Updates
Press release - 15/3/2010
With one of New Zealand's largest mountain bike rides on show, Colville turned on a stunning day last Saturday for the thousand odd riders that turned up to race. Riders have been coming to Colville (or “Coolville” as it has become known popularly to mountain bikers) for the Kona Colville Connection now for nine years, making it one of the must do events on the mountain biking calendar. In fact there are three courses to choose from, all starting and finishing in Colville; the signature race, the 72km Kona Colville Connection which passes up the east coast to Port Charles, around the remote northern end of the peninsula on the coastal track and then back down the west coast through Port Jackson; the Ground Effect Get on Yer Bike 45km which attracts the rugged heavy duty off-road junkies; and the 24km Jungle Safari which is for those that want a shorter or more straightforward course. With riders turning up from 7 countries and from Cable Bay in the (very) Far North of New Zealand to Invercargill in the south, the competition was hot.
On the 72km marathon course junior rider Nigel McDowell from Rotorua was in the leading bunch from the start, got away from the field on one of the big climbs out of Big Sandy Bay, stayed out front around the coastal track, but was then gathered in by last year's winner, Scott Thorne from Hamilton on the return . McDowell hung on to Thorne down through Port Jackson, Fantail Bay and Otautu to unexpectedly sprint away in the last couple of kms to win by a 26 second margin. Although not the first time a junior has won the event, this was a great ride by the young man, who took full advantage of the hard, fast riding surfaces and the light winds to set a new record time of 2:48:10 for the ride. Karen Hanlen from Whakatane won the women's division ahead of last year's winner, Pam Hewlett of Auckland.
Carl Jones of Rotorua won the 45km Ground Effect Get on Yer bike with a time of 2:12:27 from Adrian Retief also of Rotorua. Both riders were using the race as preparation for the Oceania MTB Champs next weekend and basically rode away from the field from the start. The course has undergone considerable change from 2009 and received high praise from the riders for its mix of moderated climbing requirements, demanding technical sections, fast descents and outstanding scenery. In the women's division Monique Avery from Rotorua won by just over a minute from Adrienne Hooper of West Auckland.
Under 16yr old Lewis Hart of Papamoa won the Jungle Safari 24km from Katherine O'Neill of Rotorua in a time of 59:29. Although Hart won in a smart time, O'Neill's ride into second was probably one of the outstanding rides of the day only narrowly missing out on a stupendous, upset female win.....
The event is based at Colville School – a major beneficiary of the event - and involves tremendous input from the local community. Given the limited population of the area this is a significant effort in its own right. The event will have its 10th anniversary in 2011 and organiser Jim Davidson advises plans are already underway to make sure it will be remembered by some unique features.....
Rider Information - All you need to know about course markers, location of drink stations, marshalls first aid and more....... (Here)
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2010 Polo & T-Shirt Design |
| Due to supply problems the Polo will be Silver Grey with white trim |
Large sizes available upon request:
Up to 5XL Mens Polos and T-Shirts
Up to 24 Womens Polos and 20 Womens T-Shirts
Simply send us an email info@colvilleconnection.co.nz |
