Subway – Avanti's Smallman wins New Zealand's longest one day cycle race

Ian Smallman, from The Subway – Avanti Pro Cycling team, won New Zealand’s longest one day cycle race, the 204 kilometre Gwaloop Challenge, in Gisborne on Saturday.

Smallman was with fellow Christchurch cyclist Nathan Smith and Gisborne’s Kevin Strongman with 40 kilometres to go when he made his winning move.
“It was undulating terrain and I went hard up a small roller, managed to distance the other guys and then just put my head down and went hard,” Smallman said.

He won in a time of six hours and two minutes, one minute in front of Strongman who was four minutes ahead of Smith.

While Smallman was winning in Gisborne Subway – Avanti teammate Nick Lovegrove was part of the winning Counties Manukau team in the RaboDirect National Team Time Trial Championships in Hamilton.

BikeNZ has re-introduced the popular team time trial, and Lovegrove teamed up with Gordon McCauley and former national representatives Karl Murray and Aaron Strong to record 50:48.48 for the 40 kilometres.

Both Smallman and Lovegrove are members of The Subway-Avanti team for the Powernet Tour of Southland which starts on Monday.

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