2007 Christchurch Festival of Cycling - NE

New Zealand, December 1-2, 2007

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Stage 2 - December 2: City Criterium

Christchurch criterium delivers close race action

Melindi Maclean
Photo ©: Michael Jacques

On Saturday almost 1500 riders took on the Armstrong Peugeot Harbour Ride and Avanti Long bays Classic, but today more than 5000 spectators turned out for a taste of cycling Euro-style as New Zealand's best went head to head around Christchurch's Oxford Terrace cafe district.

Amid a packed programme of kids races, penny farthing races and celebrity tandem events, an aggressive display from some of New Zealand's top female cyclists kick-started the feature elite racing.

The women's race was a hard fought battle right from the start, with New Zealand criterium champion Annalisa Farrell riding straight to the front and setting a solid pace through the early laps.

Commonwealth Games medalist Susy Pryde, riding for New Zealand's Genius Jazz Apple development squad that she manages, closed down any hope Farrell had of repeating the breakaway that won her the national title in this race last year.

Pryde's experience as one of the world's top cyclists would make all the difference for her team. Several riders, including Nelson's Serena Sheridan and Te Awamutu's Rushlee Buchanan tried hard to open up the race during the early laps, but Pryde always brought them back while her Jazz Apple teammates sat back waiting for the latter stages.

Annalisa Farrell refused to sit back, however, and made several strong mid- race moves that blew the race open. Christchurch's Nimesha Smith also tried several solo digs only to have either Farrell or Pryde bring her back.

Women's Crit Finish
Photo ©: Michael Jacques

With such aggressive racing on such a tight course it was no surprise to see someone go down, in this case Auckland teenager Malindi Maclean from Pryde's Jazz Apple squad. Pryde was quick to go to the front and control the bunch while Maclean herself back in the race just as Commonwealth Games bronze medal triathlete Andrea Hewitt went to the front with four laps remaining.

"With about 5min to go everyone sat up and got tactical," said Hewitt. "I sort of ended up on the front and just figured I'd go hard and see what happened."

What happened was an armchair ride for the Jazz Apple team, with Pryde sitting on Hewitt's wheel and her teammate MacLean, now seemingly recovered from her crash, sitting on Pryde's wheel waiting for a last lap attack.

They attacked on the back straight for the last time with Pryde winding it up so fast no one else could come past, and MacLean sitting in behind awaiting the sprint. Former national criterium champion Marina Duvnjak (Akld) tried to force her way through on the hairpin, but Maclean shut her out as Pryde kicked again out of the turn, giving MacLean a perfect leadout into the final 150m.

The 19 year old didn't disappoint, holding out late rushes from Serina Sheridan, Nimesha Smith, Rachel Mercer and Marina Duvnjak to win by a wheel as just a bike length covered the front five.

"It was a great battle," said an elated MacLean. "People like Rushlee Buchanan, Nimesha Smith and Annalisa Farrell were really strong. Susie (Pryde) did a great job of controlling things for us, especially after I crashed. I managed to get back ok and then she gave me such a brilliant leadout for the sprint I sort of had to win really."

Allen spoils Subway party

Jason Allen Wins Crit
Photo ©: Michael Jacques

The men's elite criterium followed a similar pattern, with Team Subway Cycling trying hard to control the race. After Subway's Joe Cooper took out the previous day's Avanti Long Bays Classic his team were hoping for two from two, with Commonwealth Games medalist Hayden Godfrey and former world junior champion Jeremy Yates marked as most likely to lead the way. But Rotorua's Clinton Avery and Blenheim's Jason Allen had other ideas.

Avery, riding for Team Peak Fuel, was a constant spoiler throughout the race, chasing every break and eventually getting a breakaway of his own. The first break, after 10min from Palmerston North teenager Tom Findlay, lasted just a lap when the inexperienced youngster overcooked one of Oxford Terrace's tight corners and found himself on the ground as the bunch flashed past.

Findlay managed to get back in the race, but the next attack came from Nelson's Paul Odlin. Team Subway's Joe Cooper brought that back, with Avery right behind, only to be counter attacked by Jeremy Yates.

It continued like this for most of the race, with attack after attack from Cooper and Yates and Avery, until in the 35th minute when Avery managed to get a break with Odlin, Jason Allen and Christchurch's Joe Chapman tucked in behind.

This foursome worked together through several laps and looked likely to stay away, until Avery uncharacteristically overcooked one of the course's hairpin bend. The Commonwealth Games mountain biker hit the pavement hard, taking Odlin down with him and forcing Chapman and Allen to a complete stop.

Yates & Cooper were strong but couldn't stay away
Photo ©: Michael Jacques

Behind them Subway's Jeremy Yates had almost bridged across to them by himself and took the opportunity to open up a 10 second break. Avery, Allen and Chapman managed to regain the chase bunch, which was now down to seven riders, but with just three laps to go Yates was looking the likely winner. However, when he wilted in the final lap and a half, all hell broke loose.

The chasers engulfed Yates as they started the final lap and Avery and Odlin went straight to the front on counter attack. Two Team Subway riders jumped on their wheel hoping to set up Hayden Godfrey for the sprint. But Godfrey had missed the split several laps earlier and it was track specialist Jason Allen, riding without team support, who quickly jumped into their slipstream.

The Athens Olympian was sitting three back as they hit the final turn and then brilliantly blocked any sprint from behind as they snaked through the S- bend into the home straight. Then as they straightened up for the run home he unleashing a perfectly timed sprint in the final 100m that saw him away with time to raise his arms in victory.

"I'm pretty happy with that," said Allen, who had started as one of the pre- race favourites. "This race was part of my preparation for the World Cup track meet in Los Angeles in January, so it shows my form is coming along."

"Mind you, it almost didn't come together," he continued. "When Clinton crashed in front of me I was lucky not to go down too. Then Jeremy Yates got away and his Subway team sat up, so I thought he might hold on for the win. But when he couldn't hold and it came down to the sprint I knew I had a shot."

Behind Allen's well-timed sprint Subway's Josh England picked up the pieces while the race's three main aggressors, Odlin, Chapman and Avery, were rewarded with the minor podium places.

This exciting men's race was the final act in the successful third edition of the Armstrong Peugeot Festival of Cycling, which saw almost 1500 riders taking part over a weekend of cycling options. Next year's event is scheduled for December 6-7. Features will include the Armstrong Peugeot City Criterium once again staging the New Zealand Criterium Championship while the Avanti Long Bays Classic will be part of the inaugural New Zealand One Day Series.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Michael Jacques

Results

Elite Men (45mins. + 2 laps)

1 Jason Allen
2 Josh England
3 Paul Odlin
4 Joseph Chapman
5 Clinton Avery
6 Jeremy Yates
7 Logan Hutchings
8 Heath Blackgrove
9 Hayden Godfrey
10 Janosch Wintermantel
11 Tom Findlay
12 Glenn Rewi
13 Alex Meenhorst
14 Anthony Chapman
15 Sam Horgan

Open Women (35mins. + 2 laps)

1 Malindi Maclean
2 Serena Sheridan
3 Nimesha Smith
4 Rachel Mercer
5 Marina Duvnjak
6 Tracy Clark
7 Rushlee Buchanan
8 Andrea Hewitt
9 Donna Sibley
10 Annaliisa Farrell
11 Emma Crum
12 Susy Pryde
13 Britta Martin
14 Jeannie Kuhajek
15 Tracy Best

Club Men

1 Gus Kerr
2 Daniel Carruthers
3 Josh Atkins
4 Glenn Gould
5 Ruaraidh McLeod
6 Craig Scott
7 Jeremy Nesbitt
8 Greg Atkins
9 Nicholas Hextall
10 Malcolm Pearce
11 Nigel Vaiese
12 Steve Gurney
13 Richard MacAvoy
14 Jason Revell


New comers

1 Michael Vink
2 Matt Fuller
3 Brad Evans
4 Bruce Jenkins
5 Dillon Bennett
6 Gary Sword
7 Scott Donnelly
8 John Clark
9 Stephen Clearwater
10 Kirk Hamilton
11 Paul Arthurs
12 Carey Wood
13 James Hosking
14 Ken Lord
15 Brad Ellis