Congrats to Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze for taking the top spots at the Commonwealth Games Mens XC race. Also congrats to Dan McConnell who came in 3rd, only 10 seconds back.
Future looks bright for the two young Kiwis. 
Anton Cooper wins Commonwealth Games mountain bike gold for New Zealand - Cycling Weekly
Was a good race - they controlled it the whole time.
Canberra local, Bec Henderson picked up a bronze in the womens XC.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE COURSE WAS FLAT AND BORING AND THAT IF THERE WERE HARDER AND LONGER CLIMBS THAT DC WOULDA EATEN THE YOUNG KIWI PUPS FOR BREAKFAST LUNCH AND DINNER
opportunisitc, thats all I can say about them.
PS - Joking, but seriously, that course was lame-o. Two or three pinch climbs, two or three short descents, never with anyhting technical. I was surprised they kept saying the UCI had input to its design… good for “racing” (wide open)but not much there to separate a pack of elite guys.
Agreed. Only watched a little bit of the race, but it looked more like a CX course than XC. They even raced across grass for a good portion!
Ooorr thets tops bru
All Dan needed to do was get out in front and not move. Would have gone something like this.
Kiwi: TREK!
Dan Mconnell: Yeah mate, it’s a nice bike hey.
Kiwi: TREK!
Aussie: Yeah mate, they sponsor me! Good bikes!
Kiwi: TREK!
Watched Anton and Sam take a 1-2 at the Kiwi Nationals in Rotorua last summer. You should have seen them pinning it down rock-drop. Sure they’re quick but they know how to handle their bikes too. And having ridden the national XC course on Mt Vic Wellington on my 6" dually I am in awe of the elite XC guys and gals.
They are quick - consider yourself forewarned. 
hahah! nah, I dont know about the other bloke, but I became a fan of Cooper a year or so ago (maybe even posted about him here?) when I saw him carrying his bike through the river crossing in whatever epic NZ point to point race he has won a couple of times now… he is legit!
Dan was third at Mont-St. Anne this weekend behind Absalon and Schurter, sits third in world cup rankings, was on the podium of the overall world cup last year. Maybe next year Cooper will start hammering him, but as of now, I reckon Cooper needs a course that suits him well to win out.
I dont mind either way as I consider myself a citizen of the world, so they’re all my countrymen 