After the success of the inaugural event, the Enduro MTB National Championships have been confirmed in Nelson for 2024 and 2025, Cycling New Zealand announced today.
The popular Cable Bay Enduro will again partner with Nelson Mountain Bike Club and Cycling New Zealand to stage the 2024 championships at the Cable Bay Adventure Park near Nelson, with the 2025 venue to be confirmed.
Enduro MTB is a fast-growing mountain bike discipline, and identifies most closely with the recreational mountain biker. It is like a motor rally with riders competing over a series of timed stages on a range of challenging terrain. Competitors ride from stage to stage over untimed liaisons between timed stages.
At the sharp end of the sport, the Enduro World Cup has grown significantly with modern enduro involving five or six timed stages, mostly downhill and varying in length and difficulty, with the transfer stages usually uphill.
New Zealand riders have already made their mark internationally with the likes of current national champions Rae Morrison and Charlie Murray, and Ed Masters among the world’s best. Last week Pivot Factory professional Matt Walker from Bay of Plenty won the elite men’s UCI Enduro World Cup in Italy.
Cycling New Zealand CEO Simon Peterson said the inaugural championship was extremely successful and well run, with the organisation delighted to return to Nelson for 2024 and 2025.
The Nelson Mountain Bike Club are “stoked” to secure the Enduro Mountain Bike National Championships in the Nelson Tasman region for the next two years.
“The team worked hard on delivering the inaugural event in 2023, and we can only see the event going from strength to strength in 2024 and 2025,”said Jono Corfield from the Nelson Mountain Bike Club.
“The club is extremely lucky to be working alongside the Cable Bay Enduro team and Cable Bay Adventure Park for the 2024 event, on the back of a hugely successful and greatly publicised 2023 event. We would also like to say a huge thanks to MTBNZ and CNZ for their support during the process over the last 18 months.”
Cable Bay Enduro organiser Jess Harvey said: “We are over the moon for the opportunity to deliver the Enduro MTB National Championships as part of the Cable Bay Enduro in 2024, a privilege not taken lightly.
“Drawing on our experience from last time, we will raise the bar to yet another level in 2024 and are hopeful that people indulge in an extra couple of days either side of the event to sample some exceptional riding throughout the Nelson Tasman region.”
The national championship will be staged for elite and under-21 divisions for females and males which will carry full national status on to the international stage. The associated Cable Bay enduro event will again include categories for age groups from under-15 to Masters.
Nelson-Tasman to host Enduro MTB National Champs next two years
The success of the first Enduro MTB National Championships in Nelson in March has seen the region secure the event for the next two years.
The 2023 Enduro MTB National Championships saw more than 170 riders from all around the country participate earlier this year, including Charlie Murray and Eddie Masters who are some of the nation’s best.
As a result of its success, Cable Bay Enduro in partnership with Nelson Mountain Bike Club and Cycling New Zealand have announced that the 2024 and 2025 iteration will again take place in Nelson.
Next year’s venue has been confirmed as Cable Bay Adventure Park and 2025’s venue is yet to be confirmed.
Cycling New Zealand CEO Simon Peter was “delighted” to return to Nelson for 2024 and 2025.
The Nelson Bike Club were also “stoked” to secure the championship in the region for the next two years.
“The team worked really hard on delivering the inaugural event in 2023, and we can only see the event going from strength to strength in 2024 and 2025,” club spokesperson Jono Corfield said.
The news comes on the back a “hugely successful” event this year and the club felt extremely lucky to work alongside the Cable Bay Enduro team and Cable Bay Adventure Park to bring it all back next year, Corfield said.
Cable Bay Enduro organiser Jess Harvey said they were “over the moon” to host the championships in 2024.
Harvey said they were aiming to raise the bar to “yet another level in 2024” and “hopeful” the event would tempt visitors to try out Nelson-Tasman’s riding tracks.
Enduro racing is a fast-paced and fast-growing mountain bike discipline that functions almost like a motor rally.
Riders compete over a series of timed stages and on a range of challenging terrains where riders are timed primarily in the downhill parts of the race and not the uphill.
The national championships are staged for elite and under-21 divisions for females and males to make it onto the international stage but the associated Cable Bay Enduro event will again include categories for age groups under-15 to masters.
First Enduro National Championships to be held in NZ
The Cable Bay Enduro is excited to partner with Nelson Mountain Bike Club and Cycling NZ to deliver the first ever Enduro MTB National Championships in 2023.
Select categories will be able to battle it out for the ‘Enduro MTB National Champion’ titl bringing further legitimacy to the enduro racing discipline and the New Zealand flag onto sleeves for the 2023 international race season.
We are proud to be able to offer this amazing opportunity while staying true to our ‘High-level race with a low-key vibe’ vision!
We want to thank Cycling NZ, MTBNZ official, Cable Bay Adventure Park and Nelson MTB Club for making this possible.
Race Report: New Zealand’s First Enduro National Champions Crowned in Nelson
The weekend 3rd-5th of March saw first time racers, international pros and everyone in between descend upon Nelson to take part in the Enduro MTB National Championships at the Cable Bay Enduro. The race is in its fourth year running and has become a staple on the NZ Enduro racing calendar, this year the race was particularly interesting for anyone wanting to acquire UCI points to go race the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup overseas. 10 categories in total made up the National Championships. Under 21 and Elite were the UCI sanctioned categories where the winner from both men and women would claim the National Champion title and the right to carry the NZ flag on their race kit sleeve for the 2023 season.
This event is proud to be a high-level race with a low-key vibe where racers of any experience level can take part and have a great day out. Hence, this year, along with the inclusion of the National Championships a Junior Enduro was put on to allow up and coming young shredders who were not quite at the level or age for the main event to get between the tape and be a part of this historic event.
Race Day 1 - Saturday 4 March
While the Junior’s raced their 3-stage enduro the main event participants had a morning of practice. The Junior Enduro saw some serious action - what some of these people lack in height they bring in skill and steeze - The overall winners were as follows:
Girls:
1st: Lucy Vincent
2nd Nina McIntosh
3rd: Sophie Vincent
Boys:
1st: Rio Crisp
2nd Orin Harbinson
3rd: Carter Bisdee
The full results can be found here.
Once the post-race feed, Juicies and Appleby Farms Ice Cream had been devoured, the podium finishers applauded, the photos taken and the spot prizes snapped up the stoked and excitable bunch took off to make some noise on the official Cable Bay Enduro 2023 first stage.
Stage 1 was a run from the top of CCR into lower Gamble and finally Pineline (a clear crowd favorite). The track side was positively littered with noisy spectators and the vibe near the finish utterly electrifying. By 5:30 pm the whole field of 180 racers had made their way down and Shannon Hewetson and George Swift had both set themselves up nicely ahead of day 2 - but with another 5 stages to go the following day, the outcome was far from decided.
That evening many racers and spectators reconvened at the Cable Bay Adventure Park Base Cafe for dinner, live music and more than a few questionable yarns brought about from the day 1 action.
Race Day 2 - Sunday 5 March
Day 2 came along with an early start for some with the first shuttle leaving the bottom at 8.30am. The shuttle would bring the racers up part of the hill and leave them to their own devices for the rest of the day as they conquered the 27 kms and 1450m elevation across 5 stages of grade 4-5 trail. The weather provided a fair bit of moisture which meant for some added bit of spice in the racing, particularly on stage 5 - Hot Sauce.
As racers were finishing up their day and joining friends, family and fellow racers down at the event village it was Eddyline Brewery and the post-race buffet put on by the Base Cafe that ensured both energy levels and spirits stayed high. Prize giving was, as per usual, a spectacle more than just a prize giving and contained classic components such as The Cable Bay Adventure Park Dig Crew Blazer Ceremony, where volunteer trail builders who had dedicated a considerable amount of time during the last year to improving the MTB playground we had raced all over were honored with a Dig Crew branded blazer - Congrats to Aaron, Kerry, Tom, Gareth, Ben and Rory for joining the blazer team and a huge thanks to all the trail crew for the incredible effort they put in to expand the trail network and keep it maintained to a high standard.
The organisers would like to thank Cable Bay Adventure Park for continuing to let people access the park for free and for providing such a quality proving ground for mountain biking in the region, Village Cycles and Specialized as naming sponsors, all the other valued sponsors of the event which can be found here, MTBNZ, Cycling NZ and Nelson MTB Club without whom a National Championship in Enduro would not have been possible, all the racers and supporters and last but not least the incredibly hard working and committed group of volunteers who not only keep riders safe and ensure the event runs smoothly but who bring so much energy and vibe with their passion and love for seeing others excel and grow - A massive Thank You to you all!
Full Pinkbike race report here.
