It’s Another Triumph for Hokianga’s Nield

It’s Another Triumph for Hokianga’s Nield

Andy McGechan

JULY 23, 2012: Northland’s Mitchell Nield has done it again.

The 24-year-old, who co-owns and operates his own building firm with his younger brother during the week, but races for Triumph New Zealand at the weekends, stormed to victory in the over-200cc two-stroke class at the fifth and final round of the 2012 New Zealand Enduro Championships near Taupo on Saturday.

The victory on Saturday made it three national enduro titles for the talented young rider in a relatively brief career so far – he won the New Zealand under-300cc four-stroke title in 2005, took top honours in the under-200cc two-stroke class last season and now has the over-200cc two-stroke title in his pocket.

Last year he raced a Gas Gas EC125, but this year he considerably upped the horsepower quotient to tackle the nationals on a Gas Gas EC300.

“It was tough racing today,” said Nield afterwards.

“I was riding with two broken ribs, an injury I sustained a couple of weeks ago at the Tarawera 100 cross-country endurance race near Kawerau. But I was fully taped up and just toughed it out. It was down to the wire for the title, between me and Auckland’s Mike Skinner, but I got there in the end.

“Me and Mike were swapping back and forth but I had a better second half of the day. I’d make the most of our time in the pits to catch my breath and take a few pain-killers.”

What is more remarkable for Nield was that he had been forced to skip an earlier round in the five-event series when he rested following another accident.

“I had an injured elbow and was in hospital for a week,” he said.

Nield’s bike is a factory replica of the Gas Gas EC300 raced by French international enduro ace Christophe Nambontin.

“Anyone could have one of these bikes. You can buy these bikes straight off the showroom floor. They’re brilliant. I just unwrapped it and rode it as it came out of the box, stock standard.”

Nield is sponsored by Triumph New Zealand and by Kiwi Rider magazine, while also finding support from Gas Gas New Zealand.

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