Gold, gold, silver as SC dominates
Cycling South Canterbury riders were a whisker away from dominating all three men’s categories on a stellar day for the club at the national criterium championships in Christchurch on Sunday.
There were golds and championship winning jerseys for Shane Archbold (open men) and Jaxson Whyte (under-19 men), while Noah Hollamby (under-17 boys) won silver in a sprint finish where the first three riders were awarded the same time.
Archbold, fresh from winning the Boxing Day criterium in Timaru, said inner-city criterium racing was second only to madisons as his favourite racing category.
‘‘You can’t beat it, the crowd, the atmosphere, you can smell the beer. You can’t get that in road racing,’’ he said.
Archbold scored his first win back with the World Tour’s Bora Hansgrohe team, saving his run until three laps out and outsprinting mountainbiker Ben Oliver and Nick Kergozou for the victory.
‘‘It is good to come home and compete in races in New Zealand, and it was cool to get a win for my Bora Hansgrohe team.
‘‘I won the criterium here in Christchurch 17 years ago, and it has taken this long to get back. I had just enough in the tank to get up in what was a really enjoyable race.’’
Whyte’s victory was another close sprint win and came just 25 days after he was injured in a nasty track crash at the Timaru velodrome.
The 18-year-old already has numerous national road and
‘‘You can’t beat it, the crowd, the atmosphere, you can smell the beer. You can’t get that in road racing.’’
Shane Archbold
track titles to his credit and in the tightest of finishes, he edged Marshall Erwood (Southland) and Lewis Bower (Auckland) for the top podium position with the first six riders all credited with the same time.
Hollamby is the latest rising star from the South Canterbury production line but was edged by Matthew Davidson (Christchurch) in his finish with Lucas Bhimy (Auckland) third. Results:
Female:
Under-17: Meg Baker (Christchurch) 19 minutes 01 seconds, 1; Caoilinn Gray (Cambridge) at 1sec, 2; Jodie Blackwood (Auckland) same time, 3.
Under-19: Seana Gray (Cambridge) 30:24, 1; Amelia Sykes (Christchurch) same time, 2; Sammie Walker (Rolleston) at 1sec, 3.
A Grade: Ally Wollaston 36:05, 1; Georgia Danford at 1sec, 2; Nicole Shields at 2sec, 3. Male:
Under-17: Matthew Davidson (Christchurch) 21:16, 1; Noah Hollamby (Timaru) same time, 2; Lucas Bhimy (Auckland) st, 3.
Under-19: Jaxson Whyte (Timaru) 29:55, 1; Marshall Erwood (Invercargill) same time, 2; Lewis Bower (Auckland) st, 3.
A Grade: Shane Archbold (Bora Hansgrohe, Timaru) 45:23, 1; Ben Oliver (Rangiora) same time, 2; Nick Kergozou (Invercargill) st, 3
Koha Fitness Street Race: Yancey Arrington (Leeston) 20.36, 1; Andy Beale (Christchurch) same time, 2; Andrew King (Christchurch) at 1sec, 3. Female: Nichole Saunders (Christchurch).