MTB

Columb, Chapman claim downhill honours on testing Cardrona course

By Cycling New Zealand


Credit: www.siwilliams.co.nz

Queenstown's Alanna Columb successfully defended her downhill title, while Canterbury's Rupert Chapman climbed to the top of the podium for the first time at the Window Systems New Zealand Mountain Bike Championships at the Cardrona Bike Park near Wanaka.

Columb, 28, was untroubled to win the women's elite downhill honours down the spectacular and challenging course at Cardrona Bike Park to defend the title she won in Rotorua last year.

It continues her strong development among the gravity brigade after impressing on the international scene over the last 12 months. She finished 18th overall on the UCI World Cup circuit after racing in only three of the seven World Cup stops, to go with her impressive 11th placing in the world championships. Columb managed her first top-10 at the round in Windham, USA and was never outside the top 12.

"It's great to win the national title again. It was a really challenging course and one that definitely separated the field which I think is a good challenge for nationals," Columb said. "The rain over the weekend definitely made it more difficult for sure."

The Queenstown rider has only been in the sport for three years but is planning a full assault on the UCI World Cup circuit across Europe and North American this year, subject to finances.

"I don't have any backing but I need to do the whole circuit to see where I can go in the sport. I made some good improvement last year but need to race more.

"I'll just have to get by without any luxuries and gypsy my way around. Hopefully now I have won the national title twice it might attract some sponsors which would be brilliant."

She will now set herself for the double with the Oceania Championships this weekend on home turf at Queenstown.


Credit: www.siwilliams.co.nz

Chapman, 23, from Christchurch grabbed his first national elite title, after finishing fourth last year.
Rotorua's Matt Walker, who impressed at Crankworz last weekend, was the first under the 3m30s barrier which was lowered to by Oamaru's Sandri Connor.

Chapman, the third to last rider to go, blitzed down the mountain in 3:32.47 which could not be matched by GT Factory Team rider Ed Masters (New Plymouth) and top seed Reuben Olorenshaw (Nelson) who had to settle for the second and third respectively.

The young Canterbury rider had a career-best 15th in the UCI World Cup in France last year and finished 41st overall with five finishes and was 35th at the world championships in the highly competitive gravity scene.

He too will be looking ahead to the Oceania Championships and then set himself for the opening round of the UCI World Cup in Cairns, Australia.

Provisional downhill results:
Elite men: Rupert Chapman (Christchurch) 3:21.09, 1; Edward Masters (New Plymouth, GT Factory Team) 3:23.87, 2; Reuben OIorenshaw (Nelson) 3:25.07, 3; Connor Sandri (Oamaru) 3:27.20, 4; Louis Hamilton (Rotorua) 3:29.35, 5.
Elite women: Alanna Columb (Queenstown) 4:22.74, 1; Agata Bulska (Christchuch) 5:41.03, 2.
Under-19 men: Cole Lucas (Hamilton) 3:34.50, 1; Simon Read (Queenstown) 3:40.86, 2; Oscar Perks (Nelson) 3:47.71, 3; Ben Karalus (Nelson) 3:47.74, 4; Liam Bethel (Auckland) 3:51.03, 5.
Senior men: Ethan Burgen (Methven) 3:48.34, 1; James Hampden (Christchurch) 3:48.10, 2; Josh Reilly (Auckland) 3:48.58, 3.
Under 17 men: Sam Robbie (Queenstown) 3:45.43, 1; Josh Oxenham (Auckland) 3:56.67, 2; Charlie Makea (Napier) 3:56.85, 3.
Under-15: Finn Parsons (Rotorua) 3:59.96, 1; Blake Ross (Auckland) 4:05.10, 2; Finn Hawkesby-Browne (Christchurch) 4:22.70, 3.
Masters 30-39: Nathan Rankin (Levin) 3:38.77, 1; Michael Cowlin (Wanaka) 3:57.36, 2; Jacob Coles (Australia) 4:19.88, 3.
Masters 40: Ross Flexman (Auckland) 4:52.28, 1.
Masters 50 plus: Cameron McLeod (Queenstown) 9:14.75, 1; Jon Parsons (Rotorua) 9:36.27, 2.
 
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