Gough wins week six of series races

Outsprinted a field of 14 A graders

Olympian Regan Gough powered his way to victory in week six of the Spoken Cycles sponsored summer series run by Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club.

Fresh from competing in the Tour of Southland, Gough outsprinted a field of 14 A graders over the 26km out and back course around Mt Kakepuku starting and finishing in Bank St.

Gough and second placed Zakk Patterson were credited with the same time of 34.33 minutes.

James Harvey settled for third, one second in arrears.

Gough, 24, already has a CV many an athlete would be proud to own at the end of a career. The track endurance rider has one gold and two silver medals in team pursuit at world championships — the gold claimed at Paris in 2015 and silver at Hong Kong 2017 and Berlin 2020.

At junior worlds he won silver in both the team pursuit and Madison at Glasgow in 2013, a year out from cleaning up at Korea in 2014, winning gold in the Madison and points race, silver in individual pursuit and bronze in team pursuit.

The world-class rider is following in family footsteps.

His cousins Fraser Gough (a professional road rider) and Westley Gough (a double Olympic and world champion track medallist) were influential as was his father Dean who raced at club races, and hung out with the cousins and finally followed them into the sport.

“I was very competitive as a young boy and it was the fulfilment of training that lured me,” says Regan Gough.

“You turn up one week and race, then train hard for two weeks and turn up and you would be better, and better and better.

“It was that feeling of achievement and what results you got from hard work.

“Getting better every week was a big motivator to train, and training was the motivator from racing well. That's what hooked me.”

A day after winning in Te Awamutu last Tuesday Gough was named in the 15 strong New Zealand track cycling team for the Tokyo Olympics.

His TASC clubmates Rushlee Buchanan and Jamie Nielsen will be competing in their third Olympics. The full team: Bryony Botha, Rushlee Buchanan, Holly Edmonston, Jessie Hodges, Kirstie James, Jamie Neilsen, Ellesse Andrews, Aaran Gate (winner of Tour of Southland), Regan Gough,

Jordan Kerby, Campbell Stewart, Corbin Strong, Sam Dakin, Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster.

Callum Saunders, Nick Kergozou (travelling reserves).

Jordan Castle, Tom Sexton, Michaela Drummond, Nicole Shields, Emily Shearman and Ally Wollaston have been named as non-travelling reserves with one of the female riders to be selected as a non-travelling reserve next year.

■ First three placegetters and times for week six TASC summer series:

A grade: Regan Gough 34.33, 1; Zakk Patterson s/t (same time), 2; James

Harvey 34.34,3.

B1: Shem Rodger 38.17, 1; Michael Black 38.20, 2; Gary Mikkelsen s/t, 3. B2: Mike Gilbert 37.35, 1; Ben Hoy 37.36, 2; Scott Smyth 37.37, 3.

C1: Ted Schmidt 40.19, 1; Richard Henderson s/t, 2; Caden Van de Laak 40.20, 3.

C2: Frankie Wright 41.26, 1; Kane Foster s/t, 2; Sea´ na Gray s/t, 3.

D grade: Jack Cooper 45.41, 1; Peter Quax 45.42, 2; Josh Gascoigne s/t, 3. E grade: Marinus du Preez 47.39, 1; Thinus du Preez 47.44, 2; Georgia Mitchell 47.45, 3.

F grade: Bill Tamaki 53.02, 1; Rob Shirley s/t, 2; Tom Davies 53.04, 3. Under 15, 12km sealed handicap:

Payton Hazelhurst (3 minute) 24.21, 1; Stirling Jarnell (3 minute) 24.25, 2; Piper Russell (3 minute) 24.26, 3.

■ Winners week five:

Oliver Watson-Palmer (A grade) 36.18; Mike Davis (B) 36.38; Andrew Richards (C) 40.07; Peter Quax (D) 46.27; Kathryn Trewavas (E) 47.04; Bill Tamaki (F) 52.26; Payton Hazelhurst (U15) 23.48.

■ Winners week four:

Oliver Watson-Palmer (A) 36.49; Mike Davis (B1) 38.26; Mike Gilbert (B2) 37.31; Brent Glover (C1) 41.21; Jack Whittall (C2) 40.14; Allan Gillespie (D) 44.57; Leith Schwass (E) 46.59; Adam Bateman (F) 51.59; Payton Hazelhurst (U15) 23.41.