Samara Sheppard heads to victory at the New Zealand cross-country mountain biking championships in Rotorua on Saturday. PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHYBYSAVANNATwo 30-something mountain bike greats showed class was permanent as they dominated the New Zealand cross-country championships in Rotorua on Saturday. Christchurch professional Anton Cooper, 31, claimed his 11th elite national honours, while Australian-based Kiwi Samara Sheppard dominated the elite women at the sport’s spiritual home in the Whakarewarewa Forest. Hamilton rider Fletcher Adams finished 3min 3sec behind the winner to claim third place and the under-23 honours. Cooper had to call on his experience after a puncture in his warm-up some distance away from the start.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 22, 2026 17:02 UTC