and hard to pass in that first lap ,” said the 19-year-old Watts afterwards , “ I was back in about 15th position , but I just chipped away and then took the lead on lap two . I knew Paul [ Whibley ] was coming and I had a crash on the last lap . That rattled me and he caught right up , but I held on until the end .” For rival Lister , it was also a solid start to his campaign . “ I had problems with dust choking the bike , but I got there at the finish . I just tried to get back into the groove after not being on the cross-country scene for a while ,” said the 20-year-old Lister . Round two is expected to go ahead near Dannevirke on March 14 , before the riders head to the two South Island events that will wrap up the series , at Gore on April 17 and at Mosgiel the following day . Points from only the best three results from the four rounds will be counted towards the championship titles , with riders to discard their worst result . This also allows competitors the option of having to make only one trip across Cook Strait .
The New Zealand Cross-country Championships series is supported by Yamaha NZ , O ’ Neal apparel , The Dirt Guide , Oakley goggles , Bel Ray oils and Michelin tyres .
2021 NZ XC CHAMPS
Round Two Sunday , March 14 Central Hawke ' s Bay MCC , Dannevirke
Round Three Saturday , April 17 Gore & Districts MCC , Gore
Round Four Saturday , April 18 Mosgiel District MCC , Mosgiel
32 KIWI RIDER