It’s one down and five to go for Titirangi’s Callan May.
The Yamaha rider was a convincing winner of the first round of six in the 2018 NZXC Series near Tokoroa just over a week ago and now he’s aiming to make it two victories in a row by repeating that at the second round of the popular cross-country racing competition, near Palmerston North this Sunday afternoon.
Riders such as Wainuiomata’s Jake Whitaker, South Auckland rider Richard Sutton, Cambridge’s Ashton Grey, Whitianga’s Blake Wilkins and Rotorua’s Bradley Lauder, to name a few, might have something to say about that and May surely knows there’s a target on his back.
The course for this Sunday’s race has been is set out in the sandy Taikorea Motorcycle Park, near Himatangi, a venue that May is very familiar with, having undergone training sessions there with the land owner, former Kiwi international and former United States cross-country champion Paul Whibley.
But sand is an unpredictable surface, treacherous at times and May knows he can take nothing for granted.
Sutton is perhaps one rider, in particular, whom May should respect.
Sutton has the smallest bike in the competition, but the man from Ararimu, east of Ramarama, showed at round one that success is less about horsepower and more about pure riding talent.
The 27-year-old plumber took his Yamaha YZ125 to finish third overall at Tokoroa.
Despite lining up in the senior expert grade to race alongside riders on 250cc, 300cc and 450cc bikes, Sutton and his 125cc bike were quick off the mark when a shotgun blast signalled the start to the two-hour senior race.
He was among the leading bunch of riders as the bikes shot off the forestry road and into the undergrowth for the first time and he found himself fifth overall at the end of the first of what would eventually be five 15-kilometre laps.
Whitaker (KTM 300XC) led from May (Yamaha YZ240FX) early on in the Tokoroa race and a gap quickly widened over the chasing bunch, which meant they were possibly never going to be caught by Sutton or the others.
In the end, May snatched the lead from Whitaker and went on to win the race by one minute, with Sutton eventually moving up to claim third overall, seven minutes further back, and Grey settled for fourth, crossing the finish line just over a minute behind Sutton.
May was naturally thrilled to get the win.
“I had a bit of arm pump to deal with, but was happy to stalk Jake (Whitaker) and check out his lines,” said May afterwards
“I have been away from racing for the past eight months because of injury, so it was good to be back on the pace.”
All of these riders will no doubt be keen to continue on and challenge for glory throughout the rest of the NZXC Series.
Meanwhile, Napier’s Bryn Codd (Yamaha YZ125) and Taupo’s Will Yeoman (Yamaha YZ125) battled it out for glory in the 90-minute junior race, held earlier in the day at Tokoroa, with Codd eventually taking the win by just over a minute.
Tirau’s Alex Butler (KTM 250 XC-F), Oparau’s Hunter Scott (KTM 85SX) and Cambridge’s Mitch Thorburn (Honda CRF250) also impressed, finishing third, fourth and fifth respectively at Tokoroa and they could again be expected to feature this weekend.
After Sunday’s event, the Yamaha NZXC Series continues at Muriwai on September 2; hits Matata on October 13; then heads to the Woodhill Forest, on November 10, before it finally wraps up at Waimiha, in the King Country, on December 8.
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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