New Zealand National CX Championships 2022: Riders to watch
We’ve already covered what this weekend’s Aotearoa Crossfest and New Zealand National Championships course will look like in our course preview, but after all the age group racing is said and done, who will be the main contenders for the silver fern jersey?
We sat down with SouthernCrossCX president Ryan Cooney to chat about the key contenders for the UCI categories at the 2022 New Zealand Cyclocross Championships.
Junior Women
Maria Laurie tears up round 4 of SouthernCross CX this year on her way to an A Grade win.
Photo: David Webb
This will be just the second time that the Junior Women’s title will be awarded, after 2021 saw New Zealand became the first nation in history to hand out a CX national champion’s jersey for Junior Women.
Christchurch local Maria Laurie is the only entrant in the category this year.
‘She’s a very strong contender’ said Cooney. ‘Obviously only in a category of one at the moment, but we’ll see what’s the sensible thing to do with that’, possibly hinting that the Junior Women’s race might be integrated with the Elite and U23 Women’s race later on Sunday.
While it’s a shame we won’t see a battle for the jersey, given that she’s the U19 national champion in Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) mountain biking, the South Island’s U20 Women’s CX Champion, and a winner of Women’s A Grade at the most recent SouthernCross CX club round - she’ll certainly be a worthy winner.
Junior Men
In contrast to the lone entrant of the Junior Women’s race, the 12 riders in the Junior Men’s race mean that there’ll be more starters than either of the Elite races!
Last year’s title was won by Coen Nicol, ahead of Maui Morrison and Ben Wilson - all three are from the North Island, and all three are back again in 2022!
Nicol recently won the U20 Men’s title in very wet and muddy conditions at the North Island Schools CX championships at Black Barn Vineyards.
Maui Morrison alternates between CX, road, MTB and track while riding for the Fruzio ILABB Development team, and finished second in this event last year.
His Fruzio ILABB teammate Noah Hollamby will also be in the mix for the South Island crowd, having held his own against much older riders in SouthernCross CX’s A grade racing throughout the year.
Coen Nicol takes the U20 Men’s title at the recent North Island CX Schools Championships at Black Barn Vineyards.
Photo: @oolbike
Elite and U23 Women
Mary-Ann Moller is the highest placed finisher from the 2021 Women’s Elite National Championship to line up in 2022.
Photo: @lisangphoto
As these two grades will race at the same time we’ll preview them together.
Former Olympic triathlete and defending CX national champion Kate McIlroy won’t be taking to the start line this year, so one of the 9 starters in the Women’s Elite race will become the Kiwi national champion for the first time.
The highest placed finisher from last year’s national championships is North Islander - and Between The Tape rider! - Mary-Ann Moller.
The Upper Hutt native was fourth over the line last year, but was bumped up to a spot on the podium after her sister Myra (who originally finished third) couldn’t be classified due to a technicality.
Despite winning a couple of club races earlier in the year, her most recent result is a 3rd in Women’s A Grade at the most recent round of Huttcross, and in our chat with her earlier this week she was keen to downplay her chances.
When speaking to Cooney, he seemed to think local rider Amy Hollamby would well be up to the challenge.
Amy Hollamby gives it some gas uphill at round 2 of SouthernCross CX earlier in 2022.
Photo: David Webb
’Mary-Ann Moller will be the contender, but Amy Hollamby has been the leader of the Women’s A Grade here at SouthernCross all season and will give her a good run for her money…I think the key story will be the battle between Amy and Mary-Ann.’
Both of those main contenders will have family as well as fans cheering from the sidelines - Mary-Ann is a mum of two boys who are likely to be ripping up the kids races and Amy’s son Noah will competing in the Junior Men’s race.
Also making the trip down from the North Island is Judy Cheng, who finished 4th in Women’s Elite last year and finished ahead of Moller at the most recent round of Hüttcross. With the unpredictable nature of CX racing, she could well be one to watch.
Annabel Bligh before the start of R1 of Southern Cross CX in 2021.
Photo: @aerialandsportsphotography
Now to the Under 23 Women’s race! Annabel Bligh was second in the Junior Women’s category last year, but has since aged up to U23. After racing MTBs overseas earlier this year, she’s come home to New Zealand. ‘She’s been recovering from an injury’ said Cooney, ‘so it’ll be interesting to see how she gets on.’
Caitlin Titheridge is the only other rider in the category, who comes from a gravity MTB background. The Christchurch local has raced on flat bars in a couple of SouthernCross CX club races this year, but will presumably be switching to drop bars for this race.
As with the U23 Men, if one of the U23 Women finishes ahead of all the Elite Women’s riders, they will win the U23 title alone, and no Elite jersey will be awarded.
Elite and U23 Men
Ollie Jones in action at round 4 of SouthernCross CX.
Photo: David Webb
There will be a total of 14 men taking to the start line for the Elite and U23 Men’s race at the NZ National Championships this year, all starting at the same time.
2021 Elite and U23 champion Josh Burnett won’t be defending his title this year, and there are 7 riders lined up to contend for the Elite Men’s crown in 2022, with another 7 in contention for the U23 jersey.
Jacob Turner tips it in on his way to victory at Round 2 of this year’s Southern Cross CX.
Photo: David Webb
The best placed finisher from last year is North Islander Callum Kennedy, who finished just off the podium in 4th. Taking it up to him will beOlline Jones of Christchurch, who rides on the road for the St George Continental Cycling team, and has won a couple of rounds of SouthernCross CX as well.
‘Ollie Jones will be the South Island contender, and probably Callum Kennedy will be the man for the North Island’ said Cooney.
While none of the top 3 from last year’s championship race are returning, Cooney think that one of the biggest challenge to Kennedy and Jones might come from the younger brigades.
‘[U23 rider] Jacob Turner has been riding very strongly in SouthernCross this year, and I’d expect him to have a very good nudge’ says Cooney. ‘I would definitely put Jacob down as one to watch - he’s got a bit of fire in the belly [after a 9th place finish last year].’
The other South Islander best placed to deliver a result for the home crowd is Daniel Lovegrove, who finished 4th last year and recently won the men’s U20 title at the recent South Island Schools CX Championships.
Daniel Lovegrove gets out of the saddle at Round 2 of SouthernCross CX earlier this year.
Photo: David Webb
Among the other U23 riders, Adam Francis was 5th overall last year and the second U23 finisher, and will be the second rider called up to the grid. He finished 3rd in the famously tough Karapoti MTB Classic back in May.
As with the U23 Women, if one of the U23 Men finishes ahead of all the Elite Men’s riders, they will win the U23 title alone, and no Elite jersey will be awarded.