2009 Brake Burner race

Jaws dropped as the results of the 2009 Brake Burner race were announced this afternoon to a packed audience at the Coronet Peak mountain bike park. Winner of the solo men?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s category for the past two years and hot favourite, a gutted Geoff Small dropped down to seventh place thanks to an ill timed puncture. Picked as a strong favourite, on form local rider Paul Angus delivered in spades notching up 17 laps in the allotted six hour time frame. Hot on his tail throughout the race, were second place getter Andy Reid and third, Karl Strode-Penny.

The hotly contested men?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s team category went to the the dynamic duo of Kashi Leuchs and Lawrence Mote but only by a whisker ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú Queenstown locals Tim Ceci and Jamie Tilbury of Vertigo Bikes snuck in right behind them with a tiny 35 second time difference. Local women?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s team Queenstown Girls didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t let last minute changes put them off their stride with a clear win in the women?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s team category. In the veteran men?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s team category Tony Moore and Neill Renwick managed an impressive 16 laps off the couch, which just goes to show you don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t need to be young to be fast.

Emmeline Tagot, the number one French downhiller cleaned up in the women?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s solo category with a decisive 10 minute lead over her rivals.

Greg McIntyre, race director, commented ?¢‚Ǩ?ìOnce again the uphill was a bit of a killer on the racers, but the 8000 metres of downhill the leaders notched up made up for it! The action in the pit lane mixed with the competitive yet relaxed atmosphere of the support crews chilling out made for another near perfect and fun Brake Burner race. I loved seeing 14 to 49 year olds mixed in with elite riders all on the same track tearing it up and having a great time. But a race like this couldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t be held without the Coronet Peak mountain bike facility ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s wicked and with continued development it can only add value to the Wakatipu as a mountain biking destination?¢‚Ǩ¬ù.

Full results will be posted on the Brake Burner website later today – www.brakeburner.co.nz.