Mountainbiking: Big NZ team for world champs

New Zealand officials are confident two former world downhill champions will overcome their latest injury setbacks in time for the world mountainbike championships in Rotorua next month.

Vanessa Quin and Scarlett O'Hara were today named among a 72-strong New Zealand team for the championships on August 22-27 despite the lingering affects of their latest crashes.

Both are recuperating from race falls, with Quin, the 2004 world champion, coming to terms with having a plate and six screws inserted in her right forearm and wrist in May.

Hagen, the 2004 junior world champion, has had a series of falls, the latest of which injured her arm and shoulder.

BikeNZ high performance director Michael Flynn said officials were relaxed about naming the pair for the world event despite their injuries.

"Both are relatively old injuries and it's just par for the course in this sport," Flynn told NZPA this morning.

" If you don't crash at some point you are not going fast enough.

"In the final field at Rotorua next month there won't be one rider left who has not broken a bone, torn a tendon or suffered some other injury."

The New Zealand selectors have 24 downhill bikers, 40 cross country bikers, six four cross specialist riders and two trials competitors for the championships.

Most members of the elite downhill and cross country teams have been training in either Europe or North America in preparation for the world championships, with a number of encouraging results being achieved.

Kashi Leuchs is New Zealand's highest world-ranked mountainbiker at No 9, with Commonwealth Games cross country silver medallist Rosara Joseph ranked at No 11.

This country's downhill bikers are not ranked as high as their cross country teammates, although that is a reflection of a lack of international competition in key ranking events rather than poor form.

Justin Leov is ranked at No 17 and Nathan Rankin No 27.

One of New Zealand's best medal prospects in Rotorua is junior downhiller Sam Blenkinsop, 18.

Blenkinsop is at No 29 in the men's overall world rankings, but first in the junior men's category, which is what he will be competing in.

Blenkinsop was eighth at the 2005 junior men's downhill world championship race in Italy.

- NZPA