The Prospector MTB Stage Race
Big Climbs, Epic Views and Fast Racing on Stage
Press Release / 11.03.2023
The second day of the Prospector MTB Stage Race kicked off at 8am for Stage 1 at Earnscleugh, with ideal weather conditions once again turning it on for the riders. A challenging 56km loop including 2100m of elevation gain, meant the riders experienced a truly classic style MTB course exploring the backcountry 4WD and farm tracks in the hills surrounding Alexandra.
Priscilla Thompson and Mary Gray (Priscilla & Mary) continued their domination of the Female Team category crossing the finish line in a time of 3 hours, 49 minutes, 31 seconds, extending their lead to over 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of Granny Gear Gals Jennifer Tregurtha and Leah Stewart. “Lots of climbing, lots of chatting, and a bit of suffering. But the downhill section at the end was awesome,” adds Gray. “It was such great vibes out there.”
Samara Sheppard and Australian partner Kyle Ward (ANZ) also extended their lead in the Mixed Team event to 38 minutes over Gabby Buchannan and Karl Laurence (Top Gear Cycles), even after suffering a puncture just before the final descent to the finish. “It was a great day out there for us today,” says Sheppard. “We managed to hang on to the boys for as long as we could going up the first climb, and then we set our own pace for the rest of the day. Today’s scenery was absolutely magnificent. It’s very special to be able to ride where we went today, as most of it is on private property. To have access to the backcountry was really awesome and a lot of fun.”
Team Julbo – Akatrax with Craig Oliver and Ethan Rose, continue to reign in the Men’s field with a strong showing at the front. But it’s the battle for the minor placings where the race is really heating up. Sitting in second place heading into today’s stage, Team Talley’s Cameron Jones and Matt Wilson suffered a mechanical with a puncture and a cracked rim, dropping them down to fourth overall after the two days of racing and, unless they can produce a miracle ride tomorrow, taking them out of the hunt for the overall top spot.
Only one second separated second place-getters Ben Oliver and Eddie Adams (NZ Cycling Project – MitoQ) as they crossed the finish line ahead of the Aussie boys Double Trouble - Reece and Reesy’s Reece Tucknott and Brent Rees. Overall standings have NZ Cycling Project – MitoQ just ahead with a slim margin of one and a half minutes as they head into the final Stage 2 tomorrow.
“There was lots of great racing out there today with the big hills on Earnscleugh Station spreading out the field,” says Race Director Jimmy Williamson. “There’s plenty of racing within the race too, with the Master’s category particularly strong. But anything can happen tomorrow for Stage 2 and the final day of racing, as the riders take on 58km of largely single track around Matangi Station. It will no doubt produce more exciting racing and hopefully, lead to some more close finishes.”
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