New Zealand Elite Senior & U23 TT & RR Nationals

[RoadRaven]

Hi all

Just a heads up - this weekend my club is hosting the Elite Nationals.

Personally I am looking forward to the Womens TT on Friday... Alison Shanks is competing in both races and going on recent form she will be one to watch. However, that being said - although she won in 2007, one of the other women had a flat and who knows what times would have been like??

TimeTrial starts at 2pm on Friday

Womens Road Race starts at 8:30am on Sunday

Mens various races start at 12:30pm

(The women have it good on Sunday - if it is a typical Hawkes Bay January day on Sunday, the temperature will be 32-35'C and the tar sticky from about 11:30am.)

Locals (from my region) who will be competing include Westley Gough, a member of the 2006 silver medal and 2005 gold medal winning junior track team pursuit team, Jeremy Vennell, a professional rider based in Europe, Glen Chadwick the 2007 Elite National Individual Time Trial Champions and also a professional rider based in Europe are among current members. We also have another world champ in the club - Jeremy Yates.

Our riders have ECNI beside their names - there are only two women from our club riding - Bridget and Stef.

My partner rode with Vennell and Chadwick this last Saturday in the club race...

Any hoo, if you are interested in following this, all details are here, down the left hand side under "Elite Nationals":

http://www.ramblers.co.nz

Newsletters... course maps... rider start lists... "live" updates on the websites blog.

My partner says Sky will also be offering some TV coverage (though not live) and I hope TV 1 and 2 both deign to cover the event in the news.

[RoadRaven]

OK... fantastic day today... light easterly - a bit fresh at times, but not too strong.

Some cloud cover occasionally, so not too hot.

I helped with a couple of things at the school the event was based from before taking my partner and 14 year old to the start line. My partner got to ride in the lead car for the women and for the elite/senior men. My 14 year old got to hang out with John Bridges and do sound systems etc.

My nearly 17yr old and I went and parked about 6-7kms from the start/finish line and waited. We had visibility for about 3/4km one way and nearly a km in the opposite direction.

Just awesome watching these people riding - but the thing that really struck me was that although so many of them had spent $$$$$$$$$$$ on gear, aero-helmets were negated. So many riders kept looking down - some as many as 8-10 times in the 500 metres either side of where we were parked. They had little points up in the air and I kept muttering - dont look down, dont look down... garrrgh, I was getting so frustrated with them negating the possible effect of their aero helmets!

Here is a link to "live updates" that were posted on the net:
http://www.ramblers.co.nz/blogger.asp


Anyway - the official results are in...

Alison Shanks was placed 3rd, behind Rachel Mercer (2) and Melissa Holt (1)
Holt had the winning time over the 25km course of 36.20.41 and an average speed of 41.28kph
There were only 11 seconds separating the three women.
Gee, Shanks looked smooth and comfortable on a bike...
One of the rides of the day might have come from Rushlee Buchannen... although she was placed 16th of 24 women, on the return leg she went by dripping sweat, spit from her mouth and giving it everything she had. Most impressive.


Women's Results (both ages raced together - U23 and senior)
http://www.ramblers.co.nz/Nationals_Elite/tt_female.pdf


Now, these guys were amazing to watch. Some of them made it look so effortless but boy, were they motoring along.
Most impressive rider for me? Tim Gudsell. He was the 9th rider to leave, and the 5th rider home. He may have "only" got 4th... but to see him come motoring past on the return leg - FOUR MINUTES ahead of his minute-man... wow...

1st Elite/Senior male - Logan Hutchings - he completed the 40km course in 51.26.20 with an average of 46.66kph
2nd - Paul Odlin - 34 seconds later
3rd - Gordon McCauley - last years champ

Glen Chadwick - from Hawkes Bay and last years NZ TT Champ came in with 5th place, 52.56.58 minutes averaging 45.33kph

And our own Under 23, Westley Gough, looks so much older than his 19/20 years. - He did well with second place - COME ON THE BAY!!!
Clinton Avery won U23 with a time of 53.23.44 (thats a 44.96 average)
Matt Haydock was 3rd.

Men U23 & Men Elite/Senior Results
http://www.ramblers.co.nz/Nationals_Elite/tt_male.pdf

I'm looking forward to the road race on Sunday - women go at 8:30am

Tomorrow its normal racing for our club - we go around Sundays course and have opened it up to all visitors/elite supporters etc. Should be an interesting day. Luckily I only have to race once around the 26km course tomrrow. On Sunday the men go round it SEVEN times

[RoadRaven]

A "fuller" report than mine...

At vorb.org.nz posted by Melissa_Theuriau

Papamoa cyclist Logan Hutchings created the upset when he took out the individual time trial title at the Lion Foundation New Zealand road cycling championships near Napier today.

Hutchings grabbed his first elite title when he beat off a quality field including former champion Gordon McCauley and others on a testing 40km course near Taradale.

Experienced Cambridge rider Melissa Holt pushed defending champion Ali Shanks (Dunedin) back to third place to win the women’s championship while Rotorua’s Clinton Avery took out the men’s under-23 title.

Hutchings, who was seventh in the world under 23 time trial two years ago, produced a superb effort to clock 51m26sec for the 40km course. The Melbourne Commonwealth Games road and time trial representative laid down the testing time that no-one was able to seriously challenge. Paul Odlin from Nelson/Marlborough was second some 33 seconds behind Hutchings with McCauley back in third place.

“I am pretty pleased to win although I was quite surprised,” Hutchings said. “I didn’t expect it because I had a fair bit of November off organizing a criterium event at Mt
Maunganui. I just went hard and held on.”

Hutchings, who rides professional in Belgium for a team associated with Quick Step, said it was a difficult course to judge.

“It was basically flat with a dead road and swirling winds. That made it difficult to judge and hard to find a real rhythm.”

The win was a good boost for the Western Bay of Plenty cycling after he recovered from a major knee operation last year.

Holt, the Athens Olympian was in impressive form to take out the time trial. The Cambridge rider, who is turning her attentions to triathlon to compete in Ironman New Zealand in March, clocked an strong 36m20s for the 25km course.

It proved an exciting challenge with Wellington’s Rachel Mercer, fourth in the junior world championships last year, finishing second only 10 seconds behind the winner. Defending champion Alison Shanks (Dunedin), who is chasing qualification for the Beijing Olympics on the track, finished third only one second behind Mercer.

Avery, the former national mountainbike representative, also had a close battle to win the under-23 title, just seven seconds clear of Hawkes Bay hopeful Wesley Gough in 53m23s.

The road championship will be decided on the testing course near Taradale on Sunday with the women’s race from 8.30am and the men from 12.30pm.

Results, Time Trial:

Female, 25km:
Melissa Holt (Cambridge) 36:20, 1;
Rachel Mercer (Wellington) 36:30, 2;
Alison Shanks (Dunedin) 36:31, 3.

Male Under 23, 40km:
Clinton Avery (Rotorua) 53:23, 1;
Wesley Gough (Napier) 53:30, 2;
Matt Haydock (Auckland) 53:59, 3.

Male:
Logan Hutchings (Papamoa) 51:26, 1;
Paul Odlin (Nelson/Marlborough) 51:59, 2;
Gordon McCauley (Auckland) 52.15, 3.

[RoadRaven]

Just about to head off to watch the women's race begin at 8:30am
Its a beutiful morning - clear sky, no wind and already 22'C - its only 7:15am!

Its gonna be HOT later on though - I don't envy the men's start at midday.

The club raced this course yesterday and numbers racing were swelled as we had opened it up to all the spectators/support crew so they could ride the same course.

It was hot yesterday - 32'C to about 38'C according to my bike comp. We were racing between 2-4pm and tar was melting in places. The boys have to do the 26km course 7 times - thats 182km all up in Hawkes Bay heat!

I'll check back later

[RoadRaven]

Posted: Sunday 4:17pm Post subject: Results: 2008 Road Cycling Champs - Women's Road Race

Ironman-bound Holt wins BikeNZ cycling double

Waikato rider Melissa Holt took out the double when she won the women’s road race at the national championships in Hawkes Bay today.

Holt followed her win in the 30km time trial on Friday when she took out the sprint finish to upset her rivals in the 104km road race near Taradale.

The Athens Olympian showed her cycling career is far from over despite training for the Ironman New Zealand triathlon in Taupo in March.

She was too strong in the sprint to hold off Canterbury’s Rosara Joseph and young Auckland prospect Kaytee Boyd, winning in 3hr10min32.00sec.

“This is great. I’m really pleased,” Holt said. “I’m not currently in the high performance squad and I always wanted to do an Ironman. So I have been riding less to mix in the swimming and running training.

”I actually think I am stronger and perhaps the cross-training has helped me because I felt quite fresh.”

Auckland’s Marina Duvnjak set the race alight when she broke on the 5km climb on the first of four laps, stretching her lead to a surprising4min 50sec at the end of the first lap. The peleton reduced the margin to three minutes on lap two and Duvnjak’s brave solo breakaway ended on the climb on lap three.

However Duvnjak broke away again with Yvette Hill-Willis (Auckland) on the last lap before being hauled in by a break off the front of the chasers by Joseph, the Commonwealth Games mountainbike medallist. She was joined by Serena Sheridan (Nelson Marlborough) but on the descent if was Holt, Joseph and Boyd who opened a slight gap with Holt’s experience and strength showing out to grab the victory.

“There was no pressure on me and I think theyw ere waiting for me to take up the chase but I was happy to sit back. Marina rode so well today and I was happy for her to stay out there,” Holt said.

“I am certainly not a sprinter but I used Rosara a bit and I guess I was a bit more experienced and sneakier to use her to get the jump.

“The result is fantastic. I still want to do as much as I can in cycling and I’m available at all levels. But for the next few weeks it’s swimming and running to take part in Ironman.

“I am meant to transition off the bike for a run but I can tell you my legs won’t allow me to do that. But I do have to stop off for a swim in Lake Taupo on the way home.”



Results, women’s road race, 104km:

Melissa Holt (Cambridge) 3:10.32.00, 1;
Rosara Joseph (Christchurch) 3:10.34.39, 2;
Kaytee Boyd (Auckland) 3:10.34.31, 3;
Serena Sheridan (Nelson-Marlborough) 3:10.37.19, 4;
Karen Fulton (Nelson Marlborough) 3:10:37.34, 5;
Emma Crum (Wellington) 3:10.37.40, 6;
Toni Bradshaw (Auckland) 3:10.37.50, 7;
Brei Gudsell (West Coast North Island) 3:10.38.12, 8;
Jeannie Kuhajek (Nelson Marlborough) 3:10:41.81, 9;
Clarrissa Wilkes (Waikato Bay of Plenty) 3:10.49.21, 10.

[RoadRaven]

JULIAN DEAN DEFENDS LION FOUNDATION NZ CYCLING TITLE

Julian Dean scored the first victory for his new Slipstream team in successfully defending his title in the Lion Foundation New Zealand road cycling championships in Hawkes Bay today.

Dean outsprinted Waimate’s Heath Blackgrove to the finish in a repeat of their one-two finish last year, with Wellington’s Scott Lyttle third.

It proved a tough day with temperatures in the mid 30Cdeg, with Dean biding his time before making his move in the final 20kms of the 182km race.

“This course was not as tough as this year and that meant quite a few more riders were prominent in the race,” Dean said. “It meant I had to be a bit more strategic and I had to take up the peleton a few times to ensure the pace stayed on.

“I was probably in better shape than this time last year although a bit uncertain after my knee surgery.”

Dean was delighted to defend his title, and also pick up the New Zealand ride of the year honours.

“It means that I am able to wear the national jersey around the world this year. I had so many comments this past year from kiwis and those in Europe. I gives New Zealand an identity in Europe on the cycling scene and in those big races like the Tour of Italy and Tour de France.”

Four time champion Gordon McCauley (Auckland) went clear from the gun and was joined in a six-strong breakaway including Sam Bewley (Rotorua), Robin Reid (Blenheim), Karl Murray (Auckland), Clinton Avery (Rotorua) and Peter Rennie (Waikato).

They opened a three minute buffer that hovered around the same mark for 80kms. McCauley was then joined by Rennie to open up a slight gap, before Auckland teammates Aaron Strong and Michael Northey joined him on the fifth of seven laps.

The lead came down under the minute mark with Dean driving the 27-strong peleton with the brave front-running tactics swallowed up on the penultimate lap.

Lyttle stretched clear but he was hauled on up the climb for the second to last time as the peleton broke up. Dean and Blackgrove followed Lyttle up the climb for the final time before Dean was able to slip past in the break-neck dash to the finish.

“I didn’t really know how hard to push tings as it was really hot and over the last 30km you have to look after yourself,” Dean said. “I was not too worried about the guys out in front as it is a big ask to go away in conditions like this.”

Dean is happy with his form as he heads away this week to race for his new team where he will be the No 1 sprinter.

There were other encouraging performances with Napier’s Jeremy Yates, the national club champion, racing prominently for fourth place just ahead of time trial winner Logan Hutchings (Papamoa).

It was an Auckland trifecta in the under-23 race with Thomas Hanover out-sprinting fellow Aucklanders Alex Meenhorst and Chris Macic with a photo finish needed to split the three, who were given the same time.

Results, Lion Foundation NZ Road Race Championships, men 182km:

Elite:
Julian Dean (Rotorua) 4hr 51m 49s, 1;
Heath Blackgrove (Waimate) at 7sec, 2;
Scott Lyttle (Wellington) at 10sec, 3;
Jeremy Yates (Napier) at 50sec, 4;
Logan Hutchings (Papamoa) at 1m6s, 5;
Jeremy Vennell (Napier) at 1m 19s, 6;
Justin Kerr (Waikato) at 2m33s, 7;
Tim Gudsell (Waikato) at 2m49s, 8;
Glen Chadwick (Hawkes Bay) at 2m49s, 9;
Paul Odlin (Nelson Marlborough) at 5m56s, 10.

Under-23:
Thomas Hanover (Auckland) 4:58.08, 1;
Alex Meenhorst (Auckland) at 00.00s, 2;
Chris Macic (Auckland) at 00.00, 3;
Ryan Wills (Waikato BOP) at 1sec, 4;
Brad Carter (Waikato BOP) at 3sec, 5.

[RoadRaven]

Wow. What a day.

It was so interesting to be at an event and watch such a high quality “collection” of cyclists “do their thing”.

The day started early, it was already warm, and I got down to the school where the event was based from at about 8:25am. Enough time to park, to get to the start line, and take a pic before the count-down was on and I was snapping photos as the women went by.

It was interesting to “feel” the energy. It was a strange combination of excitement and apprehension. They were eyeing each other up whilst smiling and almost seemed that many were thinking “I must not be dropped… I have to stay with the pack as long as possible…” When the men lined up later in the day at 12:30, you could almost feel the testosterone in the air. Their were few smiles and it seemed they were thinking – “how quickly can I drop everyone?”

It was interesting to watch the two races transpire and evolve in quite different ways.

In the women’s race, Marina Duvnjak began with a blast of raw power. While the above report says she broke away on the first climb, the marshall on the corner before the first climb described to me how she had actually begun her break earlier, and coming up the false flat into the stiff westerly, she had already made two minutes on the peloton.

When I first saw her, I began to wonder if the peloton had had some dreadful crash. We were at the apex of the climbs and the vantage point offers the view of nearly a kilometre of climbing. She got to the top… still no sign of anyone behind her… and around the corner and she was away… and then the peloton arrived… mooching along. They seemed to be in no rush and by the time they reached where I was watching, the split I took showed her to have a 3minute, 10 second lead! It was downhill and flat from here to the start of the next lap – surely she would keep her lead???!

Now, just to explain this course a little. When I raced it in the club race on Saturday, by the time I got to the top of this climb I was 2:45minutes behind the rider in front. I dropped my chain twice while chasing him, but still managed to close the gap and he was only 12seconds ahead of me across the finish line. So once the main climbing is over, it is very quick if you are confident downhill and have good power in your legs.

Obviously Marina was… on the second lap she was unbelievably still out in front and had even increased her lead by 2 seconds! I began to hope she might keep the lead. But only half of the race had gone – there was still a lot of time for the peloton to do something.

As she went by for the third time, Marina was losing time, and the peloton was only 25 seconds behind her. I felt sad. She had been brave and reached for glory and for me, despite her being swallowed up in the chasing bunch, and not receiving a top ten placing, hers was the gutsiest ride of the day – I was well impressed.

The women disn’t seem to race the same way as the men. They all seemed to be watching each other to cover any attacks… but no-one seemed to do much in the way of attacking. And that was a shame, because this course offers a bit of everything and lots of opportunities to wear down the competition.

We were very proud of our two local girls, Bridget and Steph, who both managed to stay with the main peloton – despite being dropped on the first lap, they made their way back and finished well. The daughter of Ramblers, Sonia, was also in the front bunch and we were all thrilled for her. She is just making the transition from mountain bike racing to road racing. An awesome effort.

Well done Marina. Although Melissa Holt won the title, and although others rode a more cautious, conservative and perhaps “sensible” race… your ride inspired me and while all the other women will blur into a homogenous group – your ride will always stand out for me.

[RoadRaven]

Now the men’s race… that evolved quite differently to the women’s. I didn’t get there in time to see the start, so stopped on my way to my viewing possie at the corner before the first climb started to watch the men go by on their second lap. Already the field was broken up… 2 leaders off the front… another two chasing hard… a handful more trying to bridge the gap and then the main peloton – nearly two minutes before the start of the first climb.

Wow… attacks again so soon… great stuff…

So I drove on round the course in the opposite direction to the racers and stopped at the bottom of “Baker’s Bends” – the most technical descent – to watch them at as they came down for the second lap. A group of five came whizzing by – McCauley and two Auckland jerseys in there… two minutes later, a group of six… and nearly another two minutes came the main peloton – boy it was kinda scarey watching how FAST these boys move – that is one hairy, winding descent and they were treating it like it was straight!

Drove on up to the top again, parked, got out chairs, icey water, camera… here they came again… the leaders still out in front but attacks obviously going on behind with people changing places, and the tail enders beginnning to trail out behind…

We guessed that the gap would be bridged at about lap 5 or 6, and this is what happened, with new leaders and the pace obviously not letting up – the lap times were remaining fast and the main contenders were obviously keeping the heat on trying to drop as many other riders as they could. This was quite a different form of racing from the women.

We started heading back after they came by on their 6th lap and stopped two thirds of the way down the climbs to watch them come by again. Where we stopped, local buy Jeremy Vennell was in the lead of a group of six. Woohoo!

We kept on driving, not wishing to miss the sprint finish, but we shouldn’t have worried. Julian Dean came in ahead by a comfortable 15 seconds or so. (At this point my camera turned off – insufficient battery – and just missed his victory salute across the finishe line! And it was thrilling to see two of our local boys, Jeremy Yates and Jeremy Vennell arrive in 4th and 6th places.

We were also able to watch the three young lads from Auckland take out the top three spots in the U23 title. So much effort, grit and determination.

An awesome if rather hot day.

[kiwi girl]

Thanks for the report Rave.

I'm so pleased that Julian has defended his title. I got such a buzz last year seeing the NZ jersey on tv in the TdF

[RoadRaven]

Yeah, I had doubts about whether Dean could pull it off after about six weeks off the bike with the surgery.
He said he wanted to win it again, and intended to... and he did.

It will be a thrill to see him in TdF again (I am making the assumption his team will be selected and he will be selected )