Schreurs wins fifth round of Benchmark Homes series

Christchurch cyclist Hamish Schreurs beat his BikeNZ track endurance team mate Dylan Kennett in a sprint finish to win the elite fifth round of the Benchmark Homes Cycling Series, the McKenzie & Willis Classic, near Queenstown today.

Schreurs (Benchmark Homes Cycling team), who has recently returned from six months based in Europe with the National endurance track team, said he knew it was a hard course and was very happy to get the win on what he called a ‘strong mans’ circuit.

A break of nine riders had formed after two laps of the 25 kilometre circuit of the 129 kilometre race and they worked together to build up a lead that at one stage was over three minutes.

On the last lap the leading group had splinted with Schreurs, Kennett (Breads of Europe All about Plumbing) and Cameron Karwowski (H&J Smiths) getting away with less than 15 kilometres left.

Kennett attacked on the steep Little’s Road Hill climb first dropping Karwowski and then Schreurs as he made his move for victory. Schreurs managed to claw his way back onto Bennett’s wheel over the rolling terrain between the Little’s Road climb and Speargrass Flat Road and then the two riders settled into taking turns until the final 300 metres where Kennett attacked first only to be overtaken on the line by Schreurs, who won in three hours and 16 minutes.

“I knew I had to be part of any significant break that went away as it’s hard to bring it back on this course,” Schreurs said. “When it came down to the sprint I didn’t think I’d get it but I managed to pull it off; it wasn’t easy so it was great to get the win.”

Sam Horgan (Benchmark Homes) drove a chasing bunch of four riders who were closing in the final stages, finally finishing less than a minute behind Schreurs and Bennett. Horgan crossed the line fourth behind Karwowski to move to the top of the elite series individual points standings and take the leaders jersey off Homestyle Cycling team’s Tom Hubbard who came home ninth.

Horgan and Hubbard are now locked together at the top of the points table but as Horgan finished ahead of Hubbard he takes the elite jersey and Hubbard will wear the Under 23 leader’s jersey heading into the final round of the series on 5 October in Canterbury.The Homestyle team retained its lead in the elite team’s classification.

Timaru cyclist and World Masters record holder on the track for the individual pursuit, Reon Park (Team Calder Stewart) had an impressive solo win in the 103 kilometre masters race. Park was only making his second appearance in the series after a puncture had foiled a potential win in the closing stages of the third round of the series from Hanmer Spring to Kaikoura in May.

Park rode off the front of the master’s bunch after two laps of the four lap race and without any points in the individual classification standings the leading masters riders were happy to let him go as they continued to watch each other.  Park won in two hours and forty five minutes.

Scott McDonnell (Thule Cycling) won a three rider bunch sprint from Team Tineli’s Warrick Spence and Wayne Smythe (Warmup Cycling Team) to claim second just over a minute behind Park. In the next group across the line Brad McFarlane (Thule) just edged out Glenn Rewi (Kiwi Style Bike Tours) to take fifth and move two points ahead of Rewi to lead the overall masters series and retain the 35 to 44 age group leaders jersey.

Dunedin’s Mark Spessot (Cycle World) was ninth but it proved enough to take the masters over 45 jersey off Blair Stuthrudge (Thule) who did not race.

The Masters leader for the first three rounds Lee Johnstone (Warmup Cycling), who slipped to fourth after not racing in the previous round due to injury, fell to sixth behind Brendan Mathews (Team Tineli Masters) after the lingering injury saw him not able to finish today’s race.
 

With three riders in the top five today Team Thule Cycling consolidated its position at the top of the masters team’s classification that cannot be challenged with only one round remaining. 

Olympic track cyclist Lauren Ellis held off Invercargill’s Laura Fairweather (Altherm Window Systems) in a sprint finish to win the women’s 103 kilometre race in three hours and 16 minutes.

Three minutes later Sharlotte Lucas (Benchmark Homes) won the bunch sprint from Cycling Otago’s Elyse Fraser, Sophie Williamson (H&J's Outdoor World) and Haley Mercer (Benchmark Homes) to claim third, cementing her second place on the individual points standings behind Ellis.   

Results McKenzie & Willis Classic; round 5 of the Benchmark Homes Cycling Series
Elite Men/Under 23
1 Hamish Schreurs Benchmark Homes Under 23 3:16:14; 
2 Dylan Kennett Breads of Europe All About Plumbing Under 23 ST 
3 Cameron Karwowski H&J's Outdoor World Avanti + Under 23  +00:52 
4 Sam Horgan Benchmark Homes Elite ST 
5 Daniel Whitehouse TotalPOS Cycling Under 23 ST 
6 Matthew Zenovich H&J's Outdoor World Avanti + Under 23 +00:56 
7 Brad Evans Fitlab Under 23 +04:07 
8 Joe Chapman L&M Group Racing Elite ST 
9 Tom Hubbard Homestyle  Under 23 ST 
10 Ben Robertson Benchmark Homes Elite ST

Masters Men
1 Reon Park Team Calder Stewart Road Masters Master 35-44  2:45:01  
2 Scott McDonnell Team Thule Cycling Master 35-44 +01:08  
3 Warrick Spence Team Tineli Masters Master 35-44 ST  
4 Wayne Smythe Warmup Cycling Team Master 35-44 ST  
5 Brad McFarlane Team Thule Cycling Master 35-44 +01:16  
6 Glenn Rewi Kiwi Style Bike Tours Master 35-44 ST  
7 Glenn Gould Team Calder Stewart Road Masters Master 45+  +01:17  
8 Justin Sims Armitage Williams Team Master 35-44 +01:49  
9 Mark Spessot Cycle World Master 45+ +01:50  
10 Brendon Mathews Team Tineli Masters Master 35-44 ST

Women
1 Lauren Ellis Benchmark Homes  3:16:58 
2 Laura Fairweather Altherm Window Systems +00:02 
3 Sharlotte Lucas Benchmark Homes +02:59 
4 Elyse Fraser Cycling Otago +03:00 
5 Sophie Williamson H&J's Outdoor World Avanti + ST