Southland cyclists perform at road nationals
Mike White was a top Southland performer, taking out the bunch sprint from a select chase group behind solo winner Andy Beale from Canterbury to claim the silver medal.
By Eugene Bonthuys
While others were busy enjoying their Easter long weekend, a group of Cycling Southland riders were putting the final touches to their training for the Age Group Road National Championships that took place in Timaru last weekend.
The dedication has certainly paid off, with numerous medals and top ten finishes for the highly motivated group.
Mike White was the top performer, taking out the bunch sprint from a select chase group behind solo winner Andy Beale from Canterbury to claim the silver medal. Another Cycling Southland rider, Neil Cleghorn, finished in the same group to take sixth place.
There was also a bronze medal for Poppy McIvor in the U17 girls road race, coming home as part of a race winning break of three riders who had managed to distance the rest of the field on the challenging circuit. McIvor also claimed a fifth place finish in the time trial.
In the U15 boys division, Benson Boys and Oliver Keast shared the honours, with Keast taking bronze in the time trial, ahead of Boys in fourth, while Boys claimed bronze in the road race, ahead of Keast in seventh.
In the under 19 men road race, Marshall Erwood produced a very good ride to finish fourth. Erwood, who performed exceptionally well at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships recently, taking four titles in the under 19 men division, is still recovering from the aftereffects of a big crash that cost him a shot at the Omnium title on the final day of the track championships. Erwood formed part of a chase group behind the two leaders, and was narrowly beaten to the final podium place by Otago’s James Gardner.
There was also a fourth place for Neil Familton in the masters men 6 age group. With two riders clear at the front of the race, Familton was part of the chasing group behind, but with only one podium spot remaining up for grabs, he narrowly missed out in the bunch sprint for the line.
Competing in the masters men 10 division for riders 80 years and over, Bill Sutherland took a fourth place finish in the time trial.
Max Good also took a top ten finish in the under 17 boys time trial, as did Hugo Sinclair in the under 19 men time trial.
There were also some excellent results for Southlanders representing other clubs, with Hunter Gough, riding for Otago, taking silver in the under 23 men road race, while Lily Keast, riding for Canterbury Track Cycling, took bronze in the under 15 girls road race and time trial.