Mountainbiking: Off into the wild blue yonder

A rider practices on the course in Rotorua yesterday. Picture / Getty Images

Switzerland took the honours on the first day of the mountain biking world championships in Rotorua yesterday, comfortably winning the teams relay.

New Zealand were 10th in the 14-strong field, more than six minutes behind the classy Swiss foursome, who completed the 12.8km relay in 1h 27m 20s.

Victory was set up by the fastest 3.2km leg of the day from Switzerland's first rider Florian Vogel, who put his team nearly a minute clear with his 19m 36s blitz.

Martin Fanger, Petra Henzi and Nino Schurter carried them home 50s ahead of Italy, who stormed from sixth to second with a slick final leg from Jader Zoli.

Poland were a close third.

Conditions on the challenging course were made slippery by showers and hail that soaked the first leg riders.

New Zealand No 1 Kashi Leuchs, with a time of 21m 35s, had his team ninth after the first leg. That was improved to seventh by second rider Clinton Avery (22m 25s).

Every team had a woman complete one leg and New Zealand's Rosara Joseph clocked 26m 01s to drop them to 10th, a position maintained by Carl Jones' 23m 23s.

The championships continue today with the under-19 and under-23 women's cross country.

New Zealand will be represented by six under-23 riders.

- NZPA