With everything online for the 2010 NZ MTB Champs at Wellington it was always going a stressful weekend. However after building Matt Walkers new 4X bike(transition bank) in an underground car park 10mins before the Dual started everything went pretty smoothly after that.
With one of 2 Dual tracks running a lot faster than the other most races were going to be decided on time. Matt made easy work of the earlier rounds and had no real competition until he meet Wyn Master in the final. Wyn took the first race and Matt took the second so the result was going to be on time. Not 100% sure how close it was but Wyn went home with the title and Matt with a medal.
4X was a different story, close racing, crashes and good crowd made it and enjoyable event for everyone. Matt quickly made his way to the final where he was up against Mavis and rising star Daniel Franks (sorry can’t remember the 4th rider). Both Matt and Dan were elbow to elbow in the first corner but Matt slipped through on the first straight and went on to win the title of NZ 4x Champ for 2010. This also qualifies Matt for the world champs in Canada later this year. This was a great event and I only wished we had more quality 4X tracks throughout the country.
So it was on to Long Gully for the DH. Practice day was pretty relaxed, with everybody’s Transition TR450’s running mint I was left to walk up the hill and watch the boys rip down. However come race day it was a different story, the Wellington winds had picked up and made it not only impossible for us to put up the team gazebos but also very tough for the riders to keep online.
With the U15 first off it was always going to be close race between Revolution Products riders Josh McCombie and Connor Hamilton, not 100% sure on the details but Josh took the title but must have crash on the last jump and ending up in Wellington hospital with a broken leg. Best wishes to Josh and I hope he has a speedy recovery.
Louis Hamilton has had a string of 2nd places this year and was looking to go one better. He thrashed down the course and come down a few seconds up everybody else. Louis is now the U17 NZ MTB champ. I’m pretty sure this will not be his last title.
Local boy Dan Meilink ripped the senior men’s field apart with a time that would have put him in 5th place in Pro men. Well done Dan!
Matt Walker is continuing to push the “full time” riders in the Pro Men’s field with a 5th place finish with some big named riders all behind him.
All in all a great performance from the Revolution Products team with all the riders on the podium:
Here’s a rundown on the teams efforts:
4X/Dual
Matt Walker 2nd Dual
Matt Walker 1st 4X
DH:
Josh McCombie 1st U15
Connor Hamilton 2nd U15
Louis Hamilton 1st U17
Dan Meilink 1st Senior Men
Matt Walker 5th Pro Men