Waikato’s Jaime Nielsen won the bragging rights over her Olympic teammates on the first day of the RaboDirect national club cycling road race championships in the Hawkes Bay today.
Nielsen gave Te Awamutu Sports its only victory of the day with nearly 600 riders competing in the time trials held in Waipawa, in the Central Hawkes Bay.
The London Olympic women’s endurance squad are taking part in the championships as part of a training camp in the Bay this week before they head to the USA in two weeks to begin their concerted build-up for London.
The Oceania time trial champion and New Zealand elite runner-up Sam Horgan added to his impressive array of time trial scalps with a comfortable win in the elite men’s contest. The Pegasus club rider from Christchurch belted through the lumpy 40km course in 53:03, to be nearly two minutes clear of second placed Andrew Hagan (Port Nicholson Poneke).
Impressive Waimate rider Dylan Kennett was in outstanding form to claim the under-19 honours with a superb 33:51 over the 25km journey. Kennett, a double medallist in last year’s world junior track championships, is preparing for this year’s championships to be staged on home soil in Invercargill in August.
Meanwhile fellow world championship hopeful Sophie Williamson (Central Otago – Wakatipu) took out the women’s under 19 honours. Williamson, from Alexandra, won a world junior medal last year and also preparing for the invercargill event.
It proved a strong day for the Pegasus club from Christchurch with Horgan claiming the elite men, Richard Lawson taking out the under 23 and Holly Edmondston winning the under 17 girls.
There was a fierce battle in the age groups as well. None more so than the men’s 40-44 years where Auckland’s Aaron Strong edged out Gisborne’s Peter Murphy by nine seconds with multi-national champion Gordon McCauley third with the illustrious trio the fastest of all age groupers over the 25km journey.
There were none more impressive in the women’s age group efforts than local Ramblers club rider Ingrid Perols, recovering from treatment for tumours in the brain, who won the 50-54 years age group by nearly a minute.
There was plenty of attention in the elite women’s contest with the Olympic-bound pursuit group of Neilsen, Rushlee Buchanan, Lauren Ellis and individual pursuit world champion Alison Shanks competing.
Neilsen was pleased with her strong performance to clock 36:50 for the 25km distance with Buchanan third, Shanks fourth and Ellis seventh.
“It was a fun course. The sun showed up so it was fantastic,” Neilsen said. “It was a great start for me. The course had a lot of texture in it although that hill on the way back was a bit nasty once you had some hurt in the legs.
“I enjoyed it. I was trying to concentrate on my computer and see what the legs would give me today.
“It’s fantastic to have the whole team here and great to see so many people here taking part and watching.”
The age group and masters road races begin tomorrow on a course near Taradale with elite women racing on Saturday and elite men on Sunday.
Results:
Male
U15 15km: Campbell Stewart (Bike Manawatu) 25:13, 1; Sam Thorpe-Loversuch (Ramblers) 25:41, 2; Chris Denholm (Bike Manawatu) 25:55, 3.
U17 15km: Regan Gough (Cycling CHB) 22:40, 1; Ben Johnstone (Marsden Wheelers) 22:46, 2; Connor Stead (Pegasus Cycling) 22:59, 3.
Under 19, 25km: Dylan Kennett (Pegasus) 33.51, 1; Nick Bain (Counties Manukau) 34.34, 2; Hamish Schreurs (Pegasus) 34.44, 3.
U23 40km: Richard Lawson (Pegasus Cycling) 56:38, 1; Louis Wright (Morrinsville Wheelers) 56:40, 2; Simon Acker (Pegasus Cycling) 56:41, 3;
Elite Men 40km: Sam Horgan (Pegasus Cycling) 53:03, 1; Andrew Hagan (Port Nicholson Poneke) 54:48, 2; Dan Waluszewski (Port Nicholson Poneke) 56:14, 3;
Masters 35-39 25km: Mike Henton (Counties Manukau) 35:48, 1; Karl Murray (Counties Manukau) 36:05, 2; Joel Healy (Port Nicholson Poneke) 36:25, 3
Masters 40-44 25km: Aaron Strong (Auckland Central) 34:00, 1; Peter Murphy (Gisborne) 34:09, 2; Gordon McCauley (Department of Cycling) 35:10, 3.
Masters 45-49 25km: Rod Carpinter (Hamilton City) 35:54, 1; Andrew Townsend (Ramblers) 36:15, 2; Paul Williams (North Harbour) 36:29, 3.
Masters 50-54 25km: Jim McMurray (Forestland Wheelers) 35:18, 1; David Mann (Hamilton City) 35:22, 2; Stephen Mark (Pegasus Cycling) 36:13, 3.
Masters 55-59 25km: Bob Puru (Hamilton City) 37:00, 1; Richard Justice (Auckland Central) 37:43, 2; Ian Seddon (Ramblers) 38:23, 3
Masters 60-64 15km: Garry Overend (Tasman Wheelers) 23:06, 1; Gary Ferguson (Pegasus Cycling) 23:24, 2; Kevin Lawler (Pegasus Cycling) 24:25, 3.
Masters 65-69 15km: Ross Gamble (Cycling Otago) 24:28, 1; Allan Luff (Wanganui) 24:29, 2; Bob Starr (Marsden Wheelers) 25:36, 3
Masters 70 plus 15km: Neil Robinson (Gisborne) 25:55, 1; Garry Humpherson (Port Nicholson Poneke) 25:56, 2; Graham Codyre (Counties Manukau Cycling Inc) 27:14, 3.
Female:
U15, 15km: Michaela Drummond (Bike Manawatu) 27:45, 1; Jessica Read (Te Awamutu Sports) 28:02, 2; Mikayla Harvey (Counties Manukau Cycling Inc) 28:17, 3.
U17, 15km: Holly Edmondston (Pegasus Cycling) 25:58, 1; Madison Farrant (Hamilton City) 26:23, 2; Laura Heywood (Cycling Southland) 26:36, 3.
U19, 15km: Sophie Williamson (Central Otago -Wakatipu) 24:27, 1; Devon Hiley (Counties Manukau) 25:04, 2; Jennifer Muhl (Cycling Southland) 25:32, 3.
Elite 25km: Jaime Nielsen (Te Awamutu Sports) 36:50, 1; Sarah Morrison (Morrinsville Wheelers) 37:29, 2; Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu Sports) 37:37, 3.
Masters 35-39, 25km: Nan Baker (Gisborne) 41:45, 1; Tara Allerton (Stratford) 43:31, 2; Kerry-Ann Harris (Counties Manukau) 43:32, 3.
Masters 40-44, 25km: Rachel Larner (Counties Manukau) 40:27, 1; Kim Andersen (Bike Manawatu) 44:47, 2.
Masters 45-49, 25km: Megan Blatchford-Peck (Bike Manawatu) 41:44, 1; Fiona Southorn (Marsden Wheelers) 42:42, 2; Sheryl Duncan (Taupo) 46:44, 3.
Masters 50-54, 25km: Ingrid Perols (Ramblers) 42:07, 1; Jocelyn Goodwin (Bike Manawatu) 42:48, 2; Paula Prestidge (Cycling Timaru) 43:28, 3.
Masters 55-59, 25km: Ann Rigg (Tasman Wheelers) 44:31, 1; Jan Brosnahan (Cycling Otago) 45:07, 2.
Masters 60-64, 15km: Susan Tunnicliff (Ramblers Inc) 28:35, 1; Christine Van Hoppe (Tasman Wheelers Inc) 29:36, 2; Joy Baker (Cycling New Plymouth) 30:01, 3;
Masters 65-69, 15km: Lesley Parton (Marsden Wheelers) 34:55, 1.
Parafed, Handbikes 25km: Susan Reid (Morrinsville Wheelers) 30:08, 1 (Percentile 113.89); Brendon Stratton (Morrinsville Wheelers) 26,53, 2 (100.41%); Tiffney Perry (Morrinsville Wheelers) 36.55, 3 (91.21%).
Standard Cycles, 25km: Nathan Smith (New Plymouth) 40.28, 1 (95.98%); Stephen Hills (New Plymouth) 46.06, 2 (86.86%); Craig Hill (Ramblers) 41.14, 3 (83.94%).
Tandem 25km: Robert Matthews (Hamilton City) 36:29 , 1; Phillipa Gray (Cycling Southland) 37:54, 2; Jayne Parsons (Kapiti) 39:40, 3.
IAN HEPENSTALL
Media Liaison, BikeNZ High Performance
Sports Media NZ Ltd
