This was the One off race to decide the 2003 NZ National Champion. Despite two practice days on a stone dry course amidst blue skies, the night prior to race day the skies opened up and rained poured down. The course changed immensely which provided even more challenges on the already technical 5.6km circuit. Due to the rain, the organizers dropped our laps from 6 down to 5, to target an optimal race time of 2 hours. I had a good start and along with fast starter Sadie Parker-Wynyard we opened up a gap on the field. On the second lap I crashed heavily on the slippery rocks putting a 3cm gash in my chin. I quickly picked myself up and got back into the race and rode hard to gain back time lost in the crash. I closed the gap to a minute to take 2nd place. Check out the pic of my chin...
 |  |
1 Sadie Parker-Wynyard, Auckland, 2:16:32, +0:00:00, 1-0:25:23, 1-0:26:30, 1-0:27:36, 1-0:27:51, 1-0:29:12
2 Robyn Wong, Wellington, 2:17:44, +0:01:12, 2-0:26:04, 2-0:27:26, 2-0:27:50, 2-0:28:13, 2-0:28:11
3 Emma Bawtree, Nelson, 2:34:24, +0:17:52, 3-0:28:14, 3-0:30:31, 3-0:31:30, 3-0:31:57, 3-0:32:12
4 Brenda Clapp, Nelson, 2:47:10, +0:30:38, 4-0:31:19, 4-0:32:45, 4-0:33:10, 4-0:34:52, 4-0:35:04
5 Genevieve Whitson, Wellington, 2:21:23, LAPPED, 5-0:33:13, 5-0:34:35, 5-0:36:55, 5-0:36:40