Stewart wins photo finish
Omnium world champion Campbell Stewart has won stage of two of the New Zealand Cycle Classic in a sprint finish.
Racing for the New Zealand national team, he claimed line honours in the 121km stage that started and finished in Masterton.
Coupland’s Bakeries rider Nick Kergozou fought back from a puncture to claim second, while Team Bridgeland’s Jensen Plowright was third.
Plowright’s time bonus moved him into the overall lead, ahead of first stage winner, defending champion Aaron Gate, who is riding for the Black Spoke Cycling Jersey. Stewart said winning the final sprint was a great reward for a hard day’s racing.
‘‘It was all on for the sprint, I was kind of jostling for position and the team were all just lined up perfectly in front of me to be able to launch me onto Jensen’s wheel and we also had Nick Kergozou there on the side and we kind of went for a threeway sprint.
‘‘Kergy went left and I went right and Jensen was in the middle. I guess sitting on the wheel and coming out late was the key to it today.’’
Stewart added that the margin was very small. ‘‘I train with Nick every day out on the road, in the velodrome so know him pretty well so to be able to get that lunge and the extra millimetre counts.
A 19-strong breakaway formed after 23km, but only lasted for 7km, while a fiverider breakaway began at 49km and opened up a 2min 40 sec lead but was caught with 10km to ride.
The third stage today is 126.3km long and includes eight laps of a circuit in Martinborough.