Mount Maunganui Criterium - NE

New Zealand, December 27, 2007

Results

Dean does it at home

New Zealand national road champion Julian Dean has claimed his final victory in Credit Agricole kit on home soil, taking victory at the Mount Maunganui Criterium. Dean will switch from the French ProTour squad to American Professional Continental outfit Team Slipstream in the new year.

"I didn't imagine it would feel this good," Dean told bayofplentytimes.co.nz. "It's a different sort of race to what we're used to doing in Europe but I knew there were a lot of young guys who wanted to take it to me.

"I'm a wise old guy now and I just bided my time, knowing that I'd have one chance and I took it at the right moment."

The 32 year-old rider claimed a dominate victory from the 49-strong pack of elite men. Among those contesting the event were prominent Kiwi riders Tim Gudsell, Peter Latham and Jeremy Yates, and Dean's team director for 2008 Matt White. Discovery Channel's White made his official retirement from the sport earlier this month when he won his home Cronulla International Grand Prix in Australia.

"This is the hard thing - we're 10 months racing and living in Europe and when we come back, it's not racing season so we really need to be resting and getting ready for the coming season," said Dean. "Something like this is easy because I live here and I get to present myself to the people."

Results

Elite men

1 Julian Dean	
2 Josh England	
3 Paul Bishop

Elite women

1 Rushlee Buchanan	
2 Kerri-Anne Torckler	
3 Carissa Wilkes

Elite men dash for cash

1 Phil Costley	
2 Ben Ruth	
3 Scott Winton

Elite women dash for cash

1 Jess Ruth
2 Alice Wilson
3 Joanna otterson

Fat Tyre Crit

1 Clinton Avery	
2 Ash Hough	
3 Craig Thorne
		
B1 Grade

1 Andrew Weatherley	
2 Lee Johnstone	
3 Chris Faithfull

B2 Grade				
		
1 Neville Carter	
2 Blair Treanor	
			
C Grade				
		
1 Harry Donkes	
2 Philip Browne