Mammoth Enduro lives up to its billing
It’s been called New Zealand’s toughest single-day enduro event – but even the youngest riders demonstrated their strengths in the hills behind Nelson.
The Mammoth Enduro mountain bike event was held on Saturday. The sell-out event saw 125 riders taking in nine stages of Grade 4-6 trails between the Brook and Maitai Valleys.
The event is one of the highest profile events hosted by the Nelson Mountain Bike Club.
Now in its third edition, the event was chosen as a New Zealand Enduro World Series (EWS) qualifier event this year, having grown in global reputation in its first two editions.
True to the event’s name, the event tested riders in a big way across 52km of often-muddy terrain riding with 2000m of climbing and 3000m descending required.
In an Enduro event only the downhill sections are timed.
‘‘The goal was New Zealand’s toughest single-day enduro – I think we succeeded,’’ NMTBC secretary Paul Jennings said.
Under-21 rider Brady Stone and Anja McDonald, in the women’s masters, took the overall honours, finishing in 44min 33.10sec and 57min 59.21sec respectively.
Stone’s win included three stage wins and underlined an impressive return for the junior riders, with the top-10 men all breaking the 49-minute mark.
Kieran Bennett won the open category – which featured 12 nonfinishers – in a time of 45:15.61, edging out Jonas Meier by just under 33 seconds.
Kris Limmer held off Jennings to take out the masters men’s category, while Cindy Chantreaux and Amber Werensteyn claimed the women’s open and under-21 sections
Still to come over summer is the seventh Annual Dodzy Memorial Enduro on February 2 and 3. The first wave of entry spots were snapped up in seconds on Monday evening.
The following week will see 350 riders descend on the region for the four-day Aorere Enduro, a round of the Asia-Pacific Continental Enduro Series.