No joy for Manawatu riders

The Manawatu Novice Tour was over-run by outsiders this year.

The tour for the best young road cyclists in the country is usually dominated by Manawatu riders, but wins for the locals were few and far between this year.

Auckland’s Ben Hamilton won the under19 boys event, with Jacob Sievwright of Palmerston North second, one of the few podium results for Manawatu riders, and Jono Stuart third.

Niamh Fisher-black of Nelson won the under-19 girls event, with Kendra Tate second and Elle Wintle third.

Finn Fisher-black won the under-17 boys event and Lee Boon the under-17 girls.

In the under-15 grade, Maddi Douglas won the girls competition and Mitchell Fitzimons.

The only win for a Manawatu rider came in the under-13 competition, where Palmerston North’s Georgia Simpson won, and Neriah Kaihe-woolston was second.

Jonathan Fish won the under-13 boys event.

Angus Claasen won the trophy for the best West Coast North Island rider. He finished eighth in the under-17 grade.

There were 125 entries for the three-stage tour, with riders coming from all over the country.

There was an 11km individual time trial and a road race on Saturday, then another road race yesterday.

All three races started and finished at Colyton.

Some of Manawatu’s top riders didn’t entered because they are in Melbourne for the Oceania track championships, including Libby Arbuckle, Dylan Simpson and Emily Shearman.