Dyers pass climb test for in-form Bevin, Nielsen

Dyers pass climb test for in-form Bevin, Nielsen

8 January 2015, 8:54PM
CyclingNZ High Performance

If Taupo’s Paddy Bevin was a country music fan, then Willie Nelson’s hit On The Road Again would be on his favourites’ list.

The 23 year old Bevin is among the pre-race favourites to claim his first elite title at the Calder Stewart elite road cycling championships in Christchurch at the weekend.

After a brief and successful flirtation on the track where he won a world cup title and selection to the Commonwealth Games, Bevin has returned to the road.

Bevin will have the benefit of a strong Avanti Racing Team to support him for the 183km men’s race on Sunday that includes 10 times up the arduous Dyers Pass climb, but he faces a plethora of powerful performers if he is to prevail.

The championships begin with the time trials at Lincoln tomorrow, where the men’s honours over the 40km test looks to be wide open with the last four elite men’s winners – defending champion Taylor Gunman, Joe Cooper, Paul Odlin and Westley Gough – in the field along with former Oceania time trial champion Sam Horgan, three-time under-23 winner Michael Vink and the in-form Bevin.

Hawkes Bay rider Fraser Gough will defend his under-23 title against former world junior medallist James Oram, noted track rider Dylan Kennett and professional tyros Hayden McCormick, Alex Frame and Dion Smith.

The women’s race over 25kms looks to be between in-form defending champion Jaime Nielsen, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist Linda Villumsen and 2012 winner Lauren Ellis.


Jaime Nielsen in the women's road race at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Credit: Guy Swarbrick.
Jaime Nielsen in the women’s road race at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Credit: Guy Swarbrick.

The focus moves to the Cashmere road course for the women’s road race on Saturday, over 120.5kms comprising eight laps and six climbs of Dyers Pass.

With the championships moving to Hawkes Bay next year, it is the final chance for Villumsen to win the title in her adopted home in Christchurch although traditionally she has aligned her best form for much later in the year. She is moving to a new base in USA for the UnitedHealthcare professional team, and has been training well over the summer.

Nielsen will go in as the pre-race favourite after a storming win in the Tour de Vineyards last week, where she won all five stages for overall honours along with the king of the mountains and sprint race titles.

The race is likely to be decided from a select group that also includes Nielsen’s fellow Cycling New Zealand endurance track teammates Georgia Williams and Ellis, Wiggle Honda professional Emily Collins and 2013 champion Courtney Lowe.

Like Nielsen, Bevin enjoyed a superb preparation winning the Tour de Vineyards with a win on stage two and second in three other stages to pick up general classification, king of the mountain and points honours.

Bevin returned to New Zealand just over 12 months ago after four successful seasons as the key sprinter for US-based Bissell Racing team and several riders, including Orica GreenEDGE professional Sam Bewley picking him as the favourite.

“He’s in good form and has a good team around him, so I will need to work off them and see how what damage is done up the climb,” said Bewley, who is looking for a fast start to his busy 2015 season after an injury-ridden 2014.

He is one of three World Tour riders in the field along with Nelson’s George Bennett, who joins TeamLotto NL this year and Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing).

Bennett, 24, is a climbing specialist who was pipped by his then teammate Hayden Roulston on the line two years ago, while Sergent enjoyed another brilliant 2014 season with several outstanding time trial performances including second in the Tour of Spain and third at the Tour of Romandie.

There will be a battle between the trade teams  with 2012 winner James Williamson heading L&M Group Ricoh, Brad Evans leading Modus Construction and Vink with Breads of Europe-all About Plumbing. The attention centres on the Avanti Racing team that boasts Bevin, Cooper, who won three stages at the Tour de Vineyards and the exciting Tom Davison, who raised eyebrows with his powerful performance to finish third behind Roulstson and Jack Bauer last year.

There’s also interest in Commonwealth Games gold medallist Shane Archbold (Timaru), who will move to powerful German Continental Pro team, Bora-Argon 18 this year.

His fellow Glasgow track medallists – Marc Ryan, Aaron Gate and Westley Gough will more than make up the numbers as will UK-based Madison Genesis professional Mike Northey.
The under-23 battle will be exciting where defending champion McCormick, 2013 winner Oram, Smith and Frame are expected to all be prominent not just for this title but for overall honours, with interest in the efforts of Commonwealth Games mountain bike medallist Sam Gaze.

The key will be the battle of attrition for over the 10 testing climbs up Dyers Pass in the 183km race.

Tomorrow’s time trials start at 10am with the women’s road race on Saturday from midday with the winner due around 3.30pm and the men’s road race from 10am and finish before 3pm.

Full details and live coverage: www.elitenationals.co.nz

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