Double winning day for RaboDirect NZ cyclists in Australian Tour

BikeNZ’s leading under-23 riders have enjoyed double success in one of Australia’s leading events on the prestigious Tour of the Murray River in Australia today.

Auckland’s Myron Simpson took out this morning’s third stage criterium at Numurkah, two and a half hours north of Melbourne while fellow RaboDirect New Zealand teammate Aaron Gate took out the afternoon’s fourth stage over 82kms to nearby Nathalia.

The team, comprising BikeNZ’s leading under-23 endurance track riders, are completing a successful five month campaign in Europe, stopping off for a final event in Australia. BikeNZ has used the campaign as a build-up towards the track season as these riders push for selection in the team for the London Olympics.

The morning criterium was well set up on the tight 850km lap circuit, with Timaru’s Shane Archbold powering to the front with two corners remaining to lead-out Simpson for the comfortable win.

The afternoon stage was short but strong cross winds made it challenge. The expected break came with 10kms to go, with both Wes Gough and Gate making it safely into the small leading bunch. The Hawkes Bay rider showed his experience to lead the peloton into the formal corner to set things up for Gate to sprint clear, winning emphatically. He has pushed provisionally up to third place on general classification after four stages of the 850kms tour over eight days.

“It’s been a great day for the team,” said Director Sportif Gordon McCauley. “This morning’s stage was so tight that we knew we had to have both riders in front by the second to last corner and they did it well.

“The afternoon was brutal in the wind and we did well to get two up into the break that we knew would come and from there Wes was excellent and Gatey was much too good for them.”

Simpson said the team was in good spirits after the long campaign and pleased with their form.

“The boys were really good today. They got together with a few laps to go and the lead out was perfect,” said Simpson. “I didn’t have to beat up into the wind until the final 100m before the line. They just did it perfectly.

“This is our last road race as a team so we are keen to do well. Then we have a little bit of power work to do as a track-specific stuff for October.

“It’s been a long five months but we had a break in the middle and a good training camp so it was split up well with lots of really tough racing in different countries. We are all riding well and happy to get the results.”

Tomorrow is a 71km stage in the morning from Echuca to Kyabram and 30km criterium in the afternoon in Rochester.