All downhill for Hamilton

Rotorua downhill mountainbiker Louis Hamilton has claimed the Under-19 men's division of the North Island Downhill Cup.

Hamilton was in dominating form when he competed at the sixth and final round of the Downhill Cup held at Eskdale Mountain Biking Park in Napier at the weekend.

The 17-year-old was joined on the podium by his Descend Rotorua team-mates Jake Robinson and Lawrence Cawte, filling the first three places in the Under-19 class for the North Island Series, with Matt Walker second in the Elite men, Dom Stulen winning the Hardtail section and Rotorua MTB Club riders Ihakara Pene and Jack Hale taking first and second in the Under-15 category.

After heavy midweek rain, the steep and winding track was still slippery for the start of practice day, but the fine Friday and Saturday ensured perfect conditions for racing.

Once again, local knowledge proved invaluable as George Brannigan edged fellow Hawke's Bay rider and former Junior World Champion Brook McDonald to win the Elite men's race, with Walker taking third.

Wellingtonian Sarah Atkin continued her dominance of the Elite Women, winning from Napier's Madeline Taylor.

Robinson continued his improvement in form,winning the Under-19 race from French visitor Guillaume Cauvin, with Hamilton settling for third. However, the Hamilton family did make it on to the top step for this race, with Dave Hamilton winning the Masters 2 category.

Ihakara Pene and Jack Hale took out the first 2 Under-15 positions.

This race also determined the final NZ Cup positions, with McDonald and Atkin being crowned Elite men and women winners. Louis Hamilton and Lawrence Cawte were rewarded for a consistent season, Hamilton winning the Junior class, and Bike Culture-sponsored Cawte taking third. These results were particularly satisfying, after Hamilton suffered a horror run of mechanicals and crashes last season, and Cawte in his first year of Under-19's this year adding to his third place in the National championship. Pene won the series first place in the Under-15's.

The Rotorua dominance was not confined to riders, with the Rotorua-developed Zerode bike an increasingly common sight throughout the series, ridden to good results by Cawte, and also by Zerode teammates Reuben Olorenshaw and Kieran Bennett, who was third in the Elite men's division for the NZ series.

All eyes now turn to the Oceania Championships for both Downhill and Cross-country to be held in Whakarewarewa Forest from 9-11 March.