Canada represented on the podium at the debut Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race in New Zealand
In the Open Male division of the race, Canadian riders, competing in Kona Factory Team colours, turned in strong, podium-earning performances.
After riding 569 km through the Southern Alps of New Zealand, a route involving 15,000 metres of tough climbs and breakneck descents across some of the most stunning, picturesque landscape in the country, some of the world’s top MTB riders at the inaugural Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race reached the conclusion of seven days of competition on Feb. 6.
In the Open Male division of the race, Canadian riders, competing in Kona Factory Team colours, turned in strong, podium-earning performances.
Stage seven, the final phase of competition, covered 62 km from Snow Farm to Queenstown, New Zealand. Crossing the finish with a time of 3:09:28, the duo of Canada’s Cory Wallace and Spencer Paxson of the United States, riding for Kona, denied the Team Danton pairing of Anton Cooper (New Zealand) and Dan McConnell (Australia) the win on the last day. In third place, Kona—and Canada—were also represented, when Barry Wicks of the United States and Canuck Kris Sneddon earned a solid third spot on the podium with a time of 3:29:01.
Final general classification rankings for the race, nonetheless, secured the title for Team Danton, with Cooper and McConnell clocking a top-ranked 26:50:53. The Kona duo of Wallace and Paxson took second in GC with 27:43:57, while counterparts Wicks and Sneddon took third with 28:07:05.
Cooper, his eyes on Rio 2016, was full of praise for the Kona riders at the end of a tough week of riding.
“That is just such a great week and great riding,” he said. “I must admit that after three or four days we were feeling it and wondering if we might be here at the end of the week, but we kept on riding through each day. The Kona boys were great competition, a real coup for the event to have them here and they raced strongly all week.
“This is a great way to lay down a base of miles with World Cup races to come and, of course, Rio later in the year,” Cooper added. “But The Pioneer has proven this week to be a great event in its own right, a really tough but stunning ride through incredible countryside. It has been a huge challenge and we loved every moment.”
Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race
Stage Seven, Snow Farm to Queenstown, 62km
Open Male
1 KONA FACTORY TEAM A Cory Wallace CAN & Spencer Paxson USA, 3:09:28
2 DANTON Anton Cooper NZL & Dan McConnell AUS, 3:10:40
3 KONA FACTORYTEAM B Barry Wicks USA & Kris Sneddon CAN, 3:29:01
Open Female
1 TORPEDO7 Erin Greene NZL & Kath Kelly NZL, 4:39:01
2 REBEL FOOD Megan Dimozantos NZL & Lisa Bates NZL, 04:39:44
Open Mixed
1 NEW WORLD Mark Williams NZL & Kate Fluker NZL, 3:36:49
2 GOOZIE Susie Wood NZL & Gary Milbanke NZL, 4:00:41
3 PREMIUM AWESOME Matt Sherwood NZL & Nina McVicar NZL, 4:13:40
Female Masters 40+
1 FUSE CREATIVE Leigh Cockerill NZL & Sue Clark NZL, 4:40:57
Male Masters 40+
1 IRIDE Andrew Young NZL & Yuri Hauswald USA, 3:41:01
2 FATTY & SKINNY Barryn Westfield NZL & Trevor Woodward NZL, 3:44:54
3 BCB BUILDERS Blair Coupe NZL & Brian Weedon NZL, 3:47:20
Male Masters 50+
1 MASTERS OF MUD PLUGGING MAYHEM Steve Gurney NZL & Simon Callaghan NZL, 3:45:50
2 GREG AND ROB Rob Garden NZL & Greg Barbour AUS, 4:08:20
3 JUST CHECKING THE BOUNDARIES. Cam McLeay NZL & Gil Peters NZL, 4:19:19
Final General Classification
Open Male
1 DANTON Anton Cooper NZL & Dan McConnell AUS, 26:50:53
2 KONA FACTORY TEAM A Cory Wallace CAN & Spencer Paxson USA, 27:43:57
3 KONA FACTORYTEAM B Barry Wicks USA & Kris Sneddon CAN, 28:07:05
Open Female
1 TORPEDO7 Erin Greene NZL & Kath Kelly NZL, 35:28:07
2 REBEL FOOD Megan Dimozantos (NZL) & Lisa Bates NZL, 42:04:47
Open Mixed
1 NEW WORLD Mark Williams NZL & Kate Fluker NZL, 29:59:53
2 GOOZIE Susie Wood NZL & Gary Milbanke NZL, 33:28:07
3 NZMTBR MAGAZINE Margaret Leyland NZL & Justin Price NZL 36:02:49
Female Masters 40+
1 FUSE CREATIVE Leigh Cockerill NZL & Sue Clark NZL, 39:03:55
Male Masters 40+
1 LEAVE PASS 2 Minter Barnard AUS & Ian Chitterer AUS, 30:44:10
2 IRIDE Andrew Young NZL & Yuri Hauswald USA, 30:57:25
3 GM SPECIALIZED Mike Israel AUS & Garry James AUS, 32:13:22
Male Masters 50+
1 MASTERS OF MUD PLUGGING MAYHEM Steve Gurney NZL & Simon Callaghan NZL, 31:40:22
2 GREG AND ROB Rob Garden NZL & Greg Barbour AUS, 35:32:06
3 JUST CHECKING THE BOUNDARIES. Cam McLeay NZL & Gil Peters NZL, 38:49:46
