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MAY 7, 2007: As seems to be the tradition with New Zealand cross-country bike races, the see-saw battling went right down to the final few minutes on Sunday.
Taupo’s Nick Saunders (Kawasaki) snatched a dramatic last-lap win to pick up the first national title of his career when he won the New Zealand Cross-country Championships near Waipukurau on Sunday, in circumstances that everyone described as “unbelievable”.
Te Awamutu’s Mark Penny (Suzuki) had enjoyed a one-minute lead as the riders began their final lap on the hilly farmland course just outside Waipukurau and he seemed comfortable as he set out for his 12th and final 16-kilometre lap of the gruelling three-hour race.
But Penny came unstuck as he crashed and catapulted himself into a swamp, almost within sight of the chequered flag.
Saunders stormed past the hapless Penny and Jason Moorfield (Te Kauwhata, Kawasaki) took the overall runner-up spot, with Yamaha’s Heath Howlett (Ngaruawahia) finishing third.
Despite his misfortune, North Island Cross-country Champion Penny still managed seventh overall but he described the outcome as “devastating”.
Defending champion Adrian Smith (Awakino, Honda) finished fifth overall.
The 22-year-old Saunders was naturally elated at winning his first national title.
“I rode at round three of the North Island Cross-country Championships three weeks ago but I fell to pieces,” he said. “I was sick that day … had headaches and was vomiting. Nothing like that today though and I feel good enough to carry on,” he said afterwards.
“I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw Penny stuck in a bog on that last lap.”
Penny said a rider being lapped kicked up dust and he was momentarily blinded and he shot off the track at high speed.
“The bike’s front wheel dropped into a hole and I went over the bars. My bad luck was unbelievable today,” he said.
