Paul Whibley back on pedestal

Pahiatua's Paul Whibley gave his new bike just the indoctrination it deserved when he raced away to victory in round three of New Zealand's Grand National Cross-Country Series at Maddix Park in Tauranga last weekend.

The Yamaha ace, fresh from another successful season of racing in the US - when he again won the OMA series and finished runner-up in the US GNCC series - was simply too good for the cream of Kiwi talent at the meet.

He took his Sargent Yamaha YZ450F to the front early in the race and never looked back, one of only four riders to complete eight laps in the two-and-a-half-hour race.

"I had just received my new YZ450 with enough time to set it up, have a quick ride then head north to the latest round of the NZ GNCC series," said Whibley.

"The forecast was good but rain overnight turned the track to a mix of super slick clay and soft dirt."

Whibley started on the second row about 30 seconds behind the leaders but charged his way forward and had taken the lead just before a lap was completed.

The track deteriorated fast in several sections and, by the second lap, bottlenecks and some deep ruts were providing plenty to keep riders' minds on the job.

Whibley was able to continue to extend his lead but track conditions meant it could disappear at any time with a slip-up on the slick clay or by getting wedged in a rut.

An early pit stop was needed with the thick, heavy dirt causing him to use more fuel than normal.

A little enduro-X section near the pits also kept the spectators and pit crew entertained, with many riders coming undone on the slippery logs.

Auckland's Chris Power had been running in second place when his bike stopped in a deep rut, boiling all the coolant out of his radiator.

At the finish Auckland's Michael Skinner, Whangamata's Jason Davis, Tauranga's Reece Burgess and Whakatane's Peter Smit rounded out the top five behind Whibley.