Waghorn wins first eliminator championship in New Zealand
Cooper charges to second ahead of Oliver
The New Zealand Mountain Bike Championships finished today with the downhill and cross country eliminator events contested on the slopes of Fringed Hill in the Brook Valley, Nelson. The hot, windy weather continued and the sunshine heralded new national champions in two very tough cycling disciplines - one new and one well established.
The cross country eliminator drew 16 competitors for its first showing on the national circuit. A mix of junior U17, U19 and elite athletes took the challenge during a midday break in the downhill schedule. Raced on a short 500m long course around and through the event village, the knock-out style competition, where four-man heats delivered first and second placed riders through to the next round (while third and fourth were eliminated) had a huge crowd lining the course and urging riders through their heats.
The crucial part of each lap proved to be the short gravel track climb, and in the early heats the only clear favourite seemed to be Anton Cooper with his explosive power off the start line. The final four riders were Cooper, Mathew Waghorn, Craig Oliver and Harley Going.
Off the line, it was an elbow to elbow wrestle between Waghorn and Cooper going into the short climb, with Waghorn able to leverage just enough advantage to turn through the top of the course in the front. Despite a massive sprint from Cooper, Waghorn won the inaugural cross country eliminator national championship title by half a wheel. Oliver kept his nerve from a charging Harley Going to win the bronze medal.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team |
---|---|
1 | Mathew Waghorn |
2 | Anton Cooper |
3 | Craig Oliver |
4 | Harley Going |
5 | Adrian Retief |
6 | Ben Oliver |
7 | Tom Filmer |
8 | Peter Crampton |
9 | Tom Bradshaw |
10 | Darry Stevens |
11 | Logan Horn |
12 | Rupert Chapman |
13 | Mitchell Campbell |
14 | Bradley Jones |
15 | Nick Miller |
16 | Thomas Mathews |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
2025 Tour of the Alps includes 14,700m of climbing in just 739km and five days of racing
Route revealed in front of Christian Prudhomme and UCI President David Lappartient -
The 2025 UCI calendar could have a major gap as two February races are in doubt
Tour Colombia facing budget hurdles, could face cancellation, adding to potential absence of Volta a Valenciana -
Maxim Van Gils' contract battle with Lotto Dstny pushes pro cycling towards a football-style transfer market system
'Soon, a contract will no longer mean anything' team managers tells RTBF -
American Criterium Cup juggles eight-race US calendar for fourth edition in 2025
Racing begins June 6 at Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, with remaining schedule zig-zagging across central US