​Canterbury’s  Anton Cooper bagged his ninth elite cross-country title with an emphatic performance at the Torpedo7 MTB National Championships in Queenstown.

The 29-year-old Trek Factory professional was in a class of his own, opening a 22 second gap on the opening lap of six at Coronet Peak, going on to win by a minute after buttoning off over the final lap.
Meanwhile Under-23 World champion Sammie Maxwell from Taupo claimed her fourth straight elite women’s crown in equally dominant fashion, winning by nearly five minutes in a display of power and precision.

Van Leuven will compete against fellow kiwis Poppy Lane and Sacha Earnest, who joined her on the world championship podium in Glasgow last year.

It is the second straight year that the championships have ventured south, with the Queenstown MTB Club providing support for the Coronet Peak organisation and the Cycling New Zealand events team.