Selwyn Times: September 12, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday September 12 2018 27
Enduro rider tearing up the European dirt
• By Andy McGechan
HE HAD only really intended
to dip his toes into the water, but
West Melton motor-cycle ace
Hamish Macdonald has instead
made an enormous impact
across Europe.
The 19-year-old has rapidly
shown he’s no minnow after all
and it’s perhaps now more accurate
to describe him as a big fish
on the world scene.
The 19-year-old arrived in
Europe at the start of the FIM
Enduro GP World Championships
season in April with the
idea that he would simply “see
where I was at with my enduro
riding.”
A leading competitor at the
top of the national enduro scene
at home, Macdonald had already
proven himself an accomplished
rider in New Zealand, but the
step up from domestic to GPlevel
racing is a huge one indeed,
or so most people would think.
“Spain was a big learning
curve,” said Macdonald. “It wasn’t
what I expected, certainly not like
a normal enduro back home.”
At the double-header rounds
one and two of the FIM Enduro
GP World Championships in
Spain in April, Macdonald put
his 125cc Sherco bike near the
front in the Youth Cup 125 class,
finishing runner-up in the GP
event’s preliminaries, the prologue
stage.
He then went on to finish the
weekend third overall and his
international enduro career was
up and running.
Encouraged by his form, a
decision was made that he push
on with the world series and he
prepared to tackle the doubleheader
rounds three and four in
Estonia in June.
He managed a podium finish
on day two of the event (second)
and finished that weekend
fourth overall.
“Estonia was awesome. I
struggled a lot on the first day,
with some big mistakes, but I
knew my speed was there and it
showed on the second day.”
At round five in Italy, also in
June, the Kiwi was forced to battle
with injury after a crash and he
settled for sixth overall, but at least
he was able to remain in touch
with the championship leaders.
Then came the double-header
SPEED: West Melton’s Hamish Macdonald’s European adventure has turned into a quest for a world championship.
PHOTO: ANDY MCGECHAN ​
SPORTS
rounds six and seven at Edolo,
Italy, a fortnight ago and now it
was really time for the Canterbury
racer to shine.
Macdonald won both days
outright, his 1-1 scorecard easily
ensuring he would claim the
No 1 step on the podium at that
event, the first time since Tauranga’s
Stefan Merriman in 2008
that a New Zealand rider has
topped the world enduro scene.
The slick and slippery conditions
at Edolo played right into
Macdonald’s hands and he said
that it was “just like home.”
The next two rounds are set
for Méthamis, France, on September
22-23, with the final race
venue at Ruderdorf, Germany,
from October 12 to 14.
Macdonald is expected to
return to New Zealand in
October for the summer race
season.
TOP FORM: Macdonald has maintained his strong New Zealand form to turn heads in Europe
and challenge for a world title.
PHOTO: MARK MACDONALD
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