Blake Affleck ( L )
The four-round Yamaha-sponsored New Zealand Cross-country Nationals series kicked off on two separate farmland properties at Waituna West , near Feilding , the series opener held on Friday , January 31 , with the second round happening just two days later , on similar terrain , also near Rewa , on Sunday , February 2 . The two concluding rounds are set for the South Island , both at venues near Gore , in late March . So , with riders heading to the deep south , we already have strong indications as to who might be the top individuals in the respective junior and senior grades . It will probably come as a surprise to nobody because the two No . 1 riders from 2024 are both well-placed to hang onto their rankings in 2025 . Defending junior champion Nixon Parkes , from Te Awamutu , comfortably won the
90-minute junior race on Friday , finishing ahead of Eketahuna ’ s Sheldon Brown and Rotorua ’ s Hadlee Fowler , and Parkes then repeated the dose at round two a couple of days later , this time leading Brown and Masterton ’ s Harvey Williams past the chequered flag . It was a little bit tighter in the senior grade , with defending champion Callum Dudson , from Rotorua , winning the three-hour senior race on Friday by nearly three minutes from Taupo ’ s three-time former national cross-country champion Brad Groombridge , with Nelson ’ s Bailey Basalaj claiming third overall . The finishing order was reversed on Sunday , with Groombridge beating Dudson to the chequered flag by two minutes and five seconds , while Basalaj again rounded out the podium . This means Groombridge and Dudson are equal first in the early running , with Basalaj third
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