He suffered a costly slide near the top of the course and was unable to recover the lost time, ultimately finishing mid-pack.
Jenna Hastings during Thursday’s Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Hastings proved why she’s the rider to beat on Rotorua dirt by securing the top seeding position for Saturday’s Kārearea Downhill and defending her National Downhill Championship title.
She was the final rider down the course, winning in 3:18.288 to finish four seconds ahead of Auckland’s Trek Factory Racing professional Sacha Earnest, who finished top-10 on the elite UCI world series last year.
With the fastest line down the demanding Rotorua course, Hastings will be the final rider to drop in during Saturday’s finals.
Pene delivered a strong run to stop the clock at 2:59.953, securing the prestigious national sleeve once again, while Australian Luke Meier-Smith earned the top seed for the Kārearea Downhill with a time of 2:55.659.
Tuhoto Ariki-Pene during Thursday’s Specialized Kārearea Downhill seeding run and National Downhill Championships Skyline Rotorua during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Pene said the win was special and even better to achieve at the event and in Rotorua.
Crankworx Rotorua continues today with the Rotorua Pump Track Challenge under lights at Skyline Rotorua, while tomorrow brings the Specialized Kārearea Downhill Finals and Rotorua Roulette event.
The festival concludes on Sunday with Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza and Crankworx Rotorua Dual Slalom.
National Downhill Championship results
Elite women: Jenna Hastings (Rotorua) 3:18.288, 1; Sacha Earnest at 4.212, 2; Kate Hastings at 5.154, 3; Indy Deavoll at 15.503, 4; Bellah Birchall at 16.602, 5.
Under-19: Indy Deavoll (Queenstown) 3:33.791, 1; Ursula Summers (Rotorua) 3:35.971, 2; Millie Waite (Havelock North) 4:09.112, 3.
Elite men: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene 2:59.953, 1; Oli Clark at 0.037s, 2; Tyler Waite at 0.845, 3; James Macdermid at 1.143, 4; Jonty Williamson at 3.588, 5.
Under-19: Jonty Williamson (Yeti-Fox, Palmerston North) 3:03.541, 1; Dexter Lock (Taranaki) 3:04.493, 2; Seppy Binsbergen (Taranaki) 3:05.112, 3.