Winning title a rough ride for doctor

Rarangi rider Harriet Harper made sure no-one would steal her thunder this year, and went on to win the elite women's downhill title at the Oceania Mountainbike Championships in Dunedin yesterday.

The Oceania title was Harper's first and followed a runner-up finish two years ago in Nelson.

In that race, she trailed home after English professional and 2006 world champion Tracy Moseley and fellow Kiwi and title winner Scarlett Hagen. This year, no female rider bettered Harper's race run time of 3min 37.06sec.

While she finished a whopping 8.89sec clear of runner-up Gabrielle Malloy, of Rotorua, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Harper.

In yesterday morning's seeding run, she punctured her back tyre on loose rock on the Signal Hill course and was forced to start in the unfamiliar position of first for race runs.

Tackling the technically demanding but faster lines on the track, Harper set a sizzling time that proved well beyond her competition.

"It was good going first since it didn't give too much time for the nerves to build up before I rode. Afterwards it was really nerve-racking, since I didn't know how fast I'd really gone. I couldn't really relax at any stage," Harper said.

A doctor at Wairau Hospital, Harper said she now had a tough decision to make, whether to concentrate on her medical career or mountainbiking and contest the world champs in Quebec, Canada, in August and September this year.

Christchurch's Cameron Cole took out the elite men's downhill title. After seeding quickest, Cole pipped Levin's Nathan Rankin in the final run of the day to take the honours.

The challenge by former Blenheim rider Justin Leov ended prematurely with a puncture in Leov's race run. Blenheim's Peter Cooper placed fourth in the senior men, 1.98sec off the pace set by Queenstown's Reon Boe. Boyd Grinstead placed fourth in the masters' one men.

In Saturday's cross country at Forrester Park, Australia's Daniel McConnell edged countryman Lachlan Norris for the elite men's title. Tokoroa's Mike Northcott was first Kiwi, placing third.

Rotorua's Nic Leary won the elite women's title.

- The Marlborough Express