Taupo , Scott knew that getting a good start was vital if he was going to avoid being stuck in traffic . Among the leading bunch after a shotgun blast signalled the start , Scott was third at the end of the short road section before the riders turned sharp left and into the forestry slash and Scott wasted no time and was in the lead just 200 metres later as the riders then snaked up a steep hillside . After the first of what would eventually be five laps around the forestry land , Scott had built an impressive 40-second lead over the man in second , Helensville ’ s Tom Buxton ( KTM ). After two laps , Scott ’ s advantage was up to 75 seconds over his pursuers . However , although he eventually won the two-hour race , it was only by a scant
11-second margin over runner-up Hadleigh Knight ( Yamaha ), of Taupo . “ One of the foot-pegs on my bike worked loose and was hanging down . I had to race the last lap with just one foot to hold me up ,” Scott commented . “ It was difficult but I wasn ’ t too worried . I had build up a sizeable lead and knew I just needed to nurse it to the finish . The Honda was great , an extremely versatile bike and ideal for both enduro and cross-country racing . Some of my rivals ’ bikes had fitted larger after-market fuel tanks and so I lost a bit of time in having to pit more frequently , but I was not too bothered by that .” Third overall on Saturday was Buxton , finishing just three seconds further back , with Palmerston North ’ s Paul Whibley ( Yamaha ) and Whitianga ’ s Blake Wilkins
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