Cameron Cole

BACKFLIPS Clothing and Cam Cole team up for 2012

2012-01-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

For 2012 Cam Cole will be rocking the all new Blackflips summer range.
The Backflips story is relatively new but they have set the standard
high and are growing quickly. Now seen as a major player in NZ
clothing brands for xtreme personalities around the country. Coming
from a motocross background, Backflips is bringing New Zealand the
balls and adventure in clothing that its been missing out on for
generations! Backflips clothing is not designed to be kept clean
watching TV at home! It's for those people out there that like to live
life tapped out! Whether you're Backflipping your dirt bike, bmx,
skateboard, snowboard or your Nana's walking frame... these threads
are for you!!

Cam Cole leaves long time sponsor and friends at Quiet Chaos clothing
co but is excited about the new relationship and opportunities that
this new deal will bring. Cole says "the guys at backflips have an
awesome vision and great ideas for where the brand is going. Just take
a look at all the cool events they put on and the fresh threads coming
out all the time".

Cam Is currently training and preparing to get back on his bikes at
the beginning of 2012 after his horrific arm break at the Mountain
Bike world champs earlier in September. Cole Joins Team Lapierre
International again for 2012 with goals that have him aiming for wins
on the 2012 world cup circuit. "I have a new coach for 2012 and this
with a few other small changes has instilled a new confidence and
motivation in me for racing". Cole hit the World Cup podium
consecutively at the last two rounds of the series taking him to a
career best 7th in the series overall. "I was so close to the top 3
last year at many events but I was just 1 or 2 seconds from the top 3
or even the win so that was tough but I learnt a lot"

Watch out 2012.

"Backflips" It's about having the balls to really go for what you want
& not be afraid to put it all on the line!

Val di Sole, Italy World Cup Finals 2011

2011-08-26T05:16:00.001-07:00

Insane.... Can you believe another podium from New Zealander Cam Cole a new force on the World Cup circuit last year and continuing to strike regular podiums. Bring on 2012 again with Team Lapierre International.

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La Bresse World Cup Video

2011-08-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

My Second podium for the 2011 season shooting me up to 7th in the overall world cup standings going into World Cup Finals in Val di Sole

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Windham World Cup team video

2011-07-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Mount Saint Anne World Cup team video

2011-07-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Report Mont Sainte Anne, Canada

2011-07-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

NZ’s world class downhill contingent practiced their way through four days of weather extremes on the Mont Sainte Anne mountain, at times racing on the world renowned course in less than 10m of visibility. The class of this group of athletes was displayed firstly with Friday’s qualification run – Cam Cole (Lapierre International, Christchurch) fourth, teammate Sam Blenkinsop (Wanganui) seventh.

The weather held for Sundays finals run making it a level playing field for all top 80 mens finals qualifiers. The race course was dry in the open but still treacherous in the rocky, forest sections. Conditions that suited the NZers with MacDonald blazing to a time that shattered the field with only a handful of riders still to run. Cam Cole looked strong and carried great momentum through the middle parts of the Mont Sainte Anne mountain however a couple of mistakes and a damaged pedal help him back at the bottom. He would claim his first podium result for this year’s World Cup, in fifth.

And confirming growing NZ dominance in the top ten on the World Cup Downhill circuit, Brook Macdonald of Napier was 3rd and confirmed his consistancy. Fellow Lapierre International team member Sam Blenkinsop was eighth, and good friend Justin Leov 10th – results that have the Downhill circuit on notice with another round next weekend in the USA and the two month lead-in to this years World Championships in Switzerland.

(credit to Chris Mildon MTBNZ for this, edited by Cam Cole)

Dirt TV Mont Sainte Anne World Cup Finals Canada

2011-07-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Blazing to a 5th Place. My 3rd ever top 5 finish and first podium of the 2011 World Cup season at the 4th Round in Canada

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Leogang World Cup, ups and downs of racing

2011-06-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Fort William World Cup 6th place

2011-06-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

2011-05-22T02:06:00.000-07:00

New Scott goggle product for 2011

2011-05-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

Scott are back with me for 2011. I had a relationship with them in 2005/06 when I won my junior world title. Thanks to the guys at scott in New Zealand for the help this year. May it continue with this awesome gear.

2011 World Cup 1 South Africa

2011-04-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

The first round of the 2011 World Cup Season from a very warm and humid South Africa. A good start for Cam Cole and something to build on before the second round in Fort William where he had an amazing run to 2nd last year behind former World Champion Gee Atherton.

2011 Oceania Champs/Australian National Finals

2011-03-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Downhill race day today (Sunday) was another fine, hot day on Mt Major. The NZ downhill contingent were well prepared and superbly focused, dedicating their Oceanias racing to friend and fellow competitor Dave Balderstone who tragically passed away on Monday.

Amy Laird (Christchurch) made a return to racing at this event after an early season injury, finishing a reassuring 7th after a crash but some good riding either side of the incident in her race run.

Daniel Franks (Christchurch) was the best of the New Zealander juniors, holding top spot until the last few top seeded Australians hit the course. Franks eventually finished 4th, with current Australian World Champion Troy Brosnan taking the win by the slimmest of margins over compatriot and on form Connor Fearon.

Three Kiwis led out the Elite mens race, after seeding poorly. World ranked number 8 Cam Cole (Christchurch) held the leaders hot seat after a messy run including a crash at the top of the hill. "I had a couple of mistakes that definately cost me time and maybe the eventual win but I know I'm riding fast I just need to elimintale the mistakes from my race runs before South Africa". He led the race through the bulk of the mens field. Cam was knocked back when the fastest seeds came through. Rhys Willemse won the coveted Oceania title for Australia with his first major title result, Rhys Atkinson and Tim Eaton rounded out the top 3 with Cole the best of the Kiwis in 4th.

The Downhill race wrapped up the Oceanias mountain bike programme, with mixed success for the NZ Team. Oceania athletes now head back to NZ for some downtime before many prepare to travel to the northern hemisphere for the 2012 World Cup season, which begins in South Africa at the end of April.

2011 NZ National Champs, Dunedin

2011-03-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday 27th Feb

The six event 2011 Mountain Bike National Championships programme finished today with the Short Track Cross Country and Downhill races, both at Signal Hill, Dunedin. Slippery conditions which had caused major issues for racers during practice sessions had finally eased off by race day morning – the Signal Hill course drying just enough to take the unpredictable factor out of the picture. Seeding showed no real surprises, with form riders all at the top of the age group and Elite start lists for the 2pm race start.

In the feature Elite Men’s race, Nathan Rankin (Monster Energy, Levin) had seeded poorly but put together a race run that looked to be competitive enough to take the title. Rankin’s time held until 6th seed George Brannigan (from Havelock North, who will be racing 2011 with Stevie Smith on Devinci Global Racing) peeled nearly two seconds out of him to take the leader’s hotseat. Five riders were still capable of going quicker than Brannigan – Rupert Chapman (Christchurch) couldn’t improve on his 5th seed time; Matthew Scoles (Cingolani-Protone, Alexandra) went four seconds quicker than his seeding time but this was only good enough for 8th; Justin Leov (Trek World Racing, Dunedin) also improved but not enough; former Elite World Champion Gee Atherton (Commencal, Great Britain) crashed heavily in the top part of the course and couldn’t finish, so the final starter and fastest seed Cameron Cole was the only rider who had a shot at beating Brannigan for the title. 2006 Junior World Champion Cole was composed, lightening fast and up to the task, stopping the clock at 2:58.13 – the only rider to race a sub 3 minute run to take the prized Elite National Championship title.

Cole’s race run completed a busy domestic competitive race season for New Zealand’s top mountain bikers, with many moving north to begin 2011 World Cup campaigns after competing at the Oceania Mountain Bike Championships March 17-20 in Shepparton, Australia.

Rotorua Motocross

2011-01-28T00:20:00.000-08:00

With no downhill racing in Rotorua last week this gave a few of the dh boys an opportunity to get out and do some training on the dirt bikes and get a few laps in on the National track for MX at the Phillips farm. Here a quick lap.

NZ Open 10/11

2010-12-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

In his return to racing after he sustained a broken wrist in the 2010 Downhill World Cup season, Cameron Cole (22), of Christchurch, New Zealand, proved that he is still on the pace with the world's best with a second to friend and fellow downhill World Cup racer, Justin Leov, of Dunedin, at the NZ Open, which was held in Christchurch on Sunday [December 12].

"It felt really good to be back racing again and it is very motivating for me to lose – I know that feeling again of wanting to win," Cole smiled.

"The NZ Open track was tough – there were a few technical corners that required some precision."

Cole said he knew he was riding fast and was happy with his form.

"I made a mistake and lost some time in one of those tough corners. I didn't get into the corner properly and fell out of it about halfway around and my bike went off the side of the track," he explained.

"I lost a few seconds, but I felt I rode well at the top and felt very aggressive and strong at the bottom of the course."

Not long after recovering from his broken wrist Cole injured his shoulder in a crash resulting in very little time being spent on the bike before the NZ Open.

"I only really rode the bike again on Thursday on some different tracks, but they weren't really rough or fast. This track was fast and rough and it took me some time to get the hang of that. Everything comes at you very fast and you have to process it very quickly and having not ridden for a while I did not feel I was on my game in practice."

Practice was held in 30°C temperatures on the Saturday and the heat took its toll on the riders.

"Most guys rode in the afternoon when it was cooler, or early in the morning," he said.

"I did three runs in practice and made the call to just turn up to try to ride it as fast as I could."

Cole finished second to good friend Justin Leov and was happy to share the podium.

"It is good to see Justin take the win – we rode together this weekend and we help each other out a lot – he is very genuine – when he talks about lines you know he is not just trying to mess with your head, he is trying to help and I share my thoughts with him as well," offered Cole.

"There are not many people you can have that type of relationship with – especially at this high end of the sport. Not many riders are prepared to tell their competitors their secrets. We are good friends and we both want to see each other do well and hopefully get on the World Cup podium together in 2011."

The New Zealand Open marks Cole's last ride with the Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team before he takes on his new ride with Lapierre International in 2011.

"This is my last big ride on the Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team and I wanted to go out with a good result instead of being injured," he explained.

"I have been with Maxxis since I left school in 2007 – it has been like my apprenticeship and I have learned a lot and developed a lot. They have supported me through the ups and the downs over the past four years and I hope I have paid them back with my good results from this year," Cole said.

"Hulen King, Rob Perkins and Gary Wolf – these guys have been great to work with and Rocky Mountain has been amazing, too. They let us develop a downhill race frame and they took our feedback and made a great race bike in the Flatline World Cup."

Cole, who was crowned Junior World Downhill Champion in 2006, began his relationship with Maxxis in the Norba competitions and grew with the brand into the European-based World Cup series.

"They took a gamble on me and it has been cool to have been involved in the development of that bike and great to see people enjoying a bike I have helped to develop. That is something I am looking forward to with Lapierre as well."

Cole will begin to ride the new bike with Lapierre at the end of December and hopes to get that "dialled in for next year" and to build on his very successful 2010 season in the World Cup series.

He feels he is on track to do just that.

"To win the first round of Gravity Canterbury in my first race back from my wrist injury and then to pull a second today makes me feel I am not far off where I was before I hurt myself," he said.

"I feel that if I can keep improving and heading in the direction I was going at the start of this year then I will be strong again in 2011. I feel fit, I feel strong and I am on good food – I feel I am on track."

Cole's New Zealand race season with Lapierre will begin in Rotorua at the end of January for a National Series round, then head to the Red Bull Rock Drop at a Waihi mine, before the South Island Cup in February and then the National Championships in Dunedin at the end of February.

But results in these races are not the total focus for Cole.

"I just hope to get comfortable on the bike – it seems like it takes me about three months to be fully comfortable on a new bike. I will be racing, but I want to make sure I am working on the bike and preparing for the bigger picture. If I can do well at the National Championships in Dunedin then I will be happy – I have never been national champ in elite men's before, so I would like to get that one," he laughed.

The New Zealand Open is regarded as the money race of the year in New Zealand.

"It pays some bills – we are doing this for a living and at this stage of the year we are not doing many races that pay, so this is a good one," Cole smiled.

In 2010 Cole posted three top-10 World Cup finishes with the Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team – including two podiums – and finished the season at eighth in the UCI rankings.

His success did not go unnoticed with French team Lapierre jumping at the chance to take him on board for 2011.

Summer time means trail time

2010-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Artistic perspective

2010-11-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be one of the subjects for a guy named Mark Bridgewater a couple of weeks ago so check him out. Here are a couple of pics of his work they dont do it justice but you get a bit of an idea. Mark created a book using many extreme sports athletes from parkour to skiing He had this crazy set up that could allow him to shoot 360 from a point so he caught me on a few different lines then shot the roof of the woods and the ground with all the debris so you could drag right around the scene on a computer screen it was pretty cool and I was stoked to be part of it.

Motocross at Titri Park

2010-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

MX of Nations Video

2010-09-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Spring and Summer on the way

2010-09-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well the weather is coming around in Christchurch and the days are getting longer. Dont forget to change the clocks this weekend. Just had an overhaul here at CC76 racing for the upcoming summer. This time of year is part of the off season for the World Cup pros so a bit of my down time is spent doing this up. This is when I find time between drinking a crap load of coffee and eating like a horse. Coaching with the MTB Skills Clinic team begins next week so I am back on the bike now. This marks the begining of the working year for me as a bike rider. Check back for more updates when you are bored at work as I usually try to keep on top of it all.

CC

Champery World Cup Disaster

2010-09-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

A small crash in the mud at Champéry, Switzerland has left Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team rider Cameron Cole, 22, with a broken scaphoid in his right hand, derailing his UCI World Cup downhill campaign for 2010. But the laconic Kiwi says there is a chance he could be back in time for the World Championships, which will be held at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec at the end of August.

Cole has had three top-10 finishes and two podiums in the first three Downhill World Cups of 2010 and, despite finishing 35th after snapping his scaphoid at Champéry, still sits sixth in the overall standings.

“It was just a stupid crash – I was trying one of the gnarlier lines at the bottom of the course – it was quite a bit quicker – a high line on the outside of a corner and I got the line okay, but when it joined back onto the mainline it was very boggy and I just got sucked up in it and went over the handlebars and flying down the track, over the top of my bike,” he explains.

“I put my hands out and the right one must have gone straight into a rock because there was a big cut in the palm just before the wrist. I landed on my head as well. My bike went flying over me – luckily the bike was still on the track and not down the bank – so I sprinted to the finishline and did all the big jumps at the bottom and didn’t feel too much pain. Then I saw the cut and thought I would just need to get it cleaned out, then about an hour afterward it started to get sore so I decided to go to the doctor. At this stage every day is valuable for healing, so I thought it would be better to know if it was broken.”

After a long wait at the hospital, Cole and his Kiwi racing partner Amy Laird, also of Christchurch, were given the verdict.

“So now I have a massive cast on and heaps of stitches in my hand,” he says.

“I need to go back in a week to get another x-ray to make sure it’s healing, but I might talk to some people in New Zealand to see if I can try to get home and sort it out so I can get back for Worlds and the World Cup final.”

Cole was told it would take six-eight weeks to heal by itself, but there are only six weeks to the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

“It’s bad timing, but this happens with what we do. I don’t really want to go to the Worlds and just run 40th or 50th. I’d rather go there in the form I know I am in,” he says.

“If I can get my wrist operated on this week I think I could be okay for the World Championships. Once you have a screw in the scaphoid it heals a lot quicker and a lot more effectively. That will only happen if I can get home, or maybe in France. That would mean a four-week healing period. I have a screw in my left wrist and it healed quicker than they said it would.”

The last injury Cole had was back in 2007 when he crashed spectacularly, breaking the scaphoid in his left wrist – dislocating three bones and breaking the end off his ulna. He had broken ligaments, a concussion and his “whole body ached” afterward, leaving him off the bike for an entire season.

“In 2007 my crash was massive and it was my first big injury, but it taught me what to expect to come back from it and how to handle this one. But this crash was just a silly one and won’t knock my confidence,” he states.

Cole’s confidence has been soaring as he has been collecting top results without stepping outside his comfort zone in the World Cup races. Champéry was working out no differently for him.

“I qualified 30th and so it was good to have Friday night to think about it and on Saturday morning I went up there and felt a lot better – I rode all the lines well, including that high line. I think there was only me and one other rider that managed to do that line in the race – it was intimidating, but I felt good for the race.”

Cole lost some time in the top of the course when he went for a 30m slide in the mud.

“I got back on with my hands covered in mud and my pedals filled up. I was coming back at the bottom for a 20th or 25th place finish, which I would have been happy with after that crash, but then went over the bars in the bog,” Cole recalls.

The muddy conditions caused havoc for the entire field and marked the third wet race out of four Downhill World Cups.

“I thought Maribor was bad, then Leogang was the worst conditions I had ever raced in and then Champéry on Saturday was another level again,” he laughs, shaking his head.

The World Cup circuit’s commentators are tough to crack and Cole’s results have been played down by many, but this has become a source of motivation for the Kiwi rider.

“It’s quite hard to win people over, here. You do a good result once and they want to see you do it again to prove it wasn’t a fluke and then you do it again and they still want to see you do it again. I have had three top-10s in a row now, but still feel I have to prove myself. It is a good motivator and it always has been,” he admits.

Cole freely offers that the 2007 injury set him back along way from his 2006 World Junior Championship win.

“I don’t think people understood how hard it was for me to comeback from that injury in 2007. It took me a while to get back to where I was as a junior. That’s what I feel I have accomplished this year – I am back to 100% in confidence and feel I am back on form and I just want to ride as good as I can every week.”

He adds that those “close to him, such as the Fox guys and the team” have been really supportive and that they have made it possible for him to perform the way he wants to.

“I am happy with what I have done so far this season. I thought about this after the race yesterday – it’s good to get this sort of thing out of the way while I am young – each time you have a broken bone and time off the bike you learn from it. I am 22 and my career could be as long as I want it to be. Series leader Greg Minnaar is 28 and Steve Peat is still performing well at 36.”

“Because of that I won’t push my return this year if I don’t feel ready – I don’t want to jeopardise my training and preparation over summer for the 2011 season.”

Cole will find out about his surgery options by the end of the week and will miss the fifth World Cup of the season at Val di Sole next weekend if the surgery goes ahead.

Mr Dickhead Cool!

2010-09-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

2010 Pass Portes Du Soleil

2010-07-20T02:26:00.000-07:00

2010 Pass Portes du Soleil – Cams guide

Introduction: The 2010 Pass Portes event was a bit of a hurried and unplanned affair for me. The same weekend was the Enduro des Nations event which I had planned to compete in with Kashi Leucs, but our other team mate pulled out at the last minute. I then heard about the Pass Portes event being held in Morzine and after a bit of research on the internet and some queries with locals I decided I wanted to see what it was all about for myself. My new RockyMountain Slayer came together within two days of the event, the Maxxis guys built it at the Leogang World Cup and my new Fox 36 forks were waiting for me back in Morzine. I was entered in the event 14 hours before my chosen start day on the Saturday and have to say a huge thanks to the people at the Morzine Tourism office for sorting this out for me.

The Event: Consisted of an entire lap of the Portes du Soleil area taking in 80km of trail, 7000m of descending, 1000m of climbing and two countries (France and Switzerland). The event itself is the 2nd largest mountain bike event in Europe and this year had 4000 participants. For some riders participation and completing the event is the goal, I did it by myself and it provided some good alone time out on the trails and chair lifts, however racers are friendly and easy to talk to with many speaking English if you want to meet new faces, others were out for an epic day on the trails sightseeing with their mates. Personally I rode fairly quickly and didn’t waste too much time at the refreshment stops or in the lift lines.

Terrain and Bikes: The Portes du Soleil is in the heart of the alps. There isn’t much flat ground around here except in the bottom of the valleys and even then it’s not like the Canterbury plains in New Zealand. These are real Mountains and big ones. My ride started at around 800m and the highest point would have been above 2000m. The region first became known for its ski areas in winter so in ????? when they first opened the area for mountain biking there was little surprise that it quickly became an epicentre for European downhill holidays and a place for mountain bike racers to base themselves and train. The evolution of the 6 inch trail bike or enduro bike if you like has change the style of trails in the area somewhat. I was last here in 2006 and all you saw up on the hill were full 7-8 inch downhill rigs. Now days the enduro bike is almost the bike of choice, its light and versatile but can take the rocks, roots and bumps. However there are still a multitude of downhill tracks that you need the big bike for.

My Ride: My Pass Portes ride took in a variety of trail types and surfaces with most sections of the route having track options to choose from which included shorter technical downhill tracks for riders with the required skill who wanted to get from point to point as quickly as possible, then there was the slightly less technical trail option which took slightly longer or a cross country option.

I started out my journey at 8.30am from Morzine. First stop was Montriond one valley over from Morzine with two lift rides up the mountain and nice flowing natural trail with rocks and good tacky dirt to start the day off and get the blood pumping. After my third lift ride there was confusion all round about how to get to the massive descent into Chatel, the yellow markers directing riders were sometimes spread thin over the large area, but after some directional sign language with some Frenchies who were also racing I finally got onto the right trail that started high up with lots of small rocks which flowed into the woods with awesome berms and wet dirt. By this stage my excitement and passion for mountain biking had hit an all time high, this however was mellowed back out with a hot steep kick of a climb into Chatel where an almost bike festival vibe was going down. Vendors were showcasing new bikes, other companies offered technical support to participants and the event organisers offered free beverages both non alcoholic and alcoholic (for those game enough at 10am).

From Chatel there was a small descent off the Super Chatel lift and a long traverse took me to another Chatel Bubble lift and from there another small really fun descent with fast and rough single track with the same style continuing onto 4wd trail. After this I had more traversing and a small tar seal climb into Switzerland and Morgins village. I was greeted in Morgins by a friendly atmosphere and an awesome Swiss vegetable soup and chocolate. Feeling revitalised I took a lift up and over deeper into Switzerland. It was more of the same towards Champery (where the infamous World Cup downhill track is located) with a long traverse of around 30 minutes. The Orange route (more technical) peeled off the traverse early, I took this option but was a bit nervous as the beginning of the trail looked like a world cup downhill section, I proceeded down this route and the trail mellowed out but was still rocky and rooty and prefect for the 6 inch Rocky Mountain Slayer I was riding. Very fun trail! Then it was up in the massive cable car from Champery past the top of the World Cup downhill course. At this point I was on my way back towards home with a short, smooth and bermed descent of around 3 minutes. One very long chair ride up took me back into the French part of the Portes du Soleil. The terrain here was kngarly very rocky and unforgiving which was great training for my upcoming Mega Avalanche race in Alp d’Huez, France. Then some awesome flowing cross country like single track with more good rocky sections and amazing views before the trail traversed a small amount before pitching me into a steep descent.

The last uplift for the day would take me up to Avoriaz (1800m and the top of one of the big Tour de France climbs) and the descent from here took me all the way to my French home in Morzine (800m). The trail had almost everything you could ask for to ride on a 4-7 inch bike – some climbing, traversing and descending over roots, rocks, mud, bogs, streams, dust and tacky dirt. The trail also had a good mix of natural terrain, nothing was too over built with a good length of 20 minutes. At the bottom of the trail I had a much needed dip in the chilly Morzine stream which cooled me off nicely after 6 hours 10 minutes riding.

Summary: The Pass Portes event was an awesome way to see more of an amazing area and a great opportunity to be one of the first over the trail at the beginning of the summer season. I definitely had one of the sickest days riding a bike I have ever had. I would recommend it to every one of all riding abilities whether completing it solo like I did or enjoying with a couple of mates. This kind of trail riding / racing is slowly taking over the mountain bike world and is 100% worth a trip from New Zealand. The trails, food and views are all amazing. You will see more participating in the Pass Portes event than you will see in a week at a typical tourist destination so why not start planning for 2011……..

Leogang World Cup Practice video

2010-06-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

MPORA Action Sports >>

Leogang, Austria World Cup Round 3

2010-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team rider Cameron Cole, 22, has continued his rise in UCI World Cup downhill racing by finishing fifth on a wet, rough and challenging track at Leogang, Austria at the weekend.

Greg Minnaar, of South Africa, won the race in a time of 4:05.65 ahead of Gee Atherton, of Great Britain, Aaron Gwin, of USA, Sam Blenkinsop, of New Zealand, with Cole in fifth on a time of 4:11.77.

Cole finished second at the last round held at Fort William, Scotland, and this Leogang result confirms that he has arrived at the top of World Cup racing. This is also the first time in the sport's history that two Kiwis have been on the podium together with Blenkinsop finishing fourth.

"It almost feels better than in Fort William. I am more relieved this time – it's nice to have two podiums in a row as it shows Fort William was not a fluke," Cole said.

Cole admitted that he did not expect to be competing at this level this year or to be beating his hero, Steve Peat, of Great Britain.

"It was great to beat Steve Peat – there wasn't much in it, but he is like a hero to me – he is a real legend of the sport and so to beat him is a nice feeling," Cole shares.

"It was great to have Sam Blenkinsop on the podium with me. He was ahead of me in fourth – he had been looking good for the win all weekend, but made a couple of mistakes at the bottom. Then Justin Leov wasn't far off the podium either in eighth – it will be good to get all three of us on there. Maybe at the next one?" he laughs.

Cole's build up to the Leogang race was not the best. He suffered with a three-day bout of gastro in the lead-up and then crashed heavily in practice. Then, on race day, he crashed in his first two practice runs.

"In my third I just tried to get down the hill," he explains.

"It was very tough conditions, the track was changing on every run, but I managed to bounce back from the crashes, which is something I am happy with as it shows that my belief in myself is strong."

"Even though I crashed in practice I was still enjoying the riding and I rode a smart race – I just had to survive and get down the hill and I knew I would do well."

Coming into Leogang in third overall in the standings meant Cole would start his qualifying alongside Atherton and Minnaar.

"That was a lot of pressure and I was a bit stressed about it," Cole admitted.

"I didn't really feel like coming to this race – I was still enjoying the second from Fort William, but when I got here I was excited to be back at a World Cup again."

His fifth placing at Leogang puts Cole in fourth overall, but he has amassed enough UCI World Cup points to almost guarantee himself a top 10 finish for the season.

"Top 10 was my goal and to be halfway through the season and be fourth presents a tremendous opportunity for me. I am still learning and my goal is just to finish top 10 – I am not changing my goal as I know it will still be tough out there," he explained.

With two Kiwis on the podium, three in the top 10 and seven in the top 35, there is a real camaraderie emerging at the World Cup races.

"It feels like you are racing at home," Cole explained.

"I'm also lucky to have Justin Leov here – he's a good friend and Sam is cool as well – it's good to be able to share this experience with other Kiwis."

Another Kiwi heading to Europe is Cole's girlfriend, former World Cup downhill rider turned cross-country rider Amy Laird, of Christchurch. She will spend almost six weeks with Cole from the end of this week, but it will not be a break for Cole: "we will chill out together and ride bikes – it will be good R and R, but training at the same time," he laughs.

"I think she will find it hard to be here and not racing. She is not enjoying the cross-country training and she wants to enjoy riding her bike and so I think she will race downhill again next year," he conceded.

Cole will now prepare for Round 4 of the series, which will be held in Champèry, Switzerland from July 24 to 25.

Among other local races, Cole has signed up for the Mega Avalanche which will be held at Alpe d'huez, France on July 11. The Mega Avalanche is a super-sized downhill race that tests both skill and endurance.

"I am going there for fun – it seems like it is pretty gnarly, but I would be stoked with a top 15 or top 10 finish. But I will really be there just for fun and to have a bit of a laugh with a few friends," Cole smiled.

Cam Cole's 2010 Race Season

2010 UCI World Cup DHI 1 Events (6)
May 15/16: Maribor, Slovenia [9th]
June 05/06: Fort Wiliam, Scotland [2nd]
June 19/20: Leogang, Austria [3rd]
July 24/25: Champéry, Switzerland
July 31/August 1: Val di Sole, Italy
August 28/29: Windham, USA

2010 Mega Avalanche
July 11: Alpe d'huez, France

Cam Cole Aint a Big Deal preview Flick

2010-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

2010 Fort William World Cup

2010-06-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team rider Cameron Cole, 22, has surpassed even his own expectations by finishing second at Fort William, Scotland yesterday in the second round of the 2010 UCI World Cup.

Gee Atherton, of Great Britain, won the race in a time of 4:35.70 – pipping Cole by less than half a second.

"I don't know what to think or say – it has just been unreal," an excited Cole, of Christchurch, New Zealand, said afterwards.

"I didn't really expect my first podium to be a second place – I thought maybe I would pull a fourth or a fifth, but to be second and to nearly win has been pretty amazing."

Cole, a former world junior downhill champion, said he was surprised when he qualified third, but didn't think too much of it.

"I just rode my own race all weekend. On the morning of the race I was very nervous – especially when I was in the gate at the start. But I just rode my own race and fixed up the bits of the track that I needed to. I managed to save some time on the dry and slippery corners and then smashed the pedalling at the bottom part of the course," he explained.

Getting to the bottom part of the course is a relief for all riders as the course becomes less technical, but fast with some big jumps. For Cole that relief was crucial – in 2009 and 2008 he had crashed in his race runs higher up on the course.

"It was cool to get to that part of the course and have the opportunity to show my power again and to get to the finish line," he laughed.

"My final run didn't feel amazing – it just felt like another run – that is maybe a good thing."

All of a sudden Cole found himself at the bottom of the course and in second position, but it hadn't sunk in.

"I thought the last two guys to come down might beat me and relegate me back to third or fourth, but it never happened," he said.

Those last two riders were fellow New Zealander Sam Blenkinsop and former World Cup champion Greg Minnaar, of South Africa. Blenkinsop finished sixth meaning Minnaar was the only rider left who could knock Cole out of second.

"When he was coming down I was just sitting there looking at the ground, I wasn't really paying attention – I knew I was on the podium so I was just trying to get my head around that," he explained.

"Justin Leov was with me and he said, 'dude, you're second', and he was nearly crying and I was nearly crying – it was amazing."

With 18,000 people through the gate over the weekend Cole estimated that somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people were at the race.

"Gee Atherton was amping and the crowd was going off, everyone came over to shake my hand – it was a pretty wild atmosphere."

For Cole's Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team it was a double celebration as team mate Sabrina Jonnier, of Hyères, France, won the elite women's race.

"It's pretty good for the team to have Sabrina win as well. Everything is working well with the bikes and the Fox suspension has been particularly good this season. It's good for me to have the bike working so well and all the products performing," Cole said.

The level-headed rider is wary of the effects of a good result.

"Last year, after I did well in South Africa, I got a bit distracted and I didn't ride how I thought I should have at the next races. Though I had the speed and the fitness my head wasn't there. I worked on that over summer with my coach Hamish and those small things can make a big difference. I am still young and I am still learning so much," he admitted.

"I would like to think that maybe I can be a contender for the World Cup next year, but for my next race this result won't change anything – my goal is to finish top 10 still. I have now done that two races in a row so I won't change my approach. I will still be happy with eighth or ninth. I am now in third overall – that means qualifying at Leogang will be pretty tough."

Cole said it would have made his day to have had Sam Blenkinsop or Justin Leov up there on the podium with him.

"All three of us are in the top 10 overall – that's more than any other nation, so it's pretty cool," he laughed.

He said there were about 15 Kiwis racing at Fort William and a silver fern-toting individual who helped spur him on.

"There was a random guy at the top of the hill with a sliver fern flag and I remember seeing him in my race run – maybe I should have been concentrating on riding, but I had met him the morning of the race and he said, 'good job yesterday, Cam' and he was right into the sport. That sort of thing helps so much when we are racing on the other side of the world."

Cole's 0.48ths of a second off the winning time is very close on a track that is four and a-half minutes long, but this level of competitiveness is defining the 2010 season.

"From first back to 20th it is as close as it has ever been this year – there are 30 or 40 guys who could be in the top 10 at any race this year," Cole said.

Cole will now prepare for Round 3 of the series, which will be held in Leogang, Austria in two weeks.

Skate Videos >>

Cam Cole finishes ninth equal at first round of the 2010 UCI World Cup downhill mountain bike series at Maribor, Slovenia

2010-05-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Maxxis-Rocky Mountain team rider Cameron Cole, 22, opened his 2010 World Cup campaign with a ninth-equal at the rain-soaked course at Maribor, Slovenia yesterday.

The former world junior downhill champion shared his ninth position with good friend and fellow countryman Justin Leov, of Trek World Racing, but said the trying, muddy conditions meant he had to fight the whole way.

Cole, of Christchurch, New Zealand, said it had been a tough weekend of racing with conditions changing constantly.

"I walked the track on Thursday and then Friday I kind of struggled a bit in the morning – it was very slippery and drying out and it ended up being similar conditions to the race," Cole said.

"I had to get my bike sorted – my fork was too soft, so I had to run a new spring and then the bike felt really good. It dried in the afternoon so I put my clip pedals on and did a few fast runs and felt good."

By Saturday conditions had deteriorated again and the mountains in Maribor were cloaked in rain.

"It had rained all day non-stop so it was pretty wet and pretty tough conditions and cold at the start of qualifying," Cole admitted.

"It was hard to get warm. I was unsure of how I was going to go and I didn't feel very confident, but I did my best and qualified 13th so that gave me a confidence boost before race day."

The event was cast into turmoil on Sunday morning when racers awoke to a strong wind that had forced the closure of the access lift and cast confusion over any practice runs before the race.

"It was pretty much chaos in the pits," explained Cole.

"Everyone was running around trying to find out what was going on. We only got one run and so I didn't really have a chance to look at anything after qualifying. The track had changed a bit after everyone had been on it, but I just did one run went back to the hotel and chilled out."

"I felt quite positive, but at the same time it was difficult conditions – it was very slippery – probably the worst race conditions I have experienced. It was a mess – the clay was soft and sticky and it was really slippery on all the roots," he recalled.

The messy conditions challenged all riders with mistakes coming thick and fast through the race runs.

"I washed out on the fifth corner and started to think about the time I was losing, but I knew it would be like that for everyone so I just kept fighting and tried to deal with it and to not make too many more mistakes," Cole admitted.

"I washed out in another bit and then at the bottom I blew my feet off and only just got over the last jump. It was pretty wild times, that's for sure," he laughed afterward.

"I came across the line and thought it would have been about a top 20 ride, but I was actually sitting in fourth place – I think there were about six of us on the same second. Justin and I ended up getting exactly the same time, so that was pretty funny."

Cole finished the race in 3:30.65, just over seven seconds off winner Greg Minnaar's race time of 3:23.42.

"I think I lost about three seconds with my mistakes," Cole said, adding, the top three guys were super fast – Brendan [Fairclough] made mistakes, but he was just riding so fast everywhere else and Sam Hill pulled his tear-off and crashed into a tree, but he would have been up there. Greg Minnaar probably didn't make a mistake really."

A top 10 finish in the opening race is a strong beginning for Cole who plans to build on his performances throughout the series ... after a little post-Maribor rest.

"Last year I had an awesome start as well, but I am now keen to have a bit of a rest – I hurt my knee in the race and so I would like to rest that for a few days and do some strength work. Then I have two races before Fort William and so that will be good time on the bike for me and I will be able to attack again there."

The World Cup season opened with a larger than usual contingent of Kiwis and Cole said this will make the season a lot easier.

"I think there were 12 of us at this race so you don't have to go far and you run into another Kiwi. Even in the pits there is a mechanic who is a Kiwi," Cole laughed.

"It makes it easier – we all stick together over here. We're like a team and are one of the only countries that are like this. We all get on and are stoked for whoever does well."

Pre Race video

Maribor World Cup 2010

2010-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

World Cup #1 is done for the year off to a good start with a solid 9th equal just two seconds off the podium, with fellow compatriot Justin Leov. This betters my last Maribor result of 24th and is my best result in europe to date. I am now looking forward to the next round in Fort William Scotland in 3 weeks time. For now off to Germany for an IXS cup followed by an IXS euro cup in Scotland.

2010 Oceania Champion

2010-05-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Cam Cole at Oceanias 2010 from Aint a Big Deal on Vimeo.

Europe 2010

2010-05-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note. Its been an awesome summer at home in NZ racing and training along with working for Gabby at MTB skills clinics and a local bike shop. This last year has seen me learn a whole bunch of new things and I feel that I am now becoming a well rounded pro downhill racer.

I have been in Europe for a week now. I did some Dh riding in Italy with Team Playbiker and friends before heading over to Mariobor for the first world cup of 2010. It all begins here. I would like to shout out to all the people who have made this year easy for me to get here and the team I have helping me reach my goals. Firstly new sponsors Smith and Troy Lee Designs helmets. Also the ones who have stuck by me such as Quiet Chaos clothing co, Maxxis and Rocky Mountain bikes. I want to thank my coach Hamish Ferguesson, Gym guy Steve Rickerby and my Family Amy, Mum, Dad and brother for all supporting me. Bring on 2010!

Racer Head Amatuer Edition by Nathan Sharrat 577

2009-10-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

It was was brewing to be one of the most anticipated face off's in the history of the premier Clubman class, "MC#84 vs CC#76".
The hype had been building for weeks leading up to the two day event that is the Sam Buchanan Memorial, the KTM 144 of Clarke had received many new parts before the race and he was carrying enough factory spares to almost build another complete bike if need be such as filters and levers. And then there was the KX 125 of Cole, having some spare time on his hands Cole had done a full strip down on his machine and had it "dialled in" with settings sourced straight from Mitch Payton of the proven Pro Circuit corporation.

The weekend that was and the battle that wasnt
Both parties had been putting extensive training and the Waimakariri training facility, it was looking as if Clarke would have the experience to overthrow Cole early in the weekend but the #76 seemed to have the strength and stamina to go the distance and capitalize on any mistakes made by the KTM,
However whilst at the training facility on the thursday pre-race Big Horse would plant a leg and pop a knee, the hopes and dreams of his Clubman debut were slipping through his fingers and there was nothing he could do. Cole was out plain and simple.
His disappointment was evident, however this wont be the last we will see of #76 and i expect to see big things from him come early season 2010 when he is in full swing of his programme.

So it was off to the puffy clouds and blue sky of Amberley, but someone forgot to tell the rain gods there was an epic race on and we saw some moisture on the ground during track walk saturday a.m. Come end of practise and the ruts had started to form, these would only get deeper and longer throughout the day. There was talk of running a shorter track for Clubman to play it safe and not put these guys in the deep end so to speak, however it was overturned and they would run a full track like every other rider.
With the 2nd round of the NZ Champs booked in on the same weekend it seemed that entries were down in the Clubman sector, either that or there was a special on Woodstock and Bourbon the night before at Superliquor and a few riders had one too many.

DAY 1
Clarke was looking confident on thee 144, the torquey 2 stroke provided the right mix of power and traction on the greasy surface. He would post top ten finishes in all 4 motos on day one, running in 7th for most races after a mix of good and bad starts.
It seemed to be a good day for #84 but it wasnt without its controversy though, there would an altercation between Clarke and a fellow Clubman rider who obviously in his first race decided to stretch the rules. (The rules that allow Clubmans to exit and re-enter the track wherever they please in an effort to provide safety when there is a brake failure or stuck-on throttle)
The black plastics on this riders late ninties CR250 would almost see some orange paint of the 144 when racing for position he decided to cut the track and gain back a place lost to the KTM. Post race there were words spoken between the two and at one point it was a bit heated, however the rider of the CR250 could not really see Clarke up in his face as his visor was on a big downward slope. (this is allowed in Clubman only as they are usually without goggles) It would not stop there though and there was a block pass on day two made by Clarke of such intensity it reminded me of an early 2000's Mcgrath vs Carmicheal dog fight.

DAY 2
MC#84 arrived at the track with fire in his belly but sporting an injury from the previous day to his ankle it was questionable where he would place. Unfortunatly missing the start of moto 1 was not a good look, but it was within Clubman rules which allow riders to start the race in a staggered format. It would not deter him however and he soon started slicing through the pack all the way up to 5th. It was obvious he had the pace to win the race but with not enough laps left and more riders on the deck than upright he put in an effort that would question his future eligibility for this class.
Only one moto was run for the Sunday, and with the feature race looking as if it was going to be held in near hurricane conditions he opted out and booked a top 8 finish for the weekend.

Silly season is in full swing and one man who is in limbo is the #15 of James Rennie. JR who usually relies on the 11th hour deals looks to be cutting it fine this year as nothing has been realeased officially from the #15 camp. I spoke to James earlier in the week and he has a possible deal lined up with a canadian team by the name of ****** by this stage i would expect the ink to be drying on the contract but he has thrown us curve balls in the past and he may get some more deals after the 11th hour that might swing his decision. He has a good programme going this season and i am expecting Rennie to return to his form that saw him in the hot seat at Ocieania Games a few years ago. Lookout for a podcast with #15 coming here soon.

Some rumors have been coming out of the race shop at 110 colombo, aparantly Clarke and the #577 of Sharratt have formed an aliance similar to that of jason lawerence (yamaha) and max anstie (ktm) that will see them running a bi-manufacturer team out of the same rig. Word has it the new team semi will be similar to that seen in formula paddocks-

Whats up NZ?

2006-12-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

Been to the South Island and raced at Jentree farm(03 nats track) and Vic park Christchurch. Good to see the other half of NZ picking up the pace at the races these days. Pete Cooper and Dave Scandrett are both looking good for the junior titles along with all the usual NI Dhers in eddie, joel and Tom Oskam he could well pull one out. Thats going to be a good class to watch this summer for sure.

So Jentree being my first race back and second time on the bike didnt really know what to expect and I was quite surprised cause I wasnt acctually going too badly. Christchurch more of the same and beaten in the overall again by a grommie, that was Davo.

Was good to be back at a North Island race at Wellington. Good to see guys like Des Curry out riding his bike and even maybe enjoying it! Mavis was on it so too was Bradley Hoice and Tom Holand.

Back down to Wellington again for the Bike NZ medalists lunch to celebrate the medal winners. Yay! So flew down to wellington, Sam B, Scarlett and I met 30 other roadies to eat some finger food, get a photo taken, hear Trev Mallard speak and Fly home again. Breath taking stuff.

Thanks Bike NZ we really appreciate it!

Looking forward to the Rotorua race on the 10th of December. You gotta love the track down there! Nationals not too far away either. The count down is on and it looks like summer could well be here.

Dont forget to check out NZride.com for the very latest and Laharbikes.co.nz

Get ya kit out its that time of year again kids!

Maxxis Open of Spain

2006-07-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Race report 2 Maxxis open Port Aine, Spain

With two races to choose from last weekend one being a French cup and the other being the Spanish Maxxis open we (Skinner, Xmas, Rankin and myself) decided to head to Spain to see another part of the world, for a new track and some different competition. The race was held at Port Aine close to Andorra in the north of Spain. With some good organization, a good bike and a good weeks riding in the lead up to the event we were all confident of a worth while weekends riding. The track was good with lots of flat turns some tight at the top, a steep rocky section in the middle and a fast open last third of the course to the finish at 2000m. Practice day was dry and dusty with the track burning in nicely, blowing out in places and getting rougher. With some over night rain on the eve of race day the track conditions were no longer dusty but slick in places and grippy moist in others.

For the first race run the track had dried nicely and we all had clean runs down the hill. I was one of the first juniors down the hill on my Lahar DHVM9 and set a 3.07:5. There was then a nervous wait in the hot seat until the pinners came down the hill. I ended up winning the first race run by a second but needed a good second run to make sure I held the buffer knowing we would all go faster second time down. I was eventually kicked off the hot seat by Nathan Rankin who set a 3.07:3. Spanish Maxxis MSC rider David Vasquez won the first run on a 3.00. Second Race run was seeded from the first and I was last junior down a clean fast run gave me a 3.02 winning junior and eventually placing 6th overall. Xmas and Skinner put in good second race runs in Elite both striking some good form on the bike. Once again I was kicked off the hot seat by Rankin who set a 3.00 good for 2nd, Vasquez eventually won it with a 2.57. Can’t wait to race again in a couple of weeks and looking forward to the Mont Genevre Maxxis international in a month’s time.

Race Report 1 Willingen world cup and Scoul Swiss cup

2006-06-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Round 3 of the World Cup series saw the circus head to Willingen, Germany. The course was flat at the top with lots of big jumps meaning being smooth would pay off. The middle of the course steepened up and had rock sections on most straightaway’s built with large rocks. The end of the course opened back up again in the finish area with more jumps and fast turns. The four cross track was tight with flat and off camber turns at the top good for the non BMXers. Further down the track opened up big jumps more big jumps and a tight rhythm straight.

On the way to Willingen

Four cross on Saturday night saw a big crowd in for the night’s action. Cameron Cole the only kiwi entered in the event qualified 21st. First round Cole meets Euro BMXers and Dave Wardell. Euro BMXer and Cole go through. Second round Cole meets more Euro riders and Mick Hannah. Hannah and Euro go through Cole crashes last jump whilst in 3rd. Graves takes the win as if the Aussies aren’t dominating the gravity events already.

The second day of DH practice saw much of the top 80 to be hucking a massive hip in the middle tree section. The lahar loved the straight lines through the large rock sections, the bike just sticks to lines remarkably well. Xmas hurts his wrist hucking his metal at the top of the course making a difficult weekend even harder. The Honda boys, Kovarik and Peaty looked fast in top 80 practice. The race on Sunday saw Cole, Rankin, Holland and Leov out of the kiwis make the final. Pattle, Holland and Skinner all had bikes stolen on the eve of the race so had to borrow bikes for race day. Finals time and the kiwis weekend didn’t get any better Rankin first down the hill and a crash on the last jump left him with a hole in his elbow and a tweaked body. Holland next down clean on Hannah’s borrowed cannondale not a bad effort. Cole crashes on the hip in the mid tree section ending a not so good weekend for the NZ stormers, dented prides and sore limbs leaving Germanslochen. Peaty took a smooth win by one second on an otherwise tight time sheet from Minnaar and Atherton G.

On the way to Scoul

The first round of the Swiss cup series in Scoul saw a battered kiwi trio drive 8hrs deep into the heart of Switzerland in a roached out hatch back. The course was steep, rocky, dusty and rough by the last run of the weekend fully blown out. Claudio Calouri set the pace all weekend and eventually took the win from Allan Beggin and Sam from Switzerland. Rankin ended up 6th after some bad luck and a still sore body. Cole 13th and Xmas 24th the weekend saw some good riding and some not so good. The Lahar m9 was working brilliantly over the whooped out rocky track and tracked through rough corners with ease. Let’s hope it gets better for all of us over a weekend off to recoup and we see some new bikes arrive within the next week too keep everyone happy.

Also check out the new laharbikes.com web site for all you need to know.

The last few weeks, meetings and maggots

2006-05-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been super busy out of H Tizle (Hamilton) with parties, night XC riding, downhill runs, meetings and organising.

Starting with the DECAF downhill race weekend and Hypnosis movie premiere/party that didnt even really happen thanks to the bars staff. The race at Maereiti was sick and well made up for the poor showing of the Hynosis DVD. The track was wet for both practice and race day but managed to dry up considerably for the race arvo. Practice day was super lairy on the wet roots causing Auckland and the Waikatos top downhillers problems left right and centre. Byron Scott being one of a handful to take numerous diggers on practice day. Open Results 1 Cameron Cole 2 Byron Scott 3 Cheyene "the comeback kid" Beaver. A huge thanks to everyone who thew a hand at the race and WIDE OPEN distrbutors, ATOMLAB and Quiet Chaos for gettin in behind the DVD. Note to MTBNZ: Kids love toilet paper for spotties!

The Cat Eye Moonride went down last weekend in Rotorua home of the 2006 world MTB Championships. A typical 12hr race took place including Hammer and Helier episodes out of the Gravity Auckland tent with Animal Arron letf shaking his head in the back ground, numerous anal old men abusing the younger generation for....trying to dig berms in front of pit areas, passing and not calling "on yer right mate" and even mad cats just trying to have fun. What the.....? AKDH team ONE 7th and AKDH team TWO 17th not bad for a bunch of PYE eaters. The carnage began.......... Off to Tom Holman and Craig Pattles leaving pary at the good Ol Echobar.

This week I picked up my new ride the Lahar DH9 and headed for the hills in Auckland for some testing and generall getting used to. Hot! I can also confirm my full race kit head to toe sponsor till the end of the 07' NZ season as FOX Racing. Cheers Sports Pro your the man!

Europe here we come....the second wave of kiwi troops to invade europe with hopefully more success than the first lot departs NZ this week. The first target the Willigen World Cup. Check out the results in a couple of weeks. 7 of NZs top male riders are taking it on including Christchuch's very own Blair Christmas.

Blair Christams

Check Back here after the Willigen WC for more updates and the inside line. Keep on it!

Factory for a weekend...

2006-04-19T16:45:00.001-07:00

Time for an update! A busy few weeks has taken me from one side of the globe to the other and back again and April has gone off I can tell you.

The sea Otter Classic

The first week in April saw me off to the states to race at the Sea Otter Classic. It was a good chance to catch up with the other kiwi mates on the first day. With all the hand shaking that went on meeting new people, the calisis were all ready building on one hand at least. Rain all week had left the grounds around Laguna seca sodden with water and with most of the tracks being mainly flat it was going to be hard to pedal through the mud flats and bogs at the three events.

Slalom was the first event to be decided on day 3 of competition. A soft boggy mud squish was left from the oter classes who had raced earlyer in the week. Dave Wardell looked to have practice sewn up by his typical english mud style. The track dried up lots for finals where Lopes and Gracia battled it out for the win, Cederic the quicker of the two but mistakes cost the win. Cole 15th was knocked out by Barel in the second round by 0.6 of a second, Leov 13th and Kirkaldie 7th knocked out by Gracia.

On to the downhill where the previously muddy track was now mainly dry at the top but worse at the bottom beside the stream where massive ruts had developed on the mud flats(everythings bigger in the USA). Justin Leov the first kiwi to reach the bottom of the course had set a 2.57 (10th) with a small off road excursion, Frodo down on a 2.59 (12th) and Kirkaldie on a new Turner High line finishing in 3rd. Graves wins it by 5 seconds on a 2.43. 2006 lookout for the Gravey Train.

Four Cross on sunday evening was shaping up a goodin. The tack was dramaticly dryer and harder for finals thanks to Glen Jacobs (Aus) and his crew. Lopes took the win quite comfortably from Rinkerdecth? and Graves. Kiwis Leov (19th) and Cole (33rd) out early on but not by much. JK taking 9th position in a sloid effort all weekend and super consistant. His consistancy was rewarded with 3rd in Pro Omnium behind CG and Graves.

PHOTOS AT DYLANDEANDESIGNS.COM

Back accross the Pacific for the New Zealand BMX Nationals at Cambridge, Easter weekend.

The track was perfect all weekend the weather was perfect the crowd was perfect all I needed was the perfect result and it would be the prefect weekend. Friday plate heats I won all my junior heats and went home a happy rider not really expecting much from the second day of Uci and Plate finals. The Uci races were won and lost on the Sturday morning. James Dixon (Aus) first in junior, 2nd Todd Pascoe (Aus) and 3rd Scott Hoskings (NZ). The Elite Uci main or body builders as you may be more familiar with saw carnage in the first turn taking down New Zealands hope in World 6 Mark Willers. Outkast Aussie Kamakazi took the win New Zealander and local Naki boy Matt Cameron rode in 3rd his best carreer result so far proving that the body building is paying off.

Later the same afternoon the NZ plate finals were run for both Junior and Elite. Mark willers was the bolter in the elites taking it super comfortably from the one and only Matt Cameron. The Junior main saw Cameron Cole out of lane one next to biggest threat Hoskings in 2. Cole gets a gate that only occurs 1 in 30 starts and takes the whole shot and never looked back. Style to the line in all classes all weekend.

Joining the ranks with a blog....

2006-03-30T00:57:00.000-08:00

Just set my new blog spot up with help from my mentor and co-sponsor Lester "mokey" Perry of Quiet Chaos Clothing Company. The aim of this site is to help my profile as a top Downhill, 4X, BMX and general bike rider in New Zealand and to give my personal sponsors the exposure they deserve.

Latest News:

Beautiful init?

Starting at the begining of March which was the Oceania Mountain bike championships. Most of the NZ team stayed at the IBIS hotel for the week and we kept our selves occupied with trips to the Rotovegas BMX track and local dirt jumps. The usual downhill practice friday saturday and race Sunday. The first event was the 4X on Friday night Jk first in the Oceania race and Cedric Gracia won the all comers race. With arguably the worlds two fastest downhill riders in the world at the race it was always going to be hard to get a podium for any kiwis including Rolly and JK who didnt even make it to the podium. First year elite rider Kerian Bennet rolled all the kiwi pros to take the oceania bronze behind Sam Hill and Sik Mik Hannah. Frodo took the junior gold medal and Blinky bill recently signed to the european Gravity Group team second, dealing to the Aussies. Good stuff allround from last years junior top 3.

Podium U19 Oceania Champs, Rotorua '06

And.......

I am in the process of oganising my trip to europe at the end of May to hit up numerous Swiss and French races and World Cups with Nathan Rankin and Mike Skinner. We will then hook-up with Craig Pattle and other New Zealand rippers. More news as it happens on that front.

LOOK OUT for the fundraising race to help me and Skina get over seas run by CMMBC being run late in April along with the NZ Drift 3 premiere the same weekend. Get yourself there!

Also Im off to the USA next Tuesday April 4th to attend the Sea Otter Classic with help from team Maxxis and John Kirkaldie. Word!