Year 10 student Louie Gould represented Onehunga High School at the North Island School Cyclo-cross Championships, finishing eighth in a competitive Under 15 field.

Year 10 student Louie Gould proudly represented Onehunga High School at the North Island School Cyclo-cross Championships, held at Pukete Farm Park in Hamilton on Saturday 18 July.Competing in the Under 15 Boys division, Louie made an excellent start to the race and held third place for much of the opening lap. Against a strong field of riders, he battled through five demanding laps to finish an impressive eighth overall.

Unlike traditional mountain biking, cyclo-cross courses are generally flatter and combine grass paddocks, single-track trails and a variety of obstacles designed to test riders' technical skills and endurance. Competitors tackled features including low fences, tight "circle of doom" spirals and muddy sections, often requiring them to dismount and carry their bikes before quickly remounting to continue racing.

Cyclo-cross has its origins in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where cyclists used muddy paddocks and farm tracks to stay fit during the icy European winters. Today, it has grown into an internationally recognised discipline with its own World Cup series and World Championships.

Congratulations to Louie on representing Onehunga High School and competing so strongly against some of the North Island's best young riders.