Though on his own against the might of two-man teams of elite riders from around New Zealand, Masterton's Reuben Vermeer was coolness personified last Sunday.
The Yamaha ace headed into battle at the opening round of three in the annual Woodhill two-man cross-country series near Auckland armed only with raw talent and his trusted YZ450F bike and he emerged at the end of the day with the ironman trophy for top individual firmly in his grasp.
Vermeer finished an impressive sixth overall among the 100-plus two-rider entries, proving he and his bike were just as fast and reliable as any team over the race's three-hour duration.
Outright winners were the defending champions from last year, Kaukapakapa's Josh Jack and Muriwai's Luke Mobberley, although they were made to work hard to secure their first-round honours.
BikesportNZ.com-supported pair Jack and Mobberley found themselves behind the Yamaha pairing of Chris Power (Yamaha YZ250) and Mitchell Field (Yamaha YZ125) soon after the start of the three-hour race.
