It proved a Taupo double for Paris Olympian Sammie Maxwell and talented teenager Coen Nicol who slid their way to cross-country honours in the final round of the Mountain Bike New Zealand national series at Te Miro, near Cambridge yesterday.

Heavy and persistent rain turned the cross-country course into a slippery and muddy challenge for all, with Coen making full use of his cyclocross skills to claim the elite and under-23 race in 1:23.06.

After placing runner-up last weekend at his home track in Taupo, Coen reversed the placings to finish over two minutes ahead of last week’s winner, Auckland’s Matthew Wilson with Hunter Adams (Hamilton) a further two minutes back in third.

“It was pretty much a case of just trying to stay upright and keep it smooth,” said Nicol. “I think I only crashed three times, but everyone was in the same boat and I was happy to bring it back to the finish safely.”

Nicol said the race felt like some of his previous experiences in Europe riding cyclocross in the mud.

“At the start when it was so slippery and I was sliding everywhere it felt a bit like that. But it was super-fun.”

Maxwell took out the elite and under-23 women’s race in 1:12.31, nearly seven minutes clear of Cantabrians Maria Laurie and Annabel Bligh.

It made for a clean sweep for Maxwell after the Decathlon Ford professional won the opening round in Dunedin, which doubled as the Oceania Championships, and last week in Queenstown.

“It was good practice for the world cups in Europe because I often get freaked out and nervous in wet conditions so I had some slick tyres on and it was good to practice.

“It was super-wet but the course was really good and the mud was not tacky – I was happy with it. And it was good to take the win again and take the series.”

Maxwell changes to the road bike for the national championships in Timaru in two weeks before racing in Australia and returning for the mountain bike national championships in Rotorua. She will then prepare for the UCI World Cup campaign starting in Brazil, although today’s conditions were the polar-opposite from the heat and humidity expected in South America.

The gravity riders completed their series in the Wairarapa on a super-dry downhill course in Rivenrock in the Takarua Forest Park.

It is the first time a national series downhill race has been staged on the relatively new course, with the dry and rocky conditions providing a challenging test.

Nelson professional Sam Gale, who resides in the European off-season in Queenstown, proved the class of the field to claim his second elite title of the series. He was the top elite rider in Dunedin, in fourth place overall, and was fifth in the second round at Coronet Peak last weekend.

Gale was second fastest elite and fifth fastest overall in the seeding run but proved the class of the field to blitz his way to the overall honours in 3:18.59, the only rider under 3:19 in the final.

“It’s been an extremely good summer for me. I’m pretty happy,” said Gale. “I’ve been on quite a healthy streak right now and keen to keep it going.”

Gale races in Christchurch next week and then has his sights on the national championships on one of his favourite gravity tracks in Rotorua.

Junior riders, led by last year’s under-17 national schools champion Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North), filled the next three spots ahead of elites Bryn Dickerson and Hamish McLeod.

Queenstown junior Indy Deavoll prevailed in the female final, fastest in 3:50.24 ahead of promising Rotorua rider Bellah Birchall just over a second behind, with Wellington’s under-17 rider Capella Martin third.

Proving age is no barrier, former multi-national elite champion and 40-something Nathan Rankin finished in the top-10 in the overall men’s finishers.

Full results.

Cross-country, Round 3, Te Miro:

Under-15: Ethan Rawson (North Harbour) 51:30, 1; George Fisher (Taupo) at 4s, 2; Maxx Gurney (Cambridge) at 16s, 3.

Under-17: Levi Gear (Orewa) 1:04.05, 1; Jesse Hofmans (New Plymouth) at 7:10, 2; Cole Graham (Morrinsville) at 10:48, 3.

Under 19: James Climo (Hamilton) 1:23:18, 1; Fletcher Adams (Hamilton) at 33s, 2; Liam Brown (Hutt Valley) at 1lap, 3.

Elite/U23: Coen Nicol (Taupo) 1:23.06, 1; Matthew Wilson (Auckland) at 2:37, 2; Hunter Adams (Hamilton) at 4:56, 3.

Females:

Under-15: Astyn Nasmith (North Harbour) 58:00, 1; Kaylan Nasmith (North Harbour) at 3:15, 2; Zoe Climo (Rotorua) 3.

Under-17: Lucy Vincent (Nelson) 56:18. 1; Harlow Adams (Hamilton) at 5:23, 2.

Under-19: Kayley McMillan (Morrinsville) 49:46, 1; Millie Junge (Christchurch) at 6:56, 2; Dulcie Copeland (Tauranga) at 10:27, 3.

Elite/U23: Sammie Maxwell (Decathlon Ford, Taupo) 1:12.31, 1; Maria Laurie (Christchurch) at 6:57, 2; Annabel Bligh (Christchurch) at 8:10, 3.

Downhill, Rivenrock Wairarapa:

Male overall: Sam Gale (Nelson) 3:18.59, 1; Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North) 3:19.02, 2; Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth) 3:19.24, 3.

Female, overall: Indy Deavoll (Queenstown) 3:50.24, 1; Bellah Birchall (Rotorua) 3:51.97, 2; Capella Martin (Wellington) 3:56.02, 3.