Podium placings for BikeNZ riders in Germany

There were podium placings for BikeNZ cyclists Aaron Gate and Sam Webster in European competition today.

Gate has finished third overall for the sprint points jersey when the prestigious Thuringen-Rundfahrt Under-23 Tour concluded in Germany today.

Also in Germany the 2009 triple world junior champion Sam Webster has finished third against a world class field in the final of the men’s keirin in a grand prix event in Cottbus.

Gate is part of the BikeNZ endurance track squad training and racing on the roads in Europe as part of their preparations for the upcoming track campaign towards the London Olympics.

The squad was unable to promote Gate for any intermediate sprint points in today’s final stage, a 163km circuit race in Weida near the border with the Czech Republic. Austria’s Gernot Auer won the two intermediate sprints to edge his way to the points title from Germany’s Michael Humbert with Gate third.

The Auckland rider finished in the leading bunch that sprinted for the major honours, taken out by Great Britain’s Luke Rowe with the New Zealander awarded the same time in 27th place.

Jason Christie, who won the sprint for the peloton which finished six seconds back, was best of the New Zealanders on general classification in 32nd place, six minutes behind winner Wilco Kelderman (Netherlands).

The seven-stage tour, over some testing terrain, attracted many of the best under-23 road riders including national teams from nine countries.

The BikeNZ squad will now have a two week break before a month-long training stint aimed towards the upcoming track season.

Meanwhile Webster has impressed in the latest competition for the BikeNZ sprint squad in Europe.

He has finished third in the final of the keirin amid strong competition featuring a number of Olympic and world championship medallists.

The 20 year old Aucklander worked his way through three rounds of qualifying and a fiercely fought semifinal, before a strong effort to come from seventh in the final lap to make the podium.

BikeNZ national coach Justin Grace said he was delighted and surprised with the performance given the exhaustive training programme in recent weeks.

The team will freshen for the German Sprint Cup at the same venue next week.