While exciting young mountain bikers continue to stretch the boundaries in the sport, some older heads will be keen to show they are far from a spent force at the Cycling New Zealand MTB Nationals in Rotorua this weekend.
Leading the way is Canterbury 30-year-old Anton Cooper, making his return to the sharp end of cross-country racing as he looks to become the first kiwi rider to achieve 10 national elite titles.
After illness forced him out of a tilt at the Paris Olympic Games, Cooper returns to an exciting new global team in Lapierre Racing Unity with a fresh outlook for the future.
“The team has existed on one way or another for a long time – one of the oldest on the circuit. It is the third year that Lapierre has been the bike. Overall, it is a very good bike. I am really happy with it and it has come together well,” said Cooper.
“I am pretty good. My form is much, much better than say October, November. I am building all the time which is great. I have built a lot since the win in Dunedin where I was not expected to win.
“The health has been good which has allowed me to train well, and with that I have built form which is all I really needed. We are in a good space.
“I didn’t feature in the World Cup last year so everything is a step forward this year.”
After nationals, Cooper races two rounds of the Continental series in Canberra before aiming for a return to the UCI World Cups in Brazil.
The former junior and under-23 world champion claimed his first elite XCO national crown in 2013, and has enjoyed success in Rotorua with three championship wins.
His competition is likely from 2023 winner Matthew Wilson, who has been impressive in the national series, and Taupo’s Coen Nicol, who won the final round in treacherous conditions.
Nicol will also be a major threat to Trek Future Racing professional Ethan Rose who will be looking to defend his under-23 crown.
Taupo’s Sammie Maxwell, recently turned 23, has already chalked up four straight elite women’s titles as well as a clean sweep of the MTBNZ national series.
The Decathlon Ford Racing rising star, a former under-23 world champion, is in a league of her own. The experienced competition comes from 2020 champion Josie Wilcox (Nelson), runner-up in Queenstown last year and defending U23 winner Maria Laurie (Christchurch).
The young rising U19 riders to watch include Kayley MacMillan (Morrinsville), Millie Junge (Christchurch), while 2024 champion Millie Donald is out with injury. The U19 men’s is shaping up for a battle between 2023 Oceania Champion Fletcher Adams and James Climo, who performed dominantly throughout the 2025 National Series.
The gravity riders are also an intriguing mix of proven performers and gripping young guns.
While the emerging riders have been thrilling, watch for the venerable experience of Sam Blenkinsop (Christchurch) and Brook MacDonald (Rotorua). The pair has four national elite titles and 13 podiums between them. They can never be counted out, especially in Rotorua.
The young charge is led by last year’s winner Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory DH), 2023 elite winner Toby Meek (MeekBoyz), former junior winners Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton) and Tuhotu-Ariki Pene (MS Racing), runner-up overall last year, and in-form Sam Gale.
Last year their times were eclipsed by the junior winner Tyler Waite, who moves to the Yeti Fox Factory pro team, and is sure to set a target along with Oli Clark, just signed for MS Racing.
There are several internationals training in New Zealand who are competing, including former world champion and enduro ace, Rich Rude Jnr (USA).
While four-time national champion Jess Blewitt is looking to a return from injury for the 2025 world circuit, she is not quite ready for racing. It leaves former junior world champion Jenna Hastings (Rotorua, Pivot Factory) as the rider to beat along with Trek Factory professional and two-time junior world medallist Sacha Earnest.
With double junior world champion Erice van Leuven recovering from a recent significant crash, watch for rising stars Eliana Hulsebosch (Tauranga), who ventures on the world circuit this year with the crack Santa Cruz team, and Rotorua’s Bellah Birchall, plus German professional Nina Hoffman.
Racing for cross-country is on Saturday over a 4.9km circuit with a 221m elevation gain, based in the Whakarewarewa Forest. The downhill competition will run for the final time over the famed Taniwha Trail, a 1.8km run with a 309m descent, with the area planned for logging.