Single Speed rider Phillip Byron (7th in single speed) gets his photo taken by Australian Under 15 XC Champion Zoe Binder.(Image credit: Russell Baker)
New Zealand women's champion Anja McDonald racing in Queenstown(Image credit: Derek Morrison / Adventure Media Group/)
A week after the 2010 New Zealand Singlespeed Championships, a host and venue were announced for 2011. The seaside town of Napier and the Hawke's Bay Mountain Bike Club will host the New Zealand Singlespeed Championships.
Napier, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, is world-renowned for its art deco architecture, Pacific Ocean coastline and high sunshine hours. Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's "fruit bowls" and leading wine growing regions.
"This is well up on the previous highest number of countries at a Singlespeed Worlds, which was 17 in Berlin in 2004," says Sullivan. The limit on New Zealand entries was reached on March 21, less than three months after they opened at midnight on New Year's Eve. However, because of the big on-going demand, 50 more entries for Kiwi riders are currently up for grabs.
The South Island tourist mecca of Queenstown hosted this year's New Zealand Singlespeed Championships on April 24, with over two thousand dollars raised for trail development. "John McCartney from the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club was the second Rotorua Singlespeed Society rider in Durango, last year," adds Sullivan. "So it's great both Queenstown and the Hawke's Bay Mountain Bike Clubs will host the New Zealand Singlespeed Champs in consecutive years."
McCartney performed as 'Freddy Mercury' from Queen, in the American Idol/Karaoke first round decider in Colorado, with Hungary and Canada eliminated at this stage. Then, New Zealand defeated Italy in a tight game of basketball and Butterworth and McCartney brought the Singlespeed Worlds home to New Zealand.
The Rotorua Singlespeed Society contributed a thousand dollars to each of their travel costs. "Both John and Vicki are hard-working members of their own mountain bike clubs so it was great to help them get to Durango," says Graeme Simpson, from the 2010 Singlespeed Worlds team. "It may say 'Rotorua' on the society masthead, but being a member of the RSSS is more about a state of mind than geography."
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
