New Zealand National Championships - CN

New Zealand, January 11-13, 2008

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Stage 1 - January 11: Elite Men/Women/Under 23 ITT

Hutchings takes upset victory

Papamoa cyclist Logan Hutchings created the upset when he took out the Elite Men's Individual Time Trial title at the Lion Foundation New Zealand road cycling championships near Napier today. Hutchings grabbed his first elite title when he beat off a quality field, including former champion Gordon McCauley and others on a testing 40 km course near Taradale.

Experienced Cambridge rider Melissa Holt pushed defending champion Ali Shanks (Dunedin) back to third place to win the Elite Women's championship. while Rotorua's Clinton Avery took out the men's Under 23 title.

Hutchings, who was seventh in the World Under 23 Time Trial two years ago, produced a superb effort to clock 51.26 minutes for the 40 km course. The Melbourne Commonwealth Games road and time trial representative laid down the testing time that no-one was able to seriously challenge. Paul Odlin from Nelson/Marlborough was second some 33 seconds behind Hutchings with McCauley back in third place. "I am pretty pleased to win, although I was quite surprised," Hutchings said. "I didn't expect it because I had a fair bit of November off organizing a criterium event at Mt Maunganui. I just went hard and held on."

Hutchings, who rides with a professional Belgium team associated with Quick Step, said it was a difficult course to judge. "It was basically flat with a dead road and swirling winds. That made it difficult to judge and hard to find a real rhythm."

The win was a good boost for the Western Bay of Plenty cycling after he recovered from a major knee operation last year.

Holt, the Athens Olympian was in impressive form to take out the time trial. The Cambridge rider, who is turning her attentions to triathlon to compete in Ironman New Zealand in March, clocked a strong 36.20 minutes for the 25 km course.

It proved an exciting challenge with Wellington's Rachel Mercer, fourth in the junior world championships last year, finishing second only 10 seconds behind the winner. Defending champion Alison Shanks (Dunedin), who is chasing qualification for the Beijing Olympic Games on the track, finished third only one second behind Mercer.

Avery, a former national mountain bike representative, also had a close battle to win the Under 23 title, just seven seconds clear of Hawkes Bay hopeful Wesley Gough in 53.23 minutes.

The road championship will be decided on the testing course near Taradale on Sunday with the women's race from 8.30am and the men from 12.30pm.

Results

 
Elite Men - 40 km
 
1 Logan Hutchings (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)           51.26 (46.66 km/h)
2 Paul Odlin (Nelson Marlborough)                    0.33
3 Gordon McCauley (Auckland)                         0.36
4 Tim Gudsell (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)                1.24
5 Glen Chadwick (East Coast North Island)            1.30
6 Jeremy Vennell (East Coast North Island)           1.52
7 Justin Kerr (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)                2.19
8 Aaron Strong (Auckland)                            2.36
9 Karl Murray (Auckland)                             3.42
10 Stephen Elden (Canterbury)                        5.14
11 Josh Page (East Coast North Island)               5.18
12 Sam King Turner (Wellington)                      5.24
13 Brian Biggs (Auckland)                            6.24
14 Ashley Paice (Auckland)                           6.42
15 Dan Warren (East Coast North Island)              6.46
16 Joe Cooper (Wellington)                           7.12
17 Darren Gordon (Wellington)                        8.32
18 Brett Dawber (Canterbury)                         9.01

Elite Women - 25 km
 
1 Melissa Holt (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)              36.20 (41.28 km/h)
2 Rachel Mercer (Wellington)                         0.10
3 Alison Shanks (Otago)                              0.11
4 Dale Tye (Southland)                               0.54
5 Serena Sheridan (Nelson Marlborough)               1.15
6 Britta Martin (Nelson Marlborough)                 1.49
7 Kerri-Ann Torckler (West Coast North Island)       1.57
8 Laura Thompson (Canterbury)                        1.58
9 Josie Giddons (Mid South Canterbury)               2.12
10 Brei Gudsell (West Coast North Island)            2.40
11 Toni Bradshaw (Auckland)                          2.47
12 Freya Scollay (Auckland)                          2.51
13 Dorette Crowther (Auckland)                       3.11
14 Marina Duvnjak (Auckland)                         3.20
15 Tracey Best (Wellington)                          3.34
16 Rushlee Buchanan (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)          3.45
17 Toria Adamson (West Coast North Island)           3.49
18 Rachael Rayner (Auckland)                         4.03
19 Sonia Hill (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)                4.05
20 Yvette Hill-Willis (Auckland)                     4.16
21 Bridget Robertshaw (East Coast North Island)      4.22
22 Emma Crum (Wellington)                            4.33
23 Steph Everson (East Coast North Island)           5.01
24 Sherilyn Gray (Wellington)                        6.05
 
Under 23 Men - 40 km
 
1 Clinton Avery (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)             53.23 (44.95 km/h)
2 Westley Gough (East Coast North Island)            0.19
3 Matt Haydock (Auckland)                            0.47
4 Matt Sillars (Auckland)                            1.03
5 Sam Bewley (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)                 1.26
6 James Dobson (West Coast North Island)             1.28
7 Ryan Wills (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)                 1.32
8 Jesse Sergent (West Coast North Island)            1.53
9 Peter Rennie (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)               2.17
10 Michael Northey (Auckland)                        2.17
11 Eliot Crowther (Auckland)                         2.35
12 Brad Carter (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)               2.49
13 Edwin Crossling (Wellington)                      2.56
14 Thomas Hanover (Auckland)                         3.02
15 Dan Waluszewski (Wellington)                      3.07
16 Chris Macic (Auckland)                            3.12
17 Chris Sanson (West Coast North Island)            3.24
18 Leon Hextall (Canterbury)                         3.58