Yeti Trans NZ Day 5 - Queenstown, Berm Blasting the Skyline
The Yeti Trans NZ saved the best for last with a grand finale - spectacular panoramic views overlooking Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, as racers plummeted down three stages to complete a monumental week of racing. Although it’s 18km felt short in distance, the final day’s course did not lack in scenery, roots or rocks - the three core essentials of an epic trail - leaving racers with a lasting impression of New Zealand’s premier mountain biking.
“Throughout the week, I have heard a few comments from people saying it’s the hardest thing they have ever done,” said Megan Rose, race organizer. “But they are already excited to prep themselves for next year and do it all over again.”
The event headquarters perched at the base of the Ben Lemond Reserve provided the launching point for racers to pedal from their bunks at Pinewood Lodge, straight to the top of Queenstown Bike Park. Twenty-seven mountain bike trails create a tight fitting, intricate network of 30km down the steep side of the mountain averaging in grade of 37.1° along the Gondola vertical rise of 450m.
Rose upped the ante on the first transition with a hill climb challenge up Skyline Road. The time to beat - 25:21. Amy Krahenbuhl aka Big Red (Santa Cruz, CA), Open Women not only won, but she destroyed Rose’s PR with a time of 21:30, and was awarded a tandem paragliding trip from Gforce.
Stage 1 combined several trails in the bike park for a fast ride down the mountain. “The first stage was awesome. I liked all of the steep roots,” said Jack Menzies aka Jack the Ripper (Canmore, CAN), the 14-year-old who ended up 26th in a competitive field of 60 Open Men.
Racers ended back at the bottom of the Gondola and enjoyed a moment of reprieve and scenic ride from the Gondola cabin, before one more big climb to the Ben Lemond Saddle at 1326m. At about 800m, soft-pedaling evolved into pushing along alpine tussocks and shrubs. Stage 2 paralleled parts of the transition, giving racers a view into what they would be flying down.
“The second run was awesome— fully exposed, amazing scenery, fast trails, mental, rooty and technical. Everything that you would want a mountain bike trail to be,” said Steve Burns (Sydney, AUS), Open Men.
Halfway down the stage, racers peeled off onto the brand new Missing Link Track, finished literally the night before in headlamps, thanks to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club’s “GSD” aka get shit done, mentality. The loam factor was at an all-time high in the home stretch, eating unsuspecting racers’ front wheels meters before the finish line.
A short n’ sweet transition along Beeched As brought racers up to the third and final stage of the race - a fast and furious root assault along Fernhill Loop, and then back into the bike park for a swift finish through jumps to the finish line.
Flynn George (Colorado Springs, CO), Open Men won every single on Day 5 and ended up second overall behind Carl Jones (Rotorua, NZL).
“The last stage of the day was my favorite, because of the roots, rocks, good turns and high speed. Carl is going to come and hang out in Aspen and we’ll shred EWS together,” George said.
Back at the event headquarters, riders cheers’d with special edition Yeti Trans NZ brews from Queenstown Brewers, and reveled in their week together. Adult summer camp was coming to a close, but in the meantime, more celebratory drinks were to be had downtown.
“The Trans NZ is a journey through all of the diverse landscape of New Zealand, and it offers the best ride ever. I had a ton of fun on the trail, meeting people, and learning about New Zealand,” said Tito Tomassi (Annecy, FRA), who ended up 8th overall in Open Men despite a massive mechanical on Day 3. “I would like to thank the Trans NZ crew for the awesome job they have done, the builders for the trails, and the community.”
This event would not have happened without the passionate energy coming from the volunteers. “I really like the atmosphere of the week, and all of the volunteers were great, always with a smile and cheering everyone on at the start line, and then everyone was at the finish line high giving with each other,” said Deborah Motsch (Annecy, FRA) who took the top step in the Open Women’s category.
The media team also deserves a special shoutout for their tireless efforts running around the courses to capture the action and staying up into the wee hours of the night to edit photos and push out daily updates.
“We came into the week with the motto ‘Foot out, Flat out’. When we weren't working, we were definitely rallying ruts. It's a pretty good crew, egging each other on. Good banter, good times,” said Jordy Whelan (Taranaki, NZL), media assistant.
Throughout the week there were a few casualties on the media team including a trampoline incident, separated AC joint, skinned up elbows, and multiple crashes. When queried on what was really going on behind the lens, Whelan said no further comment could be made.
Unfortunately, Aaron Bradford (Seattle, USA) could not return as the crowd had hoped for on Days 4 or 5, as the injuries he sustained were more than superficial gashes. Bradford will have a skin graft on Monday in New Zealand and then take it easy for a couple months which means canceling his trip to Chile and Argentina for the first two rounds of the Enduro World Series (EWS).
“I had my biggest adventure and win of the week on Day 1. It was quite a monumental point in my life where I could feel like I could walk again without too much pain,” Bradford said. “But it’s been a good time here in Queenstown. The weather has been amazing, and there has been a bunch of good racing. I came here with a bell on my bike, and I ended with a bell in my pocket so I could cheer everyone on.”
For those who missed out on this epic adventure, registration will open for the 2017 Yeti Trans NZ in mid-September. The field will be limited to 120 riders, so if you’ve been meaning to make the trip, stay tuned for future updates on Facebook and Instagram. Videos from Days 4 and 5 will be released next week, and photos will be made available directly from the photographers. Hashtag your photos #transnzenduro to make their way on to the live stream of the Trans NZ’s Media HQ. For more information email megan@ridingbc.com or subscribe to the newsletter at www.transnz.com.
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 races 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.
About Queenstown Mountain Bike Club
The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club formed in 2003, the main goal to develop the mountain biking trails and the biking community in Queenstown. Since 2003, the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club has been instrumental in the development of popular mountain bike areas such as the 7 Mile Bike Reserve, Rude Rock, Wynyard Bike Park, Gold Digger and Huck Yeah – the newest addition to the Queenstown Bike Park. The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club is purely run by mountain bike loving volunteers. 8 committee members and heaps of regular diggers are responsible for mountain biking in Queenstown being so rad.
Writers Note:
These recaps were brought to you by way of the real life experience of pedaling the entire 5-day race. It was a privilege to be out on the course with the rest of the competitors to authentically portray the ins and outs of each day, and then collaborate with the media team who kept the comedy hour alive when the rest of the village was fast asleep. I can’t thank these guys enough for hustling all week long to make covering the event an absolute hoot.
— Sarah Rawley (Keystone, USA), Open Women 4th overall
Check out all 82 images from Day 5 here.
DAY 5: OPEN MEN
1. Flynn George 19:58
2. Lindsay Klein 20:25
3. Carl Jones 20:34
DAY 5: OPEN WOMEN
1. Deborah Motsch 24:10
2. Agata Bulska 25:06
3. Katie Oneill 25:29
DAY 5: MASTER MEN 40+
1. Randal Huntington 21:15
2. Christian Wingate 23:01
3. Damian Walsh 24:08
Visit www.transnz.com for full Day 5 and overall results.
MENTIONS: @TransNZ / @yeticycles
 |
 Looking down on Queenstown from High on the Ben Lomond ridge with the Remarkables in the background. |
 |
| The golden hour greeted racers who got up early to beat the bike park crowds. |
“Throughout the week, I have heard a few comments from people saying it’s the hardest thing they have ever done,” said Megan Rose, race organizer. “But they are already excited to prep themselves for next year and do it all over again.”
 |
| Berms were blasted in the racing of this race. |
The event headquarters perched at the base of the Ben Lemond Reserve provided the launching point for racers to pedal from their bunks at Pinewood Lodge, straight to the top of Queenstown Bike Park. Twenty-seven mountain bike trails create a tight fitting, intricate network of 30km down the steep side of the mountain averaging in grade of 37.1° along the Gondola vertical rise of 450m.
Rose upped the ante on the first transition with a hill climb challenge up Skyline Road. The time to beat - 25:21. Amy Krahenbuhl aka Big Red (Santa Cruz, CA), Open Women not only won, but she destroyed Rose’s PR with a time of 21:30, and was awarded a tandem paragliding trip from Gforce.
 |
| Losing altitude on stage 2 |
Stage 1 combined several trails in the bike park for a fast ride down the mountain. “The first stage was awesome. I liked all of the steep roots,” said Jack Menzies aka Jack the Ripper (Canmore, CAN), the 14-year-old who ended up 26th in a competitive field of 60 Open Men.
 |
| The Queenstown Bike Park in all its glory. |
 |
| Brappp |
Racers ended back at the bottom of the Gondola and enjoyed a moment of reprieve and scenic ride from the Gondola cabin, before one more big climb to the Ben Lemond Saddle at 1326m. At about 800m, soft-pedaling evolved into pushing along alpine tussocks and shrubs. Stage 2 paralleled parts of the transition, giving racers a view into what they would be flying down.
“The second run was awesome— fully exposed, amazing scenery, fast trails, mental, rooty and technical. Everything that you would want a mountain bike trail to be,” said Steve Burns (Sydney, AUS), Open Men.
 |
| Slick riding and chasing down into stage two |
Halfway down the stage, racers peeled off onto the brand new Missing Link Track, finished literally the night before in headlamps, thanks to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club’s “GSD” aka get shit done, mentality. The loam factor was at an all-time high in the home stretch, eating unsuspecting racers’ front wheels meters before the finish line.
 |
| The loamtastic lower stage 2. |
 |
| Staying up on stage two. |
A short n’ sweet transition along Beeched As brought racers up to the third and final stage of the race - a fast and furious root assault along Fernhill Loop, and then back into the bike park for a swift finish through jumps to the finish line.
Flynn George (Colorado Springs, CO), Open Men won every single on Day 5 and ended up second overall behind Carl Jones (Rotorua, NZL).
 |
| Flynn keeping up the speed |
“The last stage of the day was my favorite, because of the roots, rocks, good turns and high speed. Carl is going to come and hang out in Aspen and we’ll shred EWS together,” George said.
Back at the event headquarters, riders cheers’d with special edition Yeti Trans NZ brews from Queenstown Brewers, and reveled in their week together. Adult summer camp was coming to a close, but in the meantime, more celebratory drinks were to be had downtown.
“The Trans NZ is a journey through all of the diverse landscape of New Zealand, and it offers the best ride ever. I had a ton of fun on the trail, meeting people, and learning about New Zealand,” said Tito Tomassi (Annecy, FRA), who ended up 8th overall in Open Men despite a massive mechanical on Day 3. “I would like to thank the Trans NZ crew for the awesome job they have done, the builders for the trails, and the community.”
 |
| Agata Bulska Tackling the roots on the final stage of day 5 |
This event would not have happened without the passionate energy coming from the volunteers. “I really like the atmosphere of the week, and all of the volunteers were great, always with a smile and cheering everyone on at the start line, and then everyone was at the finish line high giving with each other,” said Deborah Motsch (Annecy, FRA) who took the top step in the Open Women’s category.
 |
| There was a lot of cheering during Stage Two. Cowbells and motivational words! |
The media team also deserves a special shoutout for their tireless efforts running around the courses to capture the action and staying up into the wee hours of the night to edit photos and push out daily updates.
“We came into the week with the motto ‘Foot out, Flat out’. When we weren't working, we were definitely rallying ruts. It's a pretty good crew, egging each other on. Good banter, good times,” said Jordy Whelan (Taranaki, NZL), media assistant.
Throughout the week there were a few casualties on the media team including a trampoline incident, separated AC joint, skinned up elbows, and multiple crashes. When queried on what was really going on behind the lens, Whelan said no further comment could be made.
Unfortunately, Aaron Bradford (Seattle, USA) could not return as the crowd had hoped for on Days 4 or 5, as the injuries he sustained were more than superficial gashes. Bradford will have a skin graft on Monday in New Zealand and then take it easy for a couple months which means canceling his trip to Chile and Argentina for the first two rounds of the Enduro World Series (EWS).
“I had my biggest adventure and win of the week on Day 1. It was quite a monumental point in my life where I could feel like I could walk again without too much pain,” Bradford said. “But it’s been a good time here in Queenstown. The weather has been amazing, and there has been a bunch of good racing. I came here with a bell on my bike, and I ended with a bell in my pocket so I could cheer everyone on.”
 |
| High above Queenstown on stage two. |
For those who missed out on this epic adventure, registration will open for the 2017 Yeti Trans NZ in mid-September. The field will be limited to 120 riders, so if you’ve been meaning to make the trip, stay tuned for future updates on Facebook and Instagram. Videos from Days 4 and 5 will be released next week, and photos will be made available directly from the photographers. Hashtag your photos #transnzenduro to make their way on to the live stream of the Trans NZ’s Media HQ. For more information email megan@ridingbc.com or subscribe to the newsletter at www.transnz.com.
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 races 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.
About Queenstown Mountain Bike Club
The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club formed in 2003, the main goal to develop the mountain biking trails and the biking community in Queenstown. Since 2003, the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club has been instrumental in the development of popular mountain bike areas such as the 7 Mile Bike Reserve, Rude Rock, Wynyard Bike Park, Gold Digger and Huck Yeah – the newest addition to the Queenstown Bike Park. The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club is purely run by mountain bike loving volunteers. 8 committee members and heaps of regular diggers are responsible for mountain biking in Queenstown being so rad.
 |
| Sarah Rawley negotiates the roots at the top of the final stage. |
Writers Note:
These recaps were brought to you by way of the real life experience of pedaling the entire 5-day race. It was a privilege to be out on the course with the rest of the competitors to authentically portray the ins and outs of each day, and then collaborate with the media team who kept the comedy hour alive when the rest of the village was fast asleep. I can’t thank these guys enough for hustling all week long to make covering the event an absolute hoot.
— Sarah Rawley (Keystone, USA), Open Women 4th overall
Check out all 82 images from Day 5 here.
DAY 5: OPEN MEN
1. Flynn George 19:58
2. Lindsay Klein 20:25
3. Carl Jones 20:34
DAY 5: OPEN WOMEN
1. Deborah Motsch 24:10
2. Agata Bulska 25:06
3. Katie Oneill 25:29
DAY 5: MASTER MEN 40+
1. Randal Huntington 21:15
2. Christian Wingate 23:01
3. Damian Walsh 24:08
Visit www.transnz.com for full Day 5 and overall results.
MENTIONS: @TransNZ / @yeticycles
Author Info:
Member since Mar 5, 2015
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I always wondered what happens to carbon wonder bikes once they fall out of favor with our latest and greatest digital world. I guess now I know. They go to NZ and keep on ripping. So if 26" is dead then NZ must be heaven.
Can't wait to ride with you!
Silly
Really? Must've slipped right by. I know it can be such a daunting task to write a couple sentences and post it up.