Christchurch teenager Josh Atkins has etched his name in the history books as the youngest rider to be crowned the Tour of Southland champion.
Atkins and his PowerNet team of young guns Tom Scully, Shane Archbold, Myron Simpson, Alex Frame and Cam Karwowski did a sublime job of controlling the Tours final stanza from Winton to Invercargill today, shutting down numerous attempts by nearest rival Pure Black Racing to wrestle the yellow jersey.
"I'm very stoked to pull it off for the team. They rode incredibly," Atkins said.
"Pure Blacks are a professional team overseas and they threw what they had at us. We ride this tour together and that's all we've done together. But we outrode everyone and the guys were on the front the whole day just smashing it.
"I've won the tour but I wouldn't have done it without Shane, Myron, Cam, Alex and Tom Scully. It was all their work that brought me to the line in yellow."
Atkins, who rides for Lance Armstrongs Trek-LIVESTRONG outfit internationally, also added the Co-Operative Bank Under-23 jersey and a stage win on the Crown Range to his tally.
He attributed his powerful form to being relaxed.
"I've had a blast this week the whole time. After this year I didn't enjoy riding my bike too often and since I got home from overseas I just took a way more relaxed approach," he said.
"Throughout the Tour I was just having a good time and each day working towards a small goal and wanting to rip some guys legs off on the hill really."
With hail stones pelting his face as he completed media interviews on the finish line, Atkins not surprisingly didn't commit to defending his title.
"Last year I said I'd never do it again and I'm saying it again this year, but once it's over your'e hooked on it and you want to come back," Atkins said.
Today's stage eight honours went to Ascot Park Hotels Patrick Bevan, of Rotorua, who held off a fast-finishing Jason Allen, of Christchurch, and managed to shave Atkins overall winning margin to just 57secs in both the overall GC and under-23 ranks.
