-
Source: Photosport -
Watch Video
-
Related
A crucial break in fierce crosswinds has produced a new leader after the fifth stage of cycling's Tour of Southland on Wednesday.
National road champion Gordon McCauley, riding for Subway Avanti, won the afternoon's 101.7km fifth stage from Tuatapere to Winton after yellow jersey holder Heath Blackgrove, of Zookeepers-Cycle Surgery, missed the break when a select group split in strong crosswinds 25km from the finish.
Nelson's Jack Bauer, riding for Share The Road, was among the super six in the break before finishing third behind McCauley and Tom Findlay (Palmerston North, Bici Vida) to claim the tour leader's yellow jersey.
Bauer has a 14-second advantage over Olympic medallist Marc Ryan (Timaru, ColourPlus), who had to settle for fifth just behind the winner after riding with a slow flat tyre over the final few kilometres.
United States-based New Zealander Jeremy Vennell (Bissell Pro Cycling) moved to third overall at 19sec after a strong day with Blackgrove now fourth at 26sec.
McCauley's stage win promoted him to fifth, 56sec behind the leader.
American Floyd Landis finished the stage in 52nd place and was 36th overall. Landis won the 2006 Tour de France but was disqualified and banned for two years when doping tests revealed elevated levels of testosterone.
Earlier, national junior representative Patrick Bevin (Taupo, Ascot Park Hotel) took out the 88.4km fourth stage from Invercargill to Tuatapere in a bunch sprint from Subway Avanti rider Josh England (Auckland) and Mathew Gorter (Hamilton, PowerNet).
After recovering from broken bodies and bikes on Monday, the Subway Avanti team made their move in this afternoon's stage to Winton after a group of 20 rode clear after 20km.
The group, reaching speeds of 60kph with a mix of tail and cross winds, peeled back to an elite pack of 11 until they turned into strong crosswinds at the 75km mark.
Joe Cooper (Wellington, Subway Avanti) made his attack when five riders were caught out, including Blackgrove, and six edged clear comprising Cooper, Ryan, McCauley, Bauer, Findlay and Vennell.
With 5km remaining they built a safety buffer of 30sec before Cooper attacked again with 1km to go, setting things up superbly for his team captain McCauley to sprint home from Findlay and Bauer.
"The tour didn't start well for us with four of us crashing on that first day and finishing with sore bodies and bikes held together with hose clips," McCauley said.
"Today was great for our Subway Avanti team with Josh second in the morning and then my win today, which was set-up really well by Jo Cooper. My teammates were fantastic today.
"I've won this stage five times and know it like the back of my hand. Our manager made the perfect call to attack and it worked. With Marc Ryan riding on spongy tyres, I knew I was the fastest in the sprint."
McCauley, runner-up in the tour last year, believes he is now a genuine contender for overall victory and he is set to handle tomorrow's key climb up to the top of the Crown Range.
"Jack Bauer is riding so well on the flat and up the hills. But he and his team will get attacks from four or five different teams tomorrow," McCauley said.
"It will be like a machine gun going off at him as we all have a go. I'm just going to keep attacking."
Thursday's sixth stage is a 134km journey from Lumsden to the Crown Range.
Tour of Southland day three results CLICK HERE
