March 5, 2006 – Canada’s Geoff Kabush (CAN, Maxxis) and Kiara Bisaro (CAN, Gears Racing) used Saturday’s Oceania Mountain Bike Championship race in Rotorua, New Zealand as a warm up for the Commonwealth Games next week in Australia. The Oceania course is the same route that will test the world’s best in this year’s MTB World Championships to be held in August.

If the March 4th race was any indicator of the coming season, Kabush should be in high spirits. He won the battle through impeccable pacing, biding his time despite gutsy attacks from the likes of Christopher Jongewaard (AUS, Avanti-Rock Shox) and Sid Taberlay (AUS, Avanti-SRAM-Rock Shox). In the end, however, it was the patient Kabush who turned the screw and left everyone in his dust on the 5.5-kilometre course generally described as “straight forward.”

Kiwi Kashi Leuchs (NZL, Cannondale) kept himself in check as well and pulled past the hard chargers in the end to finish second. Because of Kabush’s North American status, the title of Oceania Champion went to Leuchs. Taberlay hung on for third place in the five-lap race.

Bisaro couldn’t match the pace of New Zealanders Rosara Joseph (NZL, Giant) and Annika Smail (NZL, Bike NZ) and had to settle for the third spot on the podium. Joseph was clearly the strongest on the day, racing away from her competition from the gun and never looking back through four tough laps to take the Oceania title. Smail worked hard to edge out Bisaro for second spot.

In the U23 Men’s race, Shaun Lewis (AUS, Trek) and Daniel McConnell (AUS, Team South Australia) did their darndest to hang with the big boys, but the high pace of the elite men proved too much in the end. Lewis clung to the lead and took the win, but Clinton Avery (NZL, Specialized) overtook a fading McConnell for the silver medal position.

Switzerland’s Nathalie Schneitter (SUI) outrode Australia’s Lisa Matheson (AUS) for the victory in the U23 Women’s race. Matheson, however, took home the Oceania title. Fiona Lindsay (NZL) finished third.

Aussie Daniel Johnson (AUS) won the U19 Men’s
event, edging out fellow countryman Daniel
Braunstein (AUS) and Kiwi Duncan O’Regan (NZL),
who placed second and third, respectively. In the
U19 women’s competition, it was Monique Avery
(NZL) who came out on top, followed by Katie
O’Neil (NZL) and Hayley Robertson (NZL).

XC Results
Elite Men
1. Geoff Kabush (CAN, Maxxis)
2. Kashi Leuchs (NZL, Cannondale)
3. Sid Taberlay (AUS, Avanti-SRAM-Rock Shox)
4. Christopher Jongewaard (AUS, Avanti-Rock Shox)

Elite Women
1. Rosara Joseph (NZL, Giant)
2. Annika Smail (NZL, Bike NZ)
3. Kiara Bisaro (CAN, Gears Racing)
4. Robyn Wong (NZL, Bike NZ)

Under 23 Men
1. Shaun Lewis (AUS, Trek) 2.04.32
2. Clinton Avery (NZL, Specialized) 2.05.23
3. Daniel McConnell (AUS, Team South Australia) 2.06.28

Under 23 Women
1. Lisa Mathison (AUS) 1.53.06
2. Myra Moller (Cook Islands) 1.55.18
3. Fiona Lindsay (NZL) 1.55.57

Under 19 Men
1. Daniel Johnson (AUS)
2. Daniel Braunstein (AUS)
3. Duncan O’Regan (NZL)

Under 19 Women
1. Monique Avery (NZL)
2. Katie O’Neil (NZL)
3. Hayley Robertson (NZL)