Upsets & Olympians Dominate Day One

Day one of the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling saw a record 1700 entries enjoy mild temperatures and light winds for the Armstrong Peugeot Harbour Ride, while the countries best riders put on some close racing and surprising results in the Avanti Long Bays Classic.

The surprise was the superb form of Blenheim rider Robin Reid, who came to Christchurch unsure of his form but will go home with the scalps of Olympic medallists and world champions to his credit.

The 33 year old was as surprised as anyone with his impressive performance. But it was especially pleasing after more than 12 months on the come trail following a bad crash in the Tour of Southland in 2007.

“Actually, I wasn’t too sure too my fitness today, but I knew to do well in this race you needed to get in a breakaway and hope it sticks. So when a few guys went up the road at about halfway I jumped across to them and it turned out to be a really good group.”

Reid’s 11-man breakaway included powerhouses such as world champion track rider Hayden Godfrey, national under-23 road champion Eliott Crowther and national representative rider Paul Odlin.

“Everyone was really committed to staying away,” said Reid, “and we worked really hard all the way over Gebbies Pass and around the bays.”

It was around the scenic but savage roads of Lyttelton Harbour that this race is usually won and lost. This year proved no different when Reid and fellow Nelsonian Paul Odlin broke away together just before Lyttelton itself to take a 30sec lead into the final climb up Evans Pass.

“I was a bit worried on Evans,” said Reid. “But for once I have good legs on the hills. Then about halfway up my brother (Andrew) was on the side of the road just screaming at me to stick it to him. That really got me pumped up and I attacked with everything I had.”

Over the top of Evans Pass Reid had established an eight second buffer. But with less than 8k to go he knew his chances relied on a fast descent, and as they flashed through the streets of Sumner with 5k to ride his lead was out to 20secs.

Reid is a former New Zealand time trial champion and Athens Olympian, so there aren’t many who can topple him in a classic man against man ride-off.

“Once we hit Sumner I was pretty sure I could hold on,” said Reid, who eventually reached the McCormacks Bay finish line 1min 18secs clear of Paul Odlin, with Cambridge rider Eric Drower getting the drop on the chasers in the final few kilometres to claim third ahead of Eliott Crowther, Sam Morgan and national series leader Jeremy Yates.

Yates’ sixth place was enough to retain his lead on the BikeNZ National Road Series, but the finish line banter was all about Robin Reid, whose winning of 1hr 53min 48secs smashed the course record by two minutes.

“I must be a bit fitter than I thought,” grinned Reid. “I just felt so good out there. I reckon it’s the first time in 15 years of cycling that I’ve had such good legs on the climbs… I guess it shows that it’s not time to give up just yet.”

Never giving up was also the message to come out of the elite women’s race in this first day of the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling.

In a very strong field that included Olympians Catherine Cheatley and Alison Shanks, national champions Serena Sheridan and Kaytee Boyd and defending Armstrong Peugeot champion Rushlee Buchanan, Australian representative Ruth Corset and world ranked junior Rachel Mercer, it came down to just Cheatley and Corset.

The women’s field was so classy, in fact, they managed to stay with the leading men through to halfway when Robin Reid’s breakaway group sparked up the pace. But Australian Ruth Corset managed to stay with the top men the longest and crested Gebbies Pass almost a minute clear of any other woman.

Around the harbour bays, however, Catherine Cheatley made a big move that brought her to within 30secs of Corset at the bottom of Evans Pass.

“I lost time on Gebbies Pass because my chain came off,” Cheatley would later reveal. “But I got lucky with a good bunch around Governer’s Bay to Lyttelton and when we started Evan’s Pass I could see Ruth about 30secs ahead and I really thought we would catch her then.”

But Corset, a specialist climber, wasn’t giving up easily. At the top of Evans Pass with just 10k to ride, her 30sec margin was still intact and Cheatley knew her only hope was to pull out all the stops on the descent into Sumner.

“At that point I thought I might have it won,” said Corset, who was visibly surprised when Cheatley caught her as they raced through Sumner with just 5k to ride.

“It was so disappointing,” said Corset. “When I was still ahead on the flat I thought I had had it. I can’t believe it.”

“I couldn’t have left it any later,” said Cheatley moments after crossing the line a scant two seconds clear of Corset in a new race record 2hrs 02min 34secs.

Behind the exciting race for line honours former national champion Katee Boyd filled third place in 2hrs 03min 54secs, but a comfortable 37secs ahead of a photo finish between Rachel Mercer and Serena Sheridan for fourth and fifth. The teenaged Mercer got the nod, but Sheridan took consolation in maintaining her lead in the BikeNZ National Road Series.

As well as the Avanti Long Bays Classic, more than 1500 riders turned out for the Armstrong Peugeot Harbour Ride, a recreational event over the same course that attracted participants of all age, ability and aspirations.

Highlights included a photo finish between Brad Macfarlane and Scott McDonnell, with Macfarlane coming out the winner in 2hrs 02min 42secs. The women’s race was clear cut, with Susie Gowers taking a two-minute win ahead of Aimee Burns in 2hrs 11min 54secs.

Further back in the field the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling is a celebration of riders all age and ability. More than 200 children participated in the SBS Mini Bays, a ride for five to 14 years old over 5k or 10k that saw the kid’s joined by Olympic stars such as Beijing medallist Hayden Roulston, today’s race winners Robin Reid and Catherine Cheatley and celebrity’s such as Coast to Coast legend Steve Gurney and Everest conqueror Mark Ingles.

Gurney was also typically amidst the action when winning the tandem category with his brother Michael, while Ingles also presented awards for the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling’s new SPARC Disabled categories, which were won by Thomas Campbell and Beijing Paralympic gold medallist Paula Tesoriero.

The crowd gave a special cheer for 78-year-old Roger Fowler as he finished almost exactly in the middle of the field. The Christchurch cycling doyen has been riding the harbour race since the 1950s, when he says, “the roads were gravel and you had to ride in the centre of the road otherwise you’d slide into the ditch.” This year he knocked out the 80k distance in 3hrs 27min 59secs.

Tomorrow the action shifts to the inner city for the Armstrong Peugeot City Criterium, which hosts the New Zealand Criterium Championship where favourites include Hayden Roulston and his Olympic bronze medal winning teammates, plus Athens Olympian Jason Allen and current world track champion Hayden Godfrey.

RESULTS
Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling
Christchurch
Avanti Long Bays Classic - 75k
Elite Men
1 Robin Reid Blenheim 1:53:48
2 Paul Odlin Nelson 1:55:06
3 Eric Drower Cambridge 1:55:21
4 Eliott Crowther Auckland 1:55:59
5 Sam Morgan Christchurch 1:56:04
6 Jeremy Yates Hastings 1:57:11
7 Matt Sillars Auckland 1:57:20
8 Peter Latham Te Awamutu 1:58:01
9 Mike Torckler New Plymouth 1:58:01
10 Alex Meenhorst Auckland 1:58:01
Elite Women
1 Cath Cheatley Invercargill 2:02:34
2 Ruth Corset Australia 2:02:36
3 Kaytee Boyd Auckland 2:03:54
4 Rachel Mercer Wellington 2:04:31
5 Serena Sheridan Nelson 2:04:31
6 Alison Shanks Dunedin 2:06:24
7 Jeannie Kuhajek Nelson 2:06:56
8 Emma Peterson Te Awamutu 2:06:57
9 Laura Thompson Christchurch 2:06:57
10 Donna Sibley Christchurch 2:08:17