Five Subway riders for strong Wellington tour

The Subway Pro Cycling team tackles its first tour of the year with a strong line up that includes Bike NZ track endurance team members, a World Championship medallist, New Zealand’s newly crowned time trial champion and a Commonwealth Games Medallist.

Subway is one of six UCI pro teams competing in New Zealand’s only UCI 2.2 international cycle tour in Oceania, the International Trust House Cycle Classic, which starts tomorrow.

“It’s a high quality field and we are looking forward to mixing it up with the Australian teams that are coming over,” Subway Pro Cycling’s Manager Graeme Miller said.

“The boys all know what’s expected of them and I expect a strong showing this week.”

Subway has named a strong team of five for the tour that includes World Championship medallist and BikeNZ endurance track team member Pete Latham, recently crowned New Zealand Time Trial champion and Latham’s BikeNZ endurance track team mate Westly Gough, Commonwealth Games medallist Jason Allan, Matt Gorter, who is riding his first tour since recovering from illness last year and the experienced Paul Odlin.

Latham takes good form into the tour after winning the 110 kilometre Tour de Ranges in a record time on Saturday. He beat Pure Black Racings Roman Van Uden in a sprint finish to win the race in record time and says he is looking forward to this week’s tour as it’s his “favourite tour in New Zealand.”

“I know the roads well after living in Wellington for several summers over the last few years,” he said.

“I think GC (general classification) will establish itself early with Admirals Hill on the second day and it’s great to see the Wallaceville circuit brought back which will be a testing day.”

Gorter thinks it is a strong Subway team lining up for tour and is keen to use the racing to get some more race miles into his legs as he continues to build his fitness after missing the second half of last year due to illness.

“It’s great to be back racing,” Gorter said. “Depending on how things go maybe I’ll look for a stage win but I’m there to help the boys out as much as I can as it’s a strong field with many of the Aussie boys coming over after lots of recent racing.”

The tour’s first stage is from Upper Hutt to Masterton via the Rimutaka Hill on Wednesday. The following three days are in the Wairarapa, including the Admiral Hill climb, and the Tour finishes with a criterium on the streets of central Wellington on Sunday afternoon.

The Union Cycliste International (UCI), the association of national cycling federations, has recently registered The Subway Pro Cycling team as an internationally recognised squad for the third year and the team’s General Manger Hayden Godfrey said they are keen to step up their international calendar of events.

“We have our strongest line up in our six year history this year, and we are currently finalising a schedule which we hope will see increased racing overseas,” he said.

The Subway Pro Cycling team for the International Trust House Cycle Classic is:
Peter Latham, Westley Gough, Matt Gorter, Jason Allen and Paul Odlin,