James completes North Island domination to set up Wellington finale

While Tim James completed his domination of the North Island in the Tour of New Zealand, defending solo champion Dan Underwood could only manage third today on the South Island’s final stage.
Leading individuals and teams will battle for overall titles tomorrow in the shadow of the Beehive in the grounds of Parliament House, and it may well be that Underwood choose to save some energy for racing tomorrow.

Underwood was beaten in a stage for the first time by Gary Lloyd, who although lying second to Underwood on general classification was until today over one hour behind. Lloyd has now closed that gap to just under the hour mark, but will no doubt be satisfied to have beaten the defending champion on at least one stage.

Gordon Hepburn also beat Underwood on today’s 65 kilometre South Island stage from Allan Scott Winery near Blenheim that went through Havelock and Queen Charlotte Sound before finishing in Picton.
Lloyd’s winning individual stage time was one hour and fifty six minutes, seven minutes ahead of Hepburn and nine minutes clear of Underwood. Leading South Island woman Jeanette White was comfortably the first female to finish today’s stage, finishing ahead of Hepburn and Underwood with a time of one hour and fifty three minutes, 41 minutes ahead of second placed female Gillian Radcliff. 

Tim James completed his climb sweep of solo stage wins outsprinting the North Island’s leading female and former professional and national representative Yvette Hill-Willis and Marty McDonnell to win the Pahiatua to Masterton 74 kilometre stage in two hours and forty minutes. Yvette Hill-Willis was five minutes clear of second placed female Megan Blank.  

James and Underwood will go head to head with other leading individual riders and teams from both islands on Saturday in an exciting criterium to decide the overall Tour of New Zealand solo and teams champions.

Second placed South Island team Pablos Wanaka finally won a stage over defending teams champion Christchurch Boys High School with its three leading riders all staying together to complete the stage in one hour and forty nine minutes.

The leading three rider’s times from each team make up the teams classification stage result. The third Christchurch Boys High rider came in just over two minutes behind his two team mates and the leading three riders from Pablos Wanaka which resulted in a moral boasting team stage win for the Wanaka team.

The West Island team secured its closely fought position of third coming in today two minutes ahead of Team Peak Fuel.

North Island teams Hikurangi and the Six Gardner Brothers finished together in a time of three hours which secured the North Island team’s win for Hikurangi.

Multi Sport and World Adventure racing champions Elena and Richard Ussher joined the tour in Blenheim to ride the final stage in the South Island today. Both were happy to sit in the bunch and ride the route today rather than race for a result.

Tomorrow morning’s racing in the grounds of Parliament starts at 7.45 after a welcome from Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and MP for Hutt South Trevor Mallard, who is a keen cyclist and plans to ride in the criterium.

The flags of the eight countries represented in the tour will also be raised and then the racing will build up to the more serious events between nine and ten o’clock.