Flying plumber wins the double

During the week Mike Northcott unblocks drains and lays pipes as an apprentice plumber.

But during the weekend he hurtles down hills at high speed avoiding cliffs, tree roots and potential broken bones on his mountain bike.

Tokoroa's Northcott, 29, is so good that last week he won both the national elite cross country and short track mountain biking championships in Wellington.

The dual wins have qualified him for the world championships in Canada later this year.

"This year for me the national championships were a big one," Northcott said. "It's pretty awesome, it's not often that you can get both of them."

He said that with the temperature in the high 20s the course was dry, dusty and slippery.

"There was gravel and tree roots everywhere. Personally I quite like it rough and twisty," he said.

Northcott was especially surprised by his effort with the short track considering he was "a bit tired because we rode for two hours on the Saturday and had a few beers that night".

"I'm quite an aggressive rider and like to attack the track and the riders around me. You've got to try and plan where to make your move."

Northcott is not new to national titles. He won the cross country in 2005 and short track in 2007 – a seldom-achieved double.

This month Northcott competes in the Oceania Championships from March 19 to 21 in Dunedin.

He is looking at the trip south as time where he can take stock of potential competition for the worlds.

"I'm aiming at the top three ... but a win is the ultimate goal. It's a good opportunity to see who is riding well and who stepped it up."

Fellow Tokoroa rider Michelle Bellamy was in third in the elite women's field when she snapped her chain halfway through the third lap out of four.

- © Fairfax NZ News