Tarawera 50 Results
Saturday successes
The Tarawera 50 is promoted as a fun event and the good organization and the great weather ensured that the Tauranga riders who went down there truly enjoyed their day. They also came back with some very good results.
Ashley Bond put her disastrous 2009 showing behind her, got the holeshot on Saturday and, with the help of an “on fire” pit crew, kept the lead for 3 laps. However a couple of mess ups on some hills and getting caught behind lapped riders meant she lost ground to her main rivals Phoebe Hill and Zoe Jurd who took the overall 1st and 2nd placings. “”It was pretty close,” says Ashley, all three of us managed to finish within a minute of each other and our last laps were our fastest ones. Phoebe and Zoe put up a great race. I won the 16-25 years Novice Women class so I’m happy with my results.”
For Christina Cameron (pictured above), at her first Tarawera 50, the 4th place in the 12-15 years Young Ladies category and 6th place overall were fantastic. She only missed the last spot on the podium by 30 seconds. She was passed when she fell off just before the end of the second to last lap and just couldn’t get back the 30 seconds gap that had resulted. Note to self. I must learn to not fall off.
They start them young at the Tarawera 50. It was Cameron Graham’s third time at the event and now that he’s 9, he is really enjoying competing. Second place in the 7-10 years Beginner class and 3rd place overall have made him really proud and he’s sure to be back again next year.
Heather Campbell rode the 36 years+ Novice women’s race and finished 4th in her class and 28th overall.
Congratulations to all these riders and to any we might have missed.
