enduro races, and personally organized 22 enduro races. Megan and her team look forward to bringing you the best of the best from all of these perspectives.
MENTIONS: @TransNZ / @shimano
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The deep ruts are on Zoot track which is too narrow for photographers, last I rode it on one like they are deep enough to make you worry about giving your wheels a 90 degree bend, half way up to my axle on a 27.5"...
On another note, anyone know the brand/modes of knee pads on the guy taking a wizz? Pre-thanks!
The second best is cold.
Tracks never seem as steep when you are riding them.