“
“I rode smart and didn’t
do anything too extreme”
~ Groombridge
“I knew I’d wrapped up the title after
Saturday’s effort and I didn’t know whether
the rules were that I still had to race on
Sunday,” said Groombridge.
“So I raced Sunday anyway, just to be sure.”
Groombridge won the day at Santoft by 52
seconds from Whanganui’s Seth Reardon
and he won the day at Martinborough by 18
seconds from Masterton’s Jacob Hyslop.
“There were a few riders missing from the
champs this year and so there possibly
could have been four or five of us fighting
for the title,” said Groombridge. “With them
out, it made things a little easier, but I still
needed to ride well and to finish each day to
get the job done. I rode smart and didn’t do
anything too extreme.
“I want to race all three codes – the
motocross, cross-country and enduro
nationals – next year too. That’s the plan
anyway, if I’m not away racing overseas.
We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Notable absentees from the national title
chase this season included 2017 champion
Angus Macdonald and his equally-talented
brother Hamish Macdonald (both away
competing overseas); Manawatu’s Paul
Whibley (injured); Howick’s Liam Draper
(competing overseas); Titirangi’s Callan
May (injured); Coatesville’s Sam Greenslade
(competing overseas and then injured
upon his return to NZ); Cambridge’s Dylan
Yearbury (competing overseas), Eketahuna’s
Charlie Richardson (injured) and Awakino’s
Adrian Smith (semi-retired).
Helensville’s Tom Buxton had led the AA
Grade after winning both the opening two
rounds of the nationals, but the KTM rider
was enticed away to compete overseas
and therefore missed the remainder of the
domestic series.
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WHITAKER
KIWI RIDER 25