Nelson riders on the world stage
Nelson’s mountainbike trails are among the best in the world and so too are the riders. Phillip Rollo caught up with six of the region’s top talents on two wheels.
RAEWYN ENDURO
MORRISON
JAMIE NICOLL – ENDURO
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Wellington-born Raewyn Morrison moved to Nelson for the coffee, wine and of course the mountainbiking. She has just completed Enduro World Series where she finished ninth overall thanks to spectacular fifth place performances the final two legs, in Spain and Ireland. Morrison, 25, has been riding for the past 10 years, her best achievement back home was claiming the New Zealand Crown as the number one ranked female rider in the country this year and her latest aim is to become a professional rider.
Team: Giant Bicycles New Zealand
Best achievement: Top ranked female for the NZ 2015 Season (NZ Crown).
Favourite Nelson ride: 629. It’s a fantastic track to ride with some fast and flowy sections and then some steep technical corners added into the mix. It is one of those trails that leaves you with a huge ear to ear grin every time. Even at 37-years-old Jamie Nicoll continues to shine on the world stage. The Wellington-born rider, who has been living in Nelson for six years, finished 40th in the Enduro World Series this year despite missing the fourth leg in France. His best performance was the series opener in Rotorua, where he finished 29th, but Nicoll’s main focus has been multi-day events including the Trans Provence six-day race where he placed third. Team: Polygon UR Best achievement: Third place at the Crankworx Whistler EWS leg in 2012.
Favourite Nelson ride: Sunshine into Peeking Ridge. The roots’ roughness and the speed you can carry once you have it dialled.
ANKA MARTIN – ENDURO
Born in South Africa, Anka Martin has only lived in Nelson for ‘‘four short years’’, moving here with her husband, Sven, who is a mountainbike rider himself and one of the sport’s leading photographers. Martin, 38, has a list of stellar international results far too long for this section but her latest, finishing 12th overall in the Enduro World Series, proves the former South African downhill champion is still on top of her game. Team: Juliana SRAM Pro Team Best achievement: Winner of the 2013 Trans Provence.
Favourite Nelson ride: Peaking Ridge. That was the first track we rode when we came to check out the town. Simon Bannister took us down that and I pretty much had to learn how to ride a bike again. I loved and still love the challenge of this particular track and the majority of the tracks in and around Nelson. There is always something that challenges you and pushes your riding.
KIM NEWTON – DOWNHILL
Kim Newton is one of the region’s most promising riders and has just returned from his first UCI World Mountain Bike Championships in Andorra, where he placed 27th in the junior men’s section. The 19-year-old from Upper Moutere is a laid back character but said he would love to compete on the world stage again, eyeing up a move into the elite men’s class for the future. ‘‘I loved riding in my Kiwi jersey,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a cool feeling when you’re trying to ride as fast as you can and there’s people all along the the track shouting ‘go Kiwi!’"
Team: 3Sixty Racing NZ
Best achievement: Second place the junior men’s iXS in Czech Republic.
Favourite Nelson ride: Kaka in the Maitai would probably be my favourite downhill track around; it’s rough, fast and fun. And Codgers in the Brook is always awesome for a quick lap on my trail bike.
VERONIQUE DOWNHILL
SANDLER
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Veronique Sandler, 22, recently lined up at the UCI World Championship in Andorra and finished 24th place in the elite women’s section. She moved to Nelson because ‘‘our family wanted to live somewhere cooler than Auckland’’ and the former Nelson College for Girls student has relished the chance to have some world class trails in her backyard. She only spends two months a year in the region, coming back after the international season, but said she is frequently told by other international riders that they love biking in Nelson too. Team: Loose riders Best achievement: 11th place at the 2014 UCI World Cup in Fort William, Scotland.
Favourite Nelson ride: I love the Fringed Hill track because it’s super long and rough just like a World Cup track. Perfect practice before heading overseas to race.
MEGGIE BICHARD – ENDURO
Born in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, 30-year-old Meggie Bichard has been a welcome addition to the Nelson mountainbike scene and it seems that the feeling is mutual. Bichard says: ‘‘Nelson epitomises my values in how I want to live my life; melting pot of international like minded people where the environmental assets are key to people’s life choices.’’ Despite riding as a privateer, Bichard finished seventh on the Enduro World Series, an achievement that surely makes her one of Nelson’s top international athletes and should help grab the attention of professional team managers. Team: N/A Best achievement: Seventh place overall in the 2015 Enduro World Series.
Favourite Nelson ride: Peaking Ridge. It is a rugged and beautiful beech forest escape just out of town.