Finn Fisher-Black took the stage win at the New Zealand Cycle Classic on Saturday.
Junior pursuit world record-holder Finn Fisher-Black captured the yellow jersey - after some confusion – on the penultimate day of the New Zealand Cycle Classic. The New Zealand National team member won Saturday’s “Queen Stage” in 3hr 08min 09 secs to take the Classic lead off Black Spoke’s Luke Mudgway and will head into Sunday s fifth and final stage on general classification with a four-second lead over teammate Corbin Strong. Black Spoke’s Aaron Gate is third place on General Classification after finishing sixth on Saturday raced in hot conditions in Wairarapa.
McCormick, who won the New Zealand Cycle Classic in 2018, was shocked their breakaway lasted. “It’s funny because last night I said there’s no point going into a breakaway in this stage because you always get caught but it was just the right combination of guys. Regan and Glenn were super strong, and it just ended out, that we stayed away,” McCormick said. Race director Jorge Sandoval said it was the first time in the stage’s history that the peloton had not caught a breakaway.
DAVE LINTOTT/DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy drive the peloton into Martinborough.
Luke Mudgway celebrates his stage two victory in the New Zealand Cycle Classic.
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy s Luke Mudgway has gone straight from the offensive to the defensive after claiming the yellow jersey in a sensational ride during stage two of the UCI 2.2 New Zealand Cycle Classic. Mudgway won the 158.1km stage in three hours, 39 minutes and 41 seconds in Masterton on Thursday. New Zealand National team member Corbin Strong crossed the line 17 seconds behind in second place, narrowly pipping Mudgway’s teammate Aaron Gate who finished third. It was a dominating performance by Mudgway who earlier in the stage won the two King of the Mountains climbs and more than enough points to claim that jersey.
Black Spoke favoured in classic
Aaron Gate winning stage one of the 2020 NZ Cycle Classic. PHOTO/DAVE LINTOTT
CYCLING
chris.cogdale@age.co.nz
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy are warm favourites to win the five-stage New Zealand Cycle Classic which started yesterday in Masterton.
Black Spoke, New Zealand’s only professional Union Cycliste Internationale team, took team honours in the 2020 tour, while 2019 champion Aaron Gate finished second in the general classification.
The team’s build-up to this year’s tour started with a two-week training camp in Wairarapa in October to familiarise themselves with the region’s roads.
While here Black Spoke also competed in a race of the Trust House North Island Team Series.
Dave Lintott
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy s Aaron Gate won the New Zealand Cycle Classic title in 2019 and is back for another title tilt in 2021.
Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy are not shy about their ambitions when lining up to contest this week’s UCI 2.2 New Zealand Cycle Classic five-day stage race being held in Wairarapa and Wellington. “It would be great to take out the overall win and stage wins along the way,” team manager Scott Guyton said. “We have a well-rounded team with individuals that can do well over all the terrains Wairarapa has to offer. We also have the national criterium champion, Aaron Gate in the team, and we are looking forward to seeing him race in the national jersey in our capital city on the last stage.”