History beckons for defending champion Vink
There are some names that loom large in the history of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
Brian Fowler is right at the top of that list, with a remarkable eight overall victories in the event. It was a different time in cycling, and it is a record that looks likely to remain untouched.
Next in line is Hayden Roulston with four wins. Defending champion Michael Vink finds himself on the brink of joining Roulston as one of only three riders to have claimed four or more titles.
However, he does not view himself in the same light as the greats who have gone before.
‘‘I’m of the opinion that you really can’t compare generations, the sport has evolved so much that each set of circumstances is always unique,’’ he said.
That does not mean that Vink is unaware of the weight that comes with being among the most successful racers in Tour of Southland history.
‘‘I guess the biggest thing with being compared to the greats that have gone before is that I know what it’s like as a young cyclist to idolise those names, and to think I’m now a figure that the next generation look up to is extremely sobering and something I feel a definite sense of responsibility for.
For many young Kiwi cyclists the tour is the first real taste of cycling at a high level and I do my best to set a positive example for them, perhaps it’s my way of giving back.’’
Taking to the start line as the defending champion is nothing new to Vink, although he is quick to point out that he has probably started the race as favourite more times than he has won it.
‘‘Racing as defending champion is definitely tougher than being a challenger, but I prefer to take it as confidence building rather than pressure. I’m not someone that suffers with pressure so I’ll just do my thing as I have done in previous years and hope that it’s enough,‘‘ he said.
The lead in to this year’s Tour has been far from ideal for Vink. What should have been a great year of racing in Europe with the Bolton Equities Black Spoke Pro Cycling team went sideways quite quickly as he struggled to overcome Long Covid symptoms, derailing most of his season.
‘‘I have had an extremely low key year, I would say less than 8,000 km of training and most of that was at the beginning of the year. I’ve had ups and downs like I would never have believed if you told me at the start of the year - for sure some of the best and worst of my career, but the important thing now is that the worst parts are behind me,’’ he said.
Vink will be lining up with the Transport Engineering Southland – Deep South team again this year, and the strength of the team will be even more crucial to his success.
‘‘This is the first tour that I can remember where I’m not confident that I’ll be one of the strongest throughout the week, so we can’t just muscle our way to victory. We are going to have to play a good tactical game and use our resources wisely if we want yellow on Gala Street,’’ he said.
Vink even hints that he may end up riding in a support role for the team this year, not only because of his limited preparation for the Tour, but because of the depth of talent in the team.
‘‘I’ve tasted success many times in the tour over the years and it would give me equal pleasure to play a part in creating that experience for a team mate.’’