Wed, Dec 8, 2021 5:46 PM

MTB trio claim podium positions

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Peter Jones

A trio of junior riders ensured the Marlborough Mountain Bike Club’s flag flew high at two South Island events last weekend.

Cam Clemett, Neve McKenzie and Maddy Sinclair claimed podium spots at separate events staged in mid-Canterbury and Nelson.

Cam raced in the Gravity Canterbury Downhill Series at Mt Hutt, near Methven. He produced a spectacular ride to take out the U19 boys category, his time the third best overall. A puncture in practice hampered Cam’s race day but an excellent seeding and race run meant he deservedly took top spot on the podium.

The result shows that he is on track with his preparations for racing in the World Cup Downhill Series in Europe in 2022.

Meanwhile, Neve and Maddy endured torrential downpours and thick mud on the tracks as they contested the Nelson Mountain Bike Club’s “Shred Like a Girl” Enduro.

The Nelson Club hosts the annual women-only Enduro once a year with the aiming of encouraging more women and girls to try Enduro racing.  With the option of a three-stage intermediate Enduro or five-stage advanced Enduro, the racing is as competitive as the men’s racing and always attracts a top field.

Neve again showed her all round talent by dominating the U15 girls advanced field.  She won by over 10 minutes and took the fastest time on all five stages. Her time on the stage five advanced track, Loam Ranger, was particularly impressive as it was raced in very slippery conditions.

Maddy competed in a very strong U19 field and her consistent times across all five stages resulted in an impressive second position.  Maddy’s race strategy of smooth and consistent riding with no crashes, paid off in the conditions and her time on the treacherous stage four, Te Ara Kopiko, saw her make significant time on podium rivals.

Unfortunately, weather and track conditions meant the downhill race scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to the risk of injury.

Fraser Brown, President of the Marlborough Mountain Bike Club said, “I know that Cam, Neve and Maddy have been working very hard on their racing and their successes at the weekend are well deserved.

“The Club is extremely proud of the achievements of our secondary school riders and results like this show why.”

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