Rachel Seaman’s Ford Trailseeker finale unraveled early in Wellington after a crash left her hurt and her bike damaged.
The final round of the Ford Trailseeker MTB Series took place in Wellington on Saturday, 12 September. Seaman entered the event sitting 10th overall in the series standings, with a chance to close her campaign on a stronger note.
That plan changed after roughly five kilometres. Seaman slipped out on a corner and went down, taking a knock to her knee and hip. The same impact also bent her derailleur, creating a mechanical problem that followed her for the rest of the race.
Ford Trailseeker finale turns costly early
The damaged derailleur affected Seaman’s shifting and made it harder to settle into a steady rhythm. On a course where momentum matters, the issue limited her ability to respond and recover ground after the early fall.
The physical discomfort added another challenge as the race progressed. A knock to the knee and hip can quickly change how a rider handles climbs, corners and repeated accelerations. Seaman still chose to continue rather than abandon the final round.
Her finish therefore came under difficult circumstances. The race did not deliver the outcome she had been targeting, but it underlined her resilience at the end of the series.
Wellington brought the 2026 Ford Trailseeker Series to a close. For Seaman, the day capped a campaign that included a fifth-place finish at the Sondela round earlier in the season.
That Sondela result stood as one of the stronger points of her Trailseeker run. It also showed the level she had reached before the final round delivered a difficult combination of impact and mechanical trouble.
Seaman shifts focus to Cape Pioneer
With the Trailseeker Series complete, Seaman now turns her attention to the Cape Pioneer. She is set to race there alongside Bianca Botha.
The move gives Seaman a new target after a frustrating conclusion in Wellington. It also offers a chance to reset after a race shaped by factors outside her original plan.
Seaman’s final Trailseeker appearance did not reflect the finish she wanted. However, completing the event after an early crash ensured she closed out the series on the bike.
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