Riders Reach Queenstown After Conquering the Southern Alps 7 Feb 2016
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- Australia Jumping on the Boy Bandwagon Living
- 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
Pioneer Riders Reach Queenstown After Conquering the Southern Alps
The Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race came to an emotional conclusion in Queenstown today, with riders having completed 569km, 15,000m of climbing, some scintillating descending and amazing riding through the most stunning landscapes since leaving Christchurch seven days ago.
It was the Kiwi/Aussie Rio Olympic Games hopeful combination of Anton Cooper and Dan McConnell who took out the inaugural title, their names etched on to the greenstone carved trophy as the first winners of The Pioneer, defeating both Kona Factory Racing Teams in the process, although Spencer Paxson (USA) and Cory Wallace (CAN) did finally break the Team Danton stage stranglehold with a win on the final day.
In the women’s category it was an equally dominant performance from Erin Greene and Kath Kelly, the Torpedo7 duo carving out an amazing six hour plus victory margin, winning every stage along the way.
In the Mixed Team’s it was a triumphant ride home for Queenstown locals Kate Fluker and Mark Williams, Fluker showing great strength and endurance as Fluker aims up for possible selection to the Rio Olympic Games while Williams rode superbly all week, often using his knowledge of the trails and tracks.
Cooper and McConnell reflected on a hugely successful week, one they hope will set them up for their Rio campaigns.
“That is just such a great week and great riding. 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,” said Cooper. “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, 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 but we have loved every moment.”
Like Cooper, Fluker is focused on Rio but first New Zealand must qualify a spot and then she must be selected, with a top 16 at the opening World Cup cross Country race in Cairns in late April amongst the targets she has to reach, but the 28 year old believes The Pioneer has put her in just the right space.
“I don’t think I could have got a better base session in than this, from here we need to work on the speed in my legs for the shorter sharper racing, but I am feeling really good, I am feeling strong and just want to build on this now. We are relying on Australia maintaining their top 17 world ranking and that gives New Zealand the Oceania spot for Rio, and then I need to meet that criteria in Cairns and earn selection.”
Fluker was as much relieved as excited after a tough week on and off the bike, when she and Williams had to deal with hearing of the death of close friend Kelly McGarry before continuing to ride towards home.
“I am not sure how I feel yet, I think it will hit me in a few days about the extent of what we have done this past week, not just physically but mentally as well for all sorts of reasons. I am just so stoked to have had Willy by my side to help me through it, it was just such a great thing to do, it was awesome.”
Greene (Queenstown) and Kelly (Roxburgh) reflected on a tough week, but were also already thinking of their next riding assignments.
“It was cool to piece together a pretty awesome trip from Christchurch to here, to home. It was great to enjoy some good days in there through places I have never seen and some places I have ridden before, real cool train,” said Greene. “I might get my bikes ready for the 24 hour in a couple of weeks, but maybe I can show some of these overseas people who are in town for a while a few of the really good tracks around Queenstown.”
“This is the most amazing country and this was just such a well-run event, I would come back any day,” said Kelly. “I will rest up for a week, I have a race next Saturday in Gore and then I am doing the Cape Reinga to Bluff starting on February 21st, I am not racing it – I have 21 days, I reckon on about 200km a day.”
In
the other categories Leigh Cockerill and Sue Clark rode
superbly to take out the Women’s Masters 40+, in the
process finishing 2nd overall of the women’s teams. Minter
Barnard and Ian Chitterer (AUS) held on to win the Men’s
Masters 40+, holding off a late charge from Andrew Young
(NZL) and Yuri Hauswald (USA) by 13 minutes. And in the Male
Masters 50+ it was the master himself shining through, with
Steve Gurney and Simon Callaghan winning overall and taking
every stage honour along the journey.
This though was
an event for all ages, varying abilities and all
backgrounds. With 250 plus riders taking part in the 7-Day
Epic, event organizer Dave Beeche spoke of the delight each
day in seeing the achievements of those people, from here in
New Zealand and from as far as Europe, North America and
Australia.
“I could not be more proud of every one of our Pioneers, regardless of their background and circumstances each and every one of them is as important as the next and will forever be a part of the inaugural Pioneer, helping us lay the foundation for what we believe can become one of the world’s iconic Mountain Bike Stage Races.
“The camaraderie and sense of community that developed very quickly from a group of strangers sharing the trails, the tent city, the dining and presentation marquee and all of the facilities was just wonderful, heart-warming. We have ridden past a glorious Mount Cook/Aoraki, taken a dip in Lake Tekapo, camped on the Ohau Airstrip, watched the sunset and rise in what seemed like the middle of nowhere and shared a very special week, I hope they are all so proud of what they have done and have some great memories to treasure, not to mention the amazing efforts on their bikes this week.”
The
Pioneer
ResultsPlease
note that results for the 3-Day Traverse and Day Ride into
Queenstown are at www.thepioneer.co.nz
7-Day Epic
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
The
Pioneer
Results
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
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