But it may well be that consistency becomes a not-so-secret weapon for Dudson, the Rotorua rider having finished fourth and second thus far and now finding himself overall runner-up for the series and just five points adrift of Yeoman, with only the final race near Masterton on December 10 remaining to wrap up the competition.
Yeoman was naturally thrilled with his success on Saturday.
“I was in second position as we headed into the bush for the first time after the start,” he explained.
“The lead chopped and changed for the first two or three laps as either I or Callum (Dudson) made little mistakes. The course was pretty technical and full of deep ruts and bogs. It was very wet and slippery.
“Once I arrived in the pits after three laps (of the six), I managed to open up a small gap over Callum and then just concentrated on looking after my bike, taking no risks and avoiding it overheating in the mud.”
Best of the race-within-a-race for veteran 35-44 years’ riders was Ōtorohanga’s Trevor De Malmanche (32nd overall), while best of the veteran 45-54 years’ riders was Te Awamutu’s Mark Mandeno (19th overall) and Stratford’s Megan Collins was best of the females, finishing 35th overall.
In the 90-minute junior grade race held earlier in the day, Te Awamutu’s Nixon Parkes dominated, finishing roughly three minutes ahead of runner-up rider Sheldon Brown, of Eketāhuna, with Aucklander Millen Cargill completing the junior podium.
The best of the small bike (85cc two-stroke and 150cc four-stroke) riders was Raglan’s Ryley Shaw, who finished the junior race 14th overall, and best of the junior women was Rotorua’s Grace Fowler, who finished 25th overall.
In terms of overall series standings in the junior grade, Parkes and Brown share the lead, with Cargill sitting third and only seven points behind the leading pair.
2023 New Zealand Cross-Country Championships calendar:
Round one, Saturday, November 11, at Rotoma, near Matata;
Round two, Saturday, November 25, at Maddix Park, Tauranga;
Round three, Sunday, December 10, at Tinui, near Masterton.
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