Gate wins Tour of Ireland fifth stage
New Zealand cyclist Aaron Gate has sprinted his way to victory on a wet and windy fifth stage of the Tour of Ireland.
Gate, who rides for the An Post Chain Reaction team, is among the Cycling New Zealand track squad competing in road racing in preparation for the summer track season, including the UCI World Cup in Cambridge in December.
The Aucklander attacked with two other riders in the closing moments of Friday’s 142-kilometre stage to Ballina in the northwest of Ireland, with a select group managing to edge clear as New Zealand team riders Alex Frame and Nick Bain headed the second bunch only three seconds behind.
It pushed Gate up to fifth on general classification, and the leader in the points race jersey with three stages remaining as his An Post Chain Reaction team chase down Austrian tour leader Lukas Postlberger.
Frame, from Christchurch, fin- ished eighth, only three seconds behind the winner, and is now fourth in the points jersey race and third in the young rider category.
Aucklander Bain was aggressive, riding Frame up to the front group of 18 as the field was blown apart on the exposed roads in west Ireland, worsened by the driving rain and three category climbs.
Bain attacked again late in the day but was brought back before Gate led the final charge.
The rest of the New Zealand endurance track squad finished further behind after riding in support of Frame in the early part of a challenging day.
Saturday’s 160km sixth stage is the longest of the race, moving inland to Ballinamore with three category climbs.