Townley Aims for a Hat-Trick of Wins 29 Jun 2015
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
- Trubridge Triumphs With Unassisted Freedive Record Sport
- New Zealand 2011 Business Club launched Business
- 300 feet down: two bare feet and one breath of air Living
- Wyatt claims title Sport
Townley Aims for a Hat-Trick of Wins
JUNE 29, 2015: Winning the Honda Tarawera 100 is a huge honour indeed and Bay of Plenty's Ben Townley is determined to rule again at this iconic annual event near Kawerau this weekend.
Former world and national motocross champion Townley celebrated a winning debut at the Honda Tarawera 100 cross-country marathon in 2013 and he sensationally made it two outright wins in a row last season, but now he wants to celebrate a hat-trick.
The Tauranga 30-year-old may be easing into the twilight years of his racing life after wrapping up his international career in March 2013, but he showed his race craft was still as sharp as ever when he took his Honda CRF450 to again win the great race last July.
Townley heads again to the hilly, farmland venue, on the outskirts of Te Teko, west of Whakatane, for the 38th annual running on Saturday in a confident mood, although the former motocross world champion can take nothing for granted, with his victory last year an extremely tight affair that could so easily have eluded him.
Townley snatched the holeshot as a shotgun blast signalled the 10am start to this event in 2014 and he was never headed in the gruelling 140-kilometre race (the distance that gives the Tarawera 100, a 100-mile marathon, its name).
He finished ahead of fellow motocross exponents Brad Groombridge, of Taupo, and Rhys Carter, of Mount Maunganui, with Auckland's Sam Greenslade and Waitakere's Ethan Martens rounding out the top five.
"I kept an eye on where the riders were behind me and just stayed steady and kept them there for the first lap because I didn't want to push too hard when I was leading on a fresh track. I just had to be patient," said Townley.
"But then I put the hammer down on laps two and three and then just tried to survive after that.
"To be honest, though, I couldn't have held Brad at bay for another lap. I didn’t realise he was coming so fast.
"I thought I always had the race under control and just did what I needed to do.
"I'm a lot fitter this year and now have calluses on my palms too, so my hands are a lot tougher.
"Brad (Groombridge) will be tough to beat again and I know he fancies his chances after he got a sniff of the win last year, but I will probably also have to be concerned about (national cross-country experts) Paul Whibley and Adrian Smith."
Pahiatua's Whibley and Mokau's Smith battled throughout the New Zealand Cross-country Championships that wrapped up in May and finished the series 1-2.
"I know that Whibley and Smith will be fast starters and that's really one of the keys to winning the Tarawera 100," said Townley.
"There is still a lot of race to go after the start but a good starts puts a rider in control."
In addition to winning outright, Townley was also credited with the over-300cc four-stroke class win at the Tarawera 100 last time around, while fellow Honda star Scott Birch (Honda Hamilton CRF250), of Rotorua, won the under-300cc four-stroke class.
Other class winners last year were Auckland's Chris Power (over-200cc two-stroke class); Auckland's Liam Draper (under-200cc two-stroke class); Thames' Natasha Cairns (women's class); Maruia's Ethan Bruce (under-19 open class); New Plymouth's Tony Parker (veterans' 35-39 years); Whakatane's Darren Capill (super veterans, 40-49 years) and Auckland's Stephen Major (mega veterans, over-50 years) and it's fair to say these individuals should count among the leading contenders again this time around.
Morrinsville brothers Hayden and Nathan Tesselaar shared a bike to win the new two-man, one-bike class last season, while Hamilton pair Aaron Jones and Andrew Charleston combined on separate bikes to win the new two-man, two-bike class.
The race programme allows for these configurations again this year, so perhaps the Tesselaar siblings, Jones and Charleston could also conjure up repeat wins on Saturday.
ends
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more