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REEVES GETS PERFECT START
TO TITLE DEFENCE
Pahiatua’s North’s Adam Reeves (Yamaha), the big winner in Hawke’s Bay on Sunday.
Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
APRIL 12, 2010: Pahiatua’s Adam Reeves got his national cross-country title defence off to the best possible start in Central Hawke’s Bay on Sunday afternoon.
The 27-year-old didn’t do it easily, however, with a little bad luck striking two of his main rivals during Sunday’s opening round of the Suzuki-sponsored championship near Waipukurau.
Waitakere’s Shaun Fogarty (KTM 450EXC) led from the start of the gruelling three-hour endurance race and looked comfortable through the opening laps until a problem with the starting mechanism on his bike caused him major problems and he had to withdraw after three laps.
Pukekohe’s Luke Ramsey (Kawasaki KX250F) took over the lead and he also looked well on command until a spill on the seventh lap of 10 saw him tumble out of the race with an injured right knee.
While Fogarty and Ramsey will rue their bad luck, Reeves (Yamaha YZ450F) was all smiles at the end of the day, winning the race by three minutes from Auckland’s Sam Greenslade (Suzuki RM-Z250), with Huntly’s Michael Vining (Suzuki RM-Z450), Napier’s John O’Dea (Suzuki RM-X450) and Tauranga’s Scott Barr-Smith (KTM 200 EXC) rounding out the top five.
“I didn’t have a great start but I was up to about eighth place after lap one,” said Reeves afterwards.
“But I stuck to the task and it paid off.”
The series is sponsored by Suzuki, DRD magazine, Hydraulink fluid connectors.
CALENDAR for the 2010 Suzuki New Zealand 3-Hour Cross Country Series.
New Zealand Championship series:
(Three out of 4 count for series result)
Round 1 N.Z Sunday April 11, Waipukurau.
Round 2 N.Z. Saturday, April 17, Nelson.
Round 3 N.Z. Saturday, May 1, Wellington.
Round 4 N.Z. Saturday, May 15, Christchurch.
Riders must contest the final round to be eligible for the New Zealand Championship.
Credit: Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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