Hewitt is star turn in Le Race
Commonwealth Games triathlon bronze medallist Andrea Hewitt will add some star quality to the women’s field in the 2019 Le Race cycling event from Christchurch to Akaroa today.
The 36-year-old Christchurch athlete – a former world triathlon championships medallist – will join her past 2012 Olympic Games triathlon team-mate Kate McIlroy and the top-ranked Georgia Christie as the riders to beat in the 100km event. Christie, 21, claimed the national elite road cycling title in January and performed well at the Oceania championships.
She will be challenged by Hewitt and McIlroy, who was pipped in last year’s Le Race by Ella Harris and also finished second in 2017, so has some unfinished business today.
McIlroy, 37, who will be the second-ranked rider in the women’s field, has shown great early season form and is currently leading the Calder-Stewart series.
Christie has been ranked ahead of namesake Henrietta Christie, who is not related, and who finished third in last year’s race at only 16.
She recently claimed bronze in the Oceania junior time trial, is placed second in the CalderStewart series and is regarded as one of the brightest female prospects in New Zealand cycling.
Daniel Whitehouse is brimming with confidence about the prospects of defending his Le Race men’s title.
The 24-year-old from Christchurch dominated last year, leading from the top of the first climb to the finish line and now has his eyes on the record books.
‘‘I really want that course record,’’ said Whitehouse, referring to Michael Vink’s 2010 record time of 2hr 31min 50sec.
The lightweight climber last year won Le Race despite a nightmare preparation when his appendix was removed only four weeks before the start.
After winning in Akaroa, the British-born rider had a frustrating season despite winning king of the mountains in the Spanish stage race Vuelta a Castillia y Leon and surprised himself with a second overall place in Tour de Beauce, a second-tier stage race in Canada.
Whitehouse this season moved to new Irish pro-team EvoPro Racing, which also has fellow Kiwis Shane Archbold, Aaron Gate and Luke Mudgway under contract.
The Christchurch rider has been impressed with the new team’s professionalism and will next month join the rest of the team-mates in Girona in Spain.
Whitehouse said Le Race would provide him with good, hard racing that will help him to tackle some of the big mountains that are waiting for him in Europe.
Despite his confidence, he will not have it all his own way and points at the blistering form that second-ranked Jason Christie has displayed in recent weeks.
Christie – the New Zealand road cycling champion in 2017 and 2018 – looms as Whitehouse’s greatest rival.
Christie – husband of Georgia – recently won silver in the time trial and the road race at the Oceania championships.
‘‘And he’s a great sprinter, so I do not want to arrive in Akaroa with him,’’ Whitehouse said. The other major threat will be race record holder Vink, who is always among the leading riders and is able to use his power on the Port Hills climbs to compete with Whitehouse’s climber’s frame.
The 2017 winner, Brad Evans, will also rate his chances of a second title after finishing third last year. Another rider to keep an eye on is Jake Marryatt, who grabbed national medals as an under-23 rider in recent years and finishing in the top 10 in this year’s elite race.
With his strong time-trial skills and climbing ability, the young Christchurch rider has the potential to become an outstanding allrounder and could give the more seasoned riders a scare.
Former winner Keagan Girdlestone is also on the comback trail and fundraising for mental health.
The elite riders will be followed by over 700 riders of all ages, shapes and sizes testing themselves against the tough course, on cutting-edge technology, as well as vintage bikes and tandems. A large group of weekend warriors will take on the shorter version. Le Race Petite, which finishes in Little River after 53km. Julian Savea appears set to return to action with Toulon. Savea has spent five weeks on the sidelines since incurring the wrath of club owner Mourad Boudjellal for a sloppy effort in the February 16 loss to Agen. Boudjellal suggested the 2015 World Cupwinning All Blacks wing was no longer welcome at the club, less than a season into a two-year deal. But Savea has kept his cool and buried himself into training. Reports from France indicate Savea was back in the starting mix when the team trained yesterday for their weekend clash away to Lyon. Toulon’s 21-18 loss to Montpellier last weekend means they are now out of the hunt for the Top 14 playoffs. A sickening brawl in the stands overshadowed the start of the AFL season at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The fight broke out on the final hooter of the season-opener between Richmond and Carlton on Thursday night. Some six men threw punches in video footage of the shocking incident that reportedly left a man unconscious. A man in a Richmond jumper can be seen punching a man lying motionless.