NZ National Championships; Leuchs aims for Gold

French-based Dunedin cross country rider Kashi Leuchs achieved his first of three goals in Nelson on Sunday by winning the New Zealand National Mountain Biking cross country Championship title. Leuchs, who lists the National, Oceania and Commonwealth titles as his key goals before heading back to the World Cup circuit in April, got off to a flying a start and did not look back.

Meanwhile the scorching conditions, big crowds, high tension and fast times combined to make last weekend's National Downhill and Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships a spectacular weekend of mountain biking all round.

The Downhill National Championship on Saturday produced fast times on the 2.5 km course, with team mates Nathan Rankin and Glenn Haden taking first and second respectively with less than a second between them. Local rider Kieran Bennett (Nelson) was third.

The elite women's field was lacking former world champions Vanessa Quin and Scarlett Hagan but did see Auckland rider Jennifer Mackgill produce a fast time to take the women's title.