There were challenges for the gravity fraternity at their second round at the superb facility at Coronet Peak.
The scorching summer produced a dry and dusty track for practice, but significant overnight rain made for a wet and challenging surface today. After some hard work, the track was readied and provided a different test for the seeding and race runs on a soft surface.

Ireland’s Ronan Dunne was fastest in the elite men in 2:44.76 just ahead of star kiwi and top qualifier, Lachlan Stevens-McNab who was just 15/100ths if a second behind from Tuhoto-Ariki Pene.

“It was a sic weekend here at Coronet Peak – it was so fast and full-on,” said Dunne. “Happy all weekend and I put down a good run and happy to take the win. There’s no better spot to be than here in Queenstown.”

Rotorua professional Jenna Hastings, the former under-23 world champion, was leading elite in 3:13.02 ahead of under-23 world medallist Sacha Earnest, in her first elite race, with Canada’s Bailey Goldstone third.

“It went from dry and blown out to quite tacky and they worked on the track which saved and a lot of people I think,” said Hastings. “It was fun and I was happy. 

“The aim is to stay healthy this year which I haven’t had a good go at it for the last three years. Have fun and make myself proud and do my best which be great for 2025.”

Fastest in the finals was Under-19 winner Eliana Hulsebosch, the young Tauranga rider who turned heads in the World Cup this year, which has led to her being signed to crack professional team, Santa Cruz Syndicate.

Hulsebosch clocked 3:10.75 to win the Under-19 honours ahead of Bellah Birchall and Roisin McGuinness.
“It was a very good run and I got things quite smoothly especially on the new bike, getting it dialled in and able to push it. The track was a rough one with the holes.

“I am so hyped to be on the dream team – Santa Cruz Syndicate. It still seems so surreal, when I put on my jersey and look at my bike.”

In the under-19 men, Hawkes Bay rider Tyler Waite was fastest in 2:46.39 ahead of Rory Meek and last week’s winner Oli Clark – and was third quickest overall. 

“The course was so rough by the end of the day after being pretty moist in the morning. It was fast and I was happy with the win in my age group.”
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The final rounds will be staged this weekend at Te Miro near Cambridge for cross-country and Rivenrock near Masterton for downhill.

Clark, 18, produced a stunning ride down the drying track after weekend rain at the Signal Hill course, clocking 2:45.56 in the downhill final.

The Gravity Canterbury rider, who enjoyed two world cup top-10 finishes last season, finished just under four seconds clear of Hawkes Bay rising star Tyler Waite, who was the top qualifier.

“The run was good as the track had dried out a lot from the seeding run,” said under-19 winner Oli Clark. “I made a few mistakes at the top so I was pretty angry and rode fast at the bottom and happy with the result.”
Manawatu’s Jonty Williamson was third to complete a clean sweep by under-19 riders with Nelson’s Sam Gale the leading elite in fourth place, clocking 2:52.03 to finish ahead of Canterbury rider Seth Sylie and Rotorua pro Tuhoto-Ariki Pene.

“By the time we got to race it, the track was way better,” said Gale. “My run was good. I tried to keep it smooth and push but there were still places where he could catch you out so I played a bit safe and had a good clean run,”

Rotorua’s under-19 rider Bellah Birchall, who enjoyed some strong results in Europe last season, was the leading female in 3:53.74, just ahead of leading under-17 rider Kiera Vlaar from Wellington with Rotorua’s Usula Summers third.

The young female podium finished within three seconds in a closely fought battle.
Saturday’s cross-country proved a demanding challenge on wet and slippery conditions over an arduous seven-lap test on Signal Hill.

Professionals Anton Cooper and Ben Oliver slipped clear but duelled wheel-for-wheel throughout the 90-minute battle with the eight-time national champion edging Oliver in the sprint for the line.
“It was super-fast and muddy. To battle with Ben Oliver for seven laps was what I expected to happen,” said Cooper.

“To be honest it could have gone either way. Ben was possibly slightly stronger than me today. It was one of those courses – on the second half of the course there was not much you could do but recover so I made the pace up the climb quite fast.

“Riding a hard-tail was quite a challenge with a high post in the conditions – really strong in some sections but tough in others. Overall I am happy to start the year with a win and I have a lot of form to build on.”
Likewise Paris Olympian Sammie Maxwell was locked in a battle with Henderson throughout the elite women’s race over six laps.

Maxwell made a mistake and lost ground on Henderson but slowly worked her way back into the battle and dominated the second half of the six-lap race to win in 1:30.03 with the Australian four minutes behind and Cantabrian Mary Gray third.

“You are never sure of your form starting off,” said Maxwell. “I made a mistake on the third lap and got gaped by Rebecca Henderson. I closed it and kept going – so the cards were played pretty early on which was exciting for me. It is always incredible racing with Bec – she pushes me and I push her and it brings the best out of each other.”

The second round of the series will see downhill racing at Coronet Peak, Queenstown and cross-country in Taupo.

Results: Cross-country, Elite men: Anton Cooper (Christchurch) 1:31.35, 1; Ben Oliver (North Canterbury) at 1sec, 2; Sam Fox (Australia) at 7:03, 3.
Elite women: Sammie Maxwell (Rockrider Ford) 1:30.03, 1; Rebecca Henderson (Australia) at 4:08, 2; Mary Gray (Christchurch( at 12:32, 3.
Under-19: female: Millie Junge (Christchurch) 1:08.15, 1; Millie Donald (PNP) at 7:03, 2; Dulcie Copeland (Tauranga) at 9:59, 3.
Under-19 male: James Climo (Te Miro) 1:08.27, 1; Fletcher Adams (Hamilton) at 2:50, 2; Oscar Talbot (Christchurch) at 3:39, 3.
Downhill, overall male: Oli Clark (Kaikoura) 2:45.56, 1; Tyler Waite (Hawkes Bay) 2:49.29, 2; Jonty Williamson (Manawatu) 2:50.31, 3.
Female: Bellah Birchall (Rotorua) 3:53.74, 1; Kiera Vlaar (Wellington) 3:55.12, 2; Ursula Summers (Rotorua) 3:56.74, 3.

​Oceania Cycling Confederation President and UCI Management Committee Member Tony Mitchell said, "The UCI and Oceania Cycling Confederation are delighted to award the 2025 Oceania Mountain Bike Championships to Queenstown, New Zealand.
 
New Zealand has a strong history in mountain biking and have regularly hosted Oceania Mountain Bike Championships. I am excited to see the Championships return to New Zealand and for Queenstown to again host the best cyclists in our region.
 
"The Oceania Cycling Confederation has worked to continue to grow the Oceania Championships and the Executive are pleased to add the Cross-country Short Track category, providing further opportunities for riders to race for the coveted Oceania Champions jersey.
 
"The OCC extends its thanks to Cycling New Zealand, Mountain Bike New Zealand and Coronet Peak MTB Park for supporting the Championships."
 
Mountain Bike New Zealand president, Ryan Hunt said the organisation is delighted to see the event in New Zealand.
 
“It has been a priority for MTBNZ to bring the Oceania MTB Championships back to New Zealand after a number of years and provide Kiwi riders with the opportunity to again race a continental championship at home,” said Hunt.
 
“Thanks to Nigel and his team at Coronet Peak for coming on board to make this a reality. We are looking forward welcoming everyone in March 2025.”
 
The Coronet Peak MTB Park has been a popular stop for the New Zealand championships in recent years, with the hosts developing an excellent facility for both cross-country and downhill riders.
 
“Here at Coronet Peak, we are really pleased to have this opportunity,” said Nigel Kerr, the Ski Area Manager at Coronet Peak. “Delivering a great venue for the Oceania’s is a perfect development step for us and it’s good to have home advantage for all our local riders. 
 
“It also shows recognition that our facilities are some of the best in New Zealand.”
 
Friday 21 March will be dedicated to practice for cross-country and track walk for downhill, with XCO racing on Saturday along with DH practice and racing for both XCC and DH on Sunday.
 
Details of the other 2025 Oceania Championships will be announced in due course.

Australian Jack Moir prevailed in the elite men, finishing the five times stages in 35:31 to be 14 seconds clear of Lukasik, with series leader Rich Rude Jnr (USA) third and Murray fourth.
Murray had three third placings and two fourths on the five stages, but a recent break in training to recover from injuries may have left him short of horsepower at high altitude.

“It was the first time on this course and it started at just over 3000m. I am pretty knackered, It was a big day on the tools,” said Murray.

“It was crazy, rocky, and physical at the top in the high altitude and the next four stages were quite nice. They have done a really good job here.

“It was a matter of trying to survive and manage the heart-rate throughout the day. The alpine stuff was completely open and quite cool for a change. Just coming off the injury from Leogang I probably didn’t have the altitude fitness that I wanted to have today.

For 28-year-old Gaze from Cambridge, Paris will be his second Olympic Games. He was the sole New Zealander at Rio in 2016, while compatriot Anton Cooper competed in Tokyo in 2021. 

Gaze comes off an outstanding 2023 season, winning the UCI MTB World Championship titles in short track and marathon, and finished runner-up in the Olympic distance. He is also showing strong form this season in the UCI MTB XCO World Cup, currently leading in short track and fifth in the World Cup standings. 

“I am absolutely stoked to be named in the New Zealand team for Paris 2024 and I aim to give my absolute best over there,” said Gaze.  

“I am going there to win. My desire is to go there for the top step. It is a bold statement, but I dream big and really believe in it. 

“I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get my career back on track after mental illness and setbacks following a bad accident and injury to my head in South Africa in 2019. I realised I needed to find stability in my life which was critical for ‘on-bike Sam’ to make the ‘off-bike Sam’ happy.” said Gaze.

Gaze said the move to Andorra with his partner, guidance from his coach and performance team and good people around him have been the key, along with hard work and dedication. 

The second New Zealander set to represent New Zealand at Paris, Sammie Maxwell, 23, competed for the New Zealand Team in the 2018 Youth Olympics, going on to win her first elite national title in 2021 while still an under-23 rider. She repeated the victory at the same venue in 2022, before two further back-to-back titles at Coronet Peak.  

During this time Maxwell also graduated from university with a degree in biomedical sciences.  

The Taupo-born, Wellington-based rider moved onto the world scene in 2023, culminating with victory in the under-23 category at the UCI MTB World Championships in Glasgow, the first New Zealand female to claim the title. 

Maxwell enjoyed two U23 World Cup wins and two runners-up to finish third overall in the series in her first year (2023) on the world circuit. 

It led to being signed by the Decathlon Ford professional team for 2024 with her elevation to the elite ranks. She has competed in three of the six Elite World Cup races, currently sitting 33rd overall. 

Maxwell shared her delight at being named to the New Zealand Team.  

“It has been a dream of mine ever since 2018 when I went to the Youth Olympics to one day attend the 'real thing', so being given this opportunity is an honour and I am so excited,” said Maxwell. 

“It's true the past few weeks have been stressful and hectic, but I recognise that everyone involved in the process has a shared goal - to put my health and wellbeing first.  

“I didn't always agree with how everyone thought that should look, but I am grateful to have so many people around me caring for me and looking out for my health.”  

Maxwell has been conditionally selected to the New Zealand Team following a direct nomination to the NZOC from the Sports Tribunal. The selection conditions relate to ensuring Maxwell’s health and wellbeing needs are adequately supported at the Olympic Games.   

The NZOC appreciates this has been a complex process and acknowledges the care shown by all those involved as they worked to balance both performance and wellbeing outcomes.  

Meanwhile, NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol extended her congratulations to the athletes. 

“Well done to Sam and Sammie, we’re pleased to have both of these athletes named to the New Zealand Team for Paris 2024 and can’t wait to see the silver fern on the mountain bike course in Paris,” said Nicol.   

“We look forward to working with them to make sure they have the support they need to compete at their very best.”

Women’s and men’s mountain biking will take place at the Elancourt Hill course on the outskirts of Paris with the women’s race on the 28 July and men’s on 29 July.  

Specialized professional Charles Murray was sixth in the elite men, to move to third overall in the elite men’s rankings after four rounds. Defending champion Rich Rude Jnr (USA) claimed the win to extend his lead in the series after the demanding Combloux test with six stages over the 39.2km course which comprised2530m of descending and 1685m of climbing.
Murray started strongly to be third after three stages, before Australian Luke Meier-Smith and Frenchman Alex Rudeau pushed strongly on the second half of the course to claim the podium behind Rude.
Compatriot Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory) finished 18th to move to 12th overall on the standings, with Murray’s brother Craig 35th, Ed Masters 40th and fellow kiwi gravity star Brook MacDonald in 56th.
Murray said that temperatures blazing in France, it proved a massive test with limited water able to be carried and with considerable pressure on time allowances for transitions made for a tough day in the office.
“I was very happy with my day overall as I have had a couple of quieter weeks recovering from the injuries from Leogang,” said Murray.
Goldsbury was second fastest in the opening two stages before being fastest in stage three and again on stage four where she took the overall lead, pushing clear to win by nearly a minute from Simone Kuchynkova. The young kiwi sensation has closed to within 210 points of the Slovakian despite just two starts, with Nelson’s Xanthe Robb eighth overall after not finishing today.
The experienced Rae Morrison (Specialized) bagged another top-10 performance finishing in seventh in the elite women ahead of fellow kiwi riders George Swift in 15th and Louise Kelly 28th. Morrison is in seventh overall in the standings.
Best of the kiwis in the under-21 men was Rotorua’s Joe Millington (Yeti-Fox) who was 11th with Harry Kneebone (Tauranga) 17th and Matthew Fairbrother (Christchurch) 29th.
The MTB action remains in the Haute Savoie region for world cup rounds for cross-country and downhill next weekend in nearby Les Gets, with enduro facing round five of the World Series in Valais, Switzerland in two weeks.

The championships in the Whakarewarewa Forest carry special significance, with the famed Taniwha Trail to be used for the final time, as it is planned for logging next year. The downhill trail, spanning 1.8kms with a 309m decent, has a massive legacy and contribution to mountain biking in New Zealand.

The cross-country will be staged in the same area of Whakarewarewa Forest, around a 4.9km loop with 221m elevation gain.

 “The club are beyond stoked to be hosting the national championships for 2025,” said Clair Scott from the Rotorua MTB Club. “Bringing the national champs back to the North island has been a long-time goal for the Club and to finally see it come to life is nothing short of epic.

“It is especially significant as it is the last chance to ride the legendary Taniwha Trail before it is logged.
“The Whakarewarewa Forest holds a special place in the hearts of our local riders and the wider MTB community. We cannot wait to dive into this unforgettable event and showcase the epic trails in Rotorua and the talent we have right here.

“We are thrilled to provide this incredible opportunity for riders, especially with some recent world-class performances by riders from our club.”

Local Rotorua club riders have been in excellent form internationally with Eliana Hulsebosch winning her first World Cup downhill in Val de Sole and Lachie Stevens-McNab with the first elite men’s podium for many years at Leogang. Added to that are the efforts of club riders Tuhoto-Ariki Pene and Shania Rawson who are chasing top honours in Crankworx with several other club riders competing on the world stage.

“We would like to thank the landowners for the opportunity to host an event of this calibre and also acknowledge the support from Timberlands for adjusting their logging schedule around this event, allowing us to use the Taniwha National DH Trail one last time,” said Scott.

Cycling New Zealand Event Director, Chris Christensen said the organisation is delighted that the Rotorua MTB Club has agreed to host the championships, and is confident of attracting significant entries.

“The North Island Schools MTB event at the Whakarewarewa Forest last year attracted over 550 event entries and this year there were more than 700 school riders competing at the same venue,” Christensen said.

“With the added special circumstance around the Taniwha Track, we are confident of strong entries for the championships.”

Learn more at www.cyclingnewzealand.nz