Shoot Out wrap up

Day one of Whaka100 weekend was a success with the Rotorua Isuzu Shoot Out taking place at the Whakarewarewa forest in Rotorua today.

Josie Wilcox from Manawatu took out first place in the female time trial after knocking Ruby Ryan off the hot seat, while Maxwell Wickens from Wellington won the male time trial after knocking Cosmo Bloor off the hot seat with a 0.90 seconds difference in time.

Wilcox was happy with the win and said despite coming off and feeling flustered, she still felt prepared for the Whaka100 tomorrow.

“It feels good to win, it’s a bit of a confidence booster.”

Wickens said winning the Shoot Out was an awesome feeling.

“I’m stoked, last year I had a back injury so it’s good to be here in full strength. I haven’t done a mountain bike marathon race before, so I will be pacing myself in the Whaka100 tomorrow.”

Maxwell Wickens stoked with the win

The Shoot Out course is 1.9km long and takes five to eight minutes at an average pace. The fastest rider sits on the hot seat until a faster rider knocks them off. The rider left sitting on the hot seat at the end wins $250, while the overall top riders in each of the 100, 50km and 25km distances will gain seeding priority for the Whaka100 on Sunday.

Event director Tim Farmer said he was pleased with how the day went, with so many spectators out enjoying the good weather.

“I couldn’t think of a better way for Whaka100 weekend to start, it was awesome to see some riders doing it for fun, as well as those doing it to get a good result.”

There was a live webcast of the top 10 riders which proved to be a success, with supporters tuning in from home to watch.