By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
Watch this space, because Raglan’s Jason Dickey is a strong contender to be cross-country champ.
The young Kawasaki ace came within spitting distance of winning the opening round of the New Zealand Cross-country Championships in Taranaki on Sunday 16th Feb and, following on from his recent success in winning the Raglan Rocx cross-country race last month, he must now easily rate among the favourites to win the senior national title.
The four-round national series kicked off in the Taranaki region on remote farmland at Purangi, in outback Taranaki inland from Inglewood, on Sunday with South Island rider Ethan Bruce taking top step of the podium and Dickey finishing less than two minutes behind in the three-hour race to take the No.2 step.
Third overall was Morrinsville rider Nathan Tesselaar, crossing the line slightly more than another two minutes behind Dickey.
Defending national champion Adrian Smith, of Mokau, Rotorua’s Scott Birch and New Plymouth’s Renny Johnstone, riding a 450cc Kawasaki, rounded out the top six.
Maruia’s Bruce and Raglan’s Dickey were inseparable throughout the early stages of the race, the lead swapping back and forth between these two as they tussled for an advantage on the steep and sometimes dusty course.
“I was about 15th place around the first corner,” said the 19-year-old Dickey.
“And I decided I would just take my time to learn the track.
“Then I caught up with Nathan Tesselaar and (Taupo’s) Brad Groombridge.
“I caught up to (the leader) Ethan Bruce and managed to pass him when he went into the pits to refuel. We changed positions again when I had to pit for fuel a lap later. I charged hard to catch him up but then I binned it (crashed).
“In the end, I decided to settle for second place. I’ll do all four rounds of the series, so there will be a chance to change the points. Ethan rode well and I compliment him for that but I’ll be back at round two and we’ll see what happens there.”
Round two will be closer to home for Dickey, at Huntly on March 15, and that could hand him an advantage.
Rounds three and four of the national series will be held respectively in Westland (Sunday, April 13) and Marlborough (Saturday, May 17).