Dawkins earns his third 2010 NZ Champion title

Feb 14th, 10. He'd already won the kilo and keirin titles and last night Southlander Eddie Dawkins added the NZ Sprint Champion title to his collection.

Three golds and three records for Eddie Dawkins ©RoadCycling.co.nz

In the evening he faced Manawatu's Simon Van Velthooven in the best of three final.

The first race was easily Dawkins' win but the hero of the championship didn't have it all his way in the second race.

"Simon knows how to push my buttons. He kept it a bit slower as I was on a bigger gear – he made it long and painful," Dawkins explained.

However, Dawkins wasn't giving up and in a flying half lap he caught and passed Van Veelthoven in an impressive display of power which once again had the crowd on their feet and screaming.

With two wins Dawkins had secured the victory.

"I wasn't giving up I wasn't letting him take one," Dawkins said.

Given his fantastic results, it's surprising to hear Dawkins didn't taper for this event. Two days before the start he was in the gym doing what the big lad calls maximum lifting.

"I wasn't fresh and I wasn't ready to race but I came out and put my best foot forward and came away with a few good results," he said modestly.

Dawkins eyes up Van Velthooven before the start of race 2

Third victory for Eddie Dawkins at the RaboPlus Elite Track Nationals

Reflecting in his victory ©All RoadCycling.co.nz

Van Veelthoven congratulations Dawkins

2010 Sprint Champion - Eddie Dawkins

"I've got a lot to improve on, I can always go faster and I can always be stronger. You've got to keep training and keep striving to be better in everything you do."

National sprint coach Justin Grace said Dawkins has stepped up in the recent weeks after winning the sprint title at the recent World Cup in Beijing and then producing two world class times in the kilo time trial and sprint this week.

"He is only twenty and sprinters don't reach their peak until their late 20s or early 30s, so the future is pretty bright," Grace said.

Dawkins knows exactly where he's going in this sport and with his current work ethic and self belief it would be a dumb punter who bet against his future success.

"I'm planning on going straight to the top. It might take six months, it might take six years but I'm still going to get there," Dawkins said.

Women's sprint

Canterbury's Natasha Hansen defended her national women's sprint title, beating Megan Blatchford-Peck (West Coast North Island) in two straight rides in the final.  RoadCycling.co.nz will publish Hansen's story later.

Thanks to RaboPlus for their support of RoadCycling.co.nz -

our coverage of the Elite Track Nationals is brought to you by ...