Anton Cooper and Samara Sheppard won the elite men's and women's cross-country titles in Rotorua.
Anton Cooper and Samara Sheppard have once again proven they are the dominant forces of cross-country mountain biking in New Zealand.
The Commonwealth Games teammates claimed their respective elite titles in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest on Saturday, the third straight national championship wins for both.
For Cooper, of Christchurch, it was a fifth national title, but it did not come easy with National Mountain Bike Performance Hub rider and fellow Cantabrian Ben Oliver hot on his heels throughout.
The pair rode together until midway through the third lap of five, when Cooper pushed clear on the main climb to open a 15-second lead. Oliver dug deep over the final two laps to keep within reach, finishing runner-up only 20 seconds in arrears.
Cooper said winning the national title and the right to wear the national champion's jersey during his 2019 international campaign was "special".
"I really had to work hard for this one and I think that actually makes it more satisfying when you cross the line first. Ben was riding very well and I was feeling it out there, so I'm happy to pull it off, get the maximum points and get the jersey."
Anton Cooper leads Ben Oliver during the New Zealand Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championship. Photo / Cameron McKenzie Photography
"The course was hard. In practice it was a lot easier. There was a lot of flat sections where you had to keep on the gas. There was one main climb which was definitely my strength out there. I tried to maximise my advantage there and tried to drill it because Ben was faster on the flatter stuff. It was a relief to get the job done."
In the women's race, many were expecting a titanic tussle between the defending champion Sheppard and Manawatu's Josie Wilcox, one of the fastest rising stars in the sport.
Unfortunately for Wilcox, it was not to be. She took a tumble on the first lap and was forced to retire from the race with a concussion. Sheppard dominated from that point to win by four minutes from Wellington's multi-talented Kate McIlroy.
"It's really special," Sheppard said.
"I knew I was riding well coming into this race and I thought I was in good form to do well, but it's a technical track out there and anything can happen. You can't underestimate the other girls, so I'm really happy - it's a bit of a relief really."
Wellington's Samara Sheppard on her way to a third consecutive national cross-country title. Photo / Cameron McKenzie Photography
She said the course was "really fun" and she enjoyed being back in Rotorua where she lived three years ago.
"It was great, I saw a few friends out there cheering me on who I haven't seen in a while so that was really special too."
Sheppard will now build towards the defence of her Oceania crown and her main goal is to earn selection for the world championships.
"I would love to be at the worlds in Mont Sainte Anne and part of the New Zealand team to race the world championships. It is the last chance for Olympic selection so a performance there would mean a lot."
Rotorua's Sam Shaw took third in the men's race, recovering well after a puncture on the first lap to finish six-and-half minutes behind Oliver.
"I found that really good, it's hard to get the body feeling good on race day and I was feeling really good. I was just a bit unfortunate with a couple of mechanical throughout the race.
"I sent it a bit too hard into the creek gap [on lap one] and burst all the air out of my rear tyre, so i lost about 15 positions. I fought back to third but I was planning on being a little bit closer to the boys at the end of the race."
