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New Zealand National DH series #6 - E2
Auckland, New Zealand, February 19, 2005
Leov and Hagen emerge on top
The sixth and final Round of the Downhill National Series was held south east of Auckland in the Hunua Forest on Saturday 19 February. The DH course was a different one to the one used for the 2003 series final and was designed to be Auckland's premiere DH venue. It is located on the old 'Freaky-Styley' track on the opposite side of the valley in the Hunua Forest. The Hunua Range is the largest block of forest to be found on the mainland of the Auckland region.
The track weaves through mostly regenerated native forest and it proved to be the most challenging course to date for all riders. It was extremely narrow in places - some parts there was only just enough room for the handle bars to get through the trees. It was local advantage that gave the sixth round to Cheyne Beaver with Des Curry in second and Tom Holland of Rotorua in third.
Overall placings
The Pro-Elite Men and Women's category both saw new series winners this year - Justin Leov of Blenheim and Scarlett Hagen of Queenstown. For Justin this has been one of his major goals ever since he was invited to compete at the Pro-Elite level in 2003. He came third overall in his first year and then in 2004 he climbed into second position. Nathan Rankin of Levin, who won the series over four years consecutive years knew that this year he would have his toughest battle and went head-to-head with the 20 year old but unfortunately he broke his wrist in the Dunedin round. He didn't give up easily and was still ranked third overall before the finals in Auckland. Despite the cast on his wrist Nathan rode at the finals giving him second position overall. An incredible feat. Third overall went to Des Curry of Rotorua who had a great series improving on sixth overall position last year.
17 year old Scarlett Hagen, the current Junior World Champion, had a great series and has secured for the first time the NZ Community Trust National DH Mountain Bike Series title in Pro-Elite. Her only real threat came from Vanessa Quin, the World Champion. Quin did not compete in all rounds however, but when she did Hagen managed to out-match her 5-1. With the NZ Champs next weekend it will be interesting to see who can pull it off.
This sixth and final round of the series was also a UCI race - meaning valuable prize money and international points were up for grabs. Prize money was awarded to first ten men and first 4 women in Pro-Elite category.
The NZ Downhill National Champs will be held in Rotorua - Saturday 26 February - on the same course as the World Champs that will be here next year.
Results
Hardtail Men 1 Reuben Miller (Nelson) 4.03.36 2 James Pollard (Otago) 4.04.64 3 Joesph Henry (Hastings) 4.18.47 4 Peter Futterup (Auckland) 4.19.66 5 Matthew Harris (Auckland) 4.20.76 6 Kevin Warner (Hamilton) 4.43.63 7 Travis Henry (Hastings) 4.45.03 8 Brice Richmond (Auckland) 4.50.62 9 Andrew Ham (Auckland) 4.54.34 10 Paul Lyons (Rotorua) 5.01.73 11 Cameron Harris (Auckland) 5.10.58 12 Nicholas Hanover (Auckland) 6.12.30 13 Zac Youngson (Auckland) 6.34.12 Master 30+ Women 1 Trish Wrigley (Auckland) 4.45.22 Senior Women 1 Amy Laird (Christchurch) 4.26.01 2 Keli Finch (Nelson) 5.26.03 Junior U17 Women 1 Kathrine O Neill (Auckland) 5.52.38 Master 40+ Men 1 Hugh Blackburn (Rotorua) 4.24.17 2 Dave Ferguson (Hamilton) 4.35.15 3 Chris Soames (Tirau) 4.41.75 4 Sergio Prieto (Auckland) 5.03.29 5 Michel Berthomier (Noumea) 5.07.13 6 John Heskett (Hamilton) 5.27.34 Master 30+ Men 1 Christian Meuil (Queenstown) 3.46.51 2 Darryl Hindman (Auckland) 3.49.12 3 Aaron Fernandez (Auckland) 3.52.72 4 Les Chapman (Auckland) 3.55.04 5 Brendon Dally (Turangi) 4.00.83 6 Dale Cragg (Auckland) 4.01.73 7 Callum Smith (Auckland) 4.01.82 8 Suart Fisher (Wellington) 4.10.22 9 Luke Simmons (Wellington) 4.13.45 10 Liam O Keeffe (Wellington) 4.14.30 11 Michael Carden (Auckland) 4.18.03 12 Greg Larsen (Taupo) 4.22.90 13 Steve Amrein (Taupo) 4.29.78 14 Mark Horrocks (Auckland) 4.43.90 15 Craig Atterton (Nga Rua Wahia) 4.44.42 Senior Men 1 Hayden Lee (Tauranga) 3.30.39 2 Jarrad Winter (Nelson) 3.35.67 3 Sean Kennedy (Christchurch) 3.41.74 4 Paul Smail (Scotland) 3.42.23 5 Mike King (Rotorua) 3.42.99 6 Allen Joesph (0) 3.45.33 7 Sol Reid (Te Puke) 3.51.45 8 Manuel Berthonier (Noumea) 3.52.85 9 Gerald Mullen (Rotorua) 3.56.31 10 Phillip Marfell (New Plymouth) 3.56.39 11 Steven O'Conner (Auckland) 4.00.59 12 Hadley Mackay (Edendale) 4.02.51 13 James Fagan (Dunedin) 4.04.11 14 Daniel Aitken (Wanaka) 4.04.15 15 Michael Chapman (Auckland) 4.14.72 16 Gareth Bretherton (Dunedin) 4.15.95 17 Paul Norris (Auckland) 4.16.04 18 Tim Warner (Hamilton) 4.17.53 19 Jared McGregor (Auckland) 4.18.44 20 David Meijer (Auckland) 4.18.62 21 Jonathon Church (Selwyn) 4.23.68 22 Jeff Craig (Auckland) 4.36.69 23 Bradley Scott (Auckland) 4.38.35 24 Luke McCarthy (Napier) 4.38.66 25 Kevin Vernon (Welington) 4.45.22 Junior U17 Men 1 Ashley Potts (Hamilton) 3.45.78 2 David Scandrett (Christchurch) 3.49.06 3 Edward Masters (New Plymouth) 3.49.69 4 Scott Bedford (Taranaki) 3.50.24 5 Joel Daniels (Wanganui) 3.51.39 6 Kieran McLoughlin (Gisborne) 3.52.87 7 Christopher Old (Palmerston North) 3.54.26 8 Tom Sligh (Christchurch) 3.55.15 9 Antony Jackson (Dunedin) 3.58.59 10 Nathan Vella (Auckland) 4.03.12 11 Julian Tollestrup (Auckland) 4.06.75 12 Michael Langford (Porirua) 4.09.79 13 Ian Thurlow (Wanganui) 4.14.01 14 Jordan Marshall (Auckland) 4.20.28 15 Jonathan Hall (Rotorua) 4.26.17 16 D Arcy Sabourin (Auckland) 4.31.78 17 Dean Cooper (Auckland) 4.33.94 18 Ash Hough (Papamoa) 4.41.67 19 Dauiel Brown (Auckland) 4.50.92 20 Kent Yeats (Auckland) 5.13.09 21 Vaughan Woolhouse (Napier) 5.40.91 Junior Men 1 Kieran Bennett (Nelson) 3.29.23 2 Cameron Cole (Hamilton) 3.32.02 3 Mike Skinner (Auckland) 3.39.21 4 Samuel Blenkinsop (Wanganui) 3.43.69 5 Caleb Warrender (Wellington) 3.57.44 6 James Rennie (Palmerston North) 4.11.97 7 Gerald de Vires (Rotorua) 4.13.09 8 Mike Davis () 4.13.35 9 Luke Hindmarsh (Tauranga) 4.16.79 10 Chris Vanderkolk (Palmerston North) 4.17.50 11 Zac Williams (Dunedin) 4.20.62 12 Greg Costley (Nelson) 4.23.98 13 Malcolm Cleland (Palmerston North) 4.31.40 Elite Women 1 Scarlett Hagen (Queenstown) 3.54.14 2 Vanessa Quin (Tauranga) 3.58.86 3 Jenna Makgill (Auckland) 4.00.15 4 Gabrielle Molloy (Rotorua) 5.45.97 Elite Men 1 Cheyne Beaver (Hamilton) 3.25.65 2 Des Curry (Rotorua) 3.26.93 3 Tom Holland (Rotorua) 3.27.59 4 Justin Leov (Blenheim) 3.28.07 5 Byron Scott (Auckland) 3.28.96 6 Nathan Rankin (Levin) 3.29.65 7 Wyn Masters (New Plymouth) 3.30.49 8 Glenn Haden (Wanganui) 3.32.02 9 Reon Boe (Levin) 3.32.52 10 Scott Sheldon (Christchurch) 3.36.17 11 Paul Angus (Christchurch) 3.38.96 12 James Dodds (rotorua) 3.40.49 13 Blair Christmas (Christchurch) 3.42.06 14 Daryl Webb (0) 3.43.65 15 Mathew Hyland (Wanganui) 3.44.53 16 Scott Geater (Rotorua) 3.44.82 17 Christopher Davis (Queenstown) 4.34.69
Final overall standings
Elite Men 1 Justin Leov (Blenheim) 2 Nathan Rankin (Levin) 3 Des Curry (Rotorua) Elite Women 1 Scarlett Hagen (Queenstown)
