STAGE FOUR – 2024 NZ Cycle Classic

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Hi i’m Tom McCallum an Elite Cyclist from New Zealand, I am currently riding for the Couplands Bakeries Elite Cycling Team.

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The 2024 M 10 mega masteron New Zealand cycle classic will once again see Riders from across the world Converge on wire raer for 5 days of international stage racing the 37th Edition has 15 teams which will compete on the roads around the winery District before racing the final stage in New Zealand’s Capital

Wellington since its Inception in 1988 the tour has seen several Champions successfully compete at the highest levels of the sport these have included the likes of Robbie mccuan Julian Dean rich Port George Bennett and Corbin strong at the end of the week who will add their name to the illustrious list

Of winners of New Zealand’s only UCI 2.2 sanctioned race at around 30 km into the stage a break of six Riders finally managed to get clear of the peton at times opening a gap of around 2 minutes Bentley niku alen of the Ki par coup

Team was Keen to be part of this group as he picked up points in the first two King of the mountain climbs to ensure his team retain the polka dot Jersey however as the leaders approached the 80k mark the cohesion amongst them began to falter and in the end it was the

Familiar figure of Campbell piy at the front solo before he was caught by a dwindling Paton as the field turned onto Admiral’s Road a small group launched off the front which included three Riders from bridgelane Team three from the Southern Cross Academy racing last year’s stage Victor Josh brunette Logan

Curry and his team leader Aaron Gates a number of challenges were attempted in the closing meters but in the end it was the yellow Jersey who kicked clear to take his second stage of this year’s tour and continue the dominance of the New Zealand national team well Drew welcome back again to New

Zealand you’ve done this a few times now and and yesterday a challenging circuit yeah second year here uh and second year here with Kenan which is good it’s a race that they really enjoy coming to and starting the season it’s perfect for them and for us um always come here with

Good condition after the Nationals so works for me uh yeah yesterday’s a tough little circuit coin stage um always one that I look forward to and of course today it flips to a relatively flat sort of a circuit out there and a bit of unknown for a lot of riders I haven’t

Done this circuit before um not too sure what to expect I don’t think there’s too much wind around um but if that picks up obviously that will be a big part of it all right well Sam Ras Val Ridley and it’s pretty prominent you to be pleased

With the way things transpired for them yeah it was pretty good to get Eli up in the break you know what we wanted and you know we’ve struggled to play someone in the break so to be able to do it uh the final climb wasn’t quite what we’d

Hoped but today’s another day so well we’re joined here by Oliver grave who had an outstanding day out there on the road yesterday got to be pretty pleased with the way things went yeah pretty happy went pretty close to exactly what I wanted out of the day so doesn’t get

Much B than that really just didn’t get much of a leash out there so everyone we kept in check we had to ride hard all day so made for a tough one and you in a team here that’s uh giving an opportunity for a lot of New Zealand

Riders to experience the top racing yeah a lot of young guys from the track and the road getting to do all the top level racing around and a lot of them heading over to Europe this year and stuff so great opportunities really flet sort of

A circuit just uh one climb uh yeah I think it’s um the main dangers are really the Crosswinds today so if it does get a bit windy which it doesn’t look like it is now but yeah no that’s more of a worry than the climb for me be

Honest and the ibuilt team themselves tell us a bit about those guys uh yeah no it’s just a you know bunch of young guys that are getting a bit of an experience and a um a ucci race which is always good and I think yeah know we’re we’re all working pretty well together

So if we can keep that up we should be should be all right to the end all the best yeah thank you the penultimate stage in this year’s tour us is the Riders contest 122 km around the Carrington circuit within the carteron district new to many of the

Riders the stage will have them race a figure 8 type of course which is relatively flat but with plenty of changes of directions and narrow roads to offer the opportunity for a Brak to sneak off the front two k and two sprints are on offer for the respective

Classifications locals will be able to enjoy the race close up as it circulates the course four times over the day and with 24 seconds covering the top 20 Riders every opportunity to take seconds will count so the an ultimate stage here of this year’s tour of

122 km as we mentioned a new circuit here for these Riders not only just for the Riders but for a few of the officials as well and that sort of figure8 type sort of scenario for these Riders the wind at the moment not really that prevalent but I know a number of

Riders talking to them prior to the stage here were hoping it would pick up because of course that would allow for the ability for the brakes to be able to happen if they could put them into the gutter a bit as we see the first attempts trying to go off the front and

It looks like biley O’Donnell the Oxford Edge Rider he’s one of the men in contention for the Sprint a so no surprise to see him up towards the front George Jackson there he’ll be put into the mission of getting off the front and looking at what’s going on up there

Checking out who’s in contention who are the threats he won’t necessarily be there to try and lap it out just keeping a close eye on it for his team leader and the man in yellow Aaron gate but very quickly these Riders open up about a 15sec Gap there in the first few

Kilometers as they make their way onto the back of the circuit a circuit which they’ll do some four times through Caron here around the Carrington circuit it looks like it’s going to be a pretty impressive sort of a race here in terms of the narrow roads that are available

For these Riders the twisting and the turning and if the winds were to pick up that could be all the determining factors to allow a group to try and get themselves off the front because they could become out of sight out of mind and you can see baleo Donald he’s very

Keen to try and get things Hing along here but a number of teams are represented a couple from the m q team you can see them number 72 and 71 Josh Bernett up there we’ve also got St George Continental team in the mix there

As well and here we go is another one of those teams teammates there of Josh brunette number 72 they’re going off to the front is Craig Oliver the mountain biker and it’s getting off the fronts now this guy here has won national titles he has ridden internationally on

The mountain bike scene he rode in the SS Bank tour South on his first ever tour only a few months ago and was riding extremely well so good to see him off the front USA Keen to try and see what they can do now as it looks like

The odonnal group have come back into the fold but no rest for the wicked whatsoever as Copeland’s now go on to the front and they put some serious pressure on and there you go you can see the polka dot Jersey hanging on trying to make sure that he stays handy to it

Because of course there is two k here today the same climb each time and that over a couple of the laps of the four that they do here so they’ll just be looking to ensure that they can pick up a few points if need be or ensure really

That there is no serious threats to go up the road to try and take that Jersey because today is the final day of which the K will be decided a small group again now starting to form and again familiar colors not necessarily the same Riders they’re going on to the front

With the likes of Oxford Edge Again The Americans have made it to the connection here one or two of the national team also keeping a close eye on things as you see them starting to Splinter it just takes a little bit to try and settle into it try to establish itself

As Riders scramble across as the high speeds here the first 20 minutes of the stage already we can see that they have raced close on 50 km an hour so these guys are not McKing about whatsoever as they make their way down this long straight around the outskirts of car

Started in here as I said a new circuit they have used part of it a long time ago but uh really in essence the entire circuit is all brand new to the Riders here as they come off the top of the climb and down a bit of a little bit of

A descent as I said not a huge amount of elevation as you would have seen at the top of the show there with the graphics as these Riders now come back into the fold and furthermore we see a bit of a stretch of three or four Riders trying

To get themselves off the front and again it is bile O’Donnell who’s decided he’s going to hit himself off the front who’s he going to go with this time St George is in there Kenan this time in there Keenan cycling the team based the Japanese team with a couple of Aussies

In there and that looks like Ryan ker that has made the junction across now this is looking more serious here as we can see the Gap starting to open up Christensen this time round on the back there he’s the man holding the tickets keeping a close eye on things Ryan is a

Fantastic domestique for the team he’s now sitting in there with this group he won’t be expected to do anything cuz of course his man is the Man in the Yellow Jersey and when he does he’ll just roll through do what he has to nothing too serious as he ensures that these guys

Here are kept well and truly under control so again it will take them a few kilometers just to settle into it and decide if they can actually work as a strong unit as the Gap opens now to around 42 seconds so this will make things interesting back in the main

Paton they’ll be doing the numbers working out exactly who’s up in front what sort of threat are they as we make their way up one of the little bit of bumps on the particular circuit here for these Riders here today see a bit of movement in the trees as the wind slowly

Starts to pick up for them here at this point in time of course it’s 122 km here on this penultimate stage these guys are having to back it up after a tough day yesterday in the hills and there was a lot of tired looking Riders out there

This morning first thing as they are getting in for the sign on and of course the fatigue factor and let alone dealing with the the heat is really starting to kick in for one or two so five Riders now now looking a lot short a lot

Sharper with it here as they roll into things and right towards the rear of the group you can see Tom ston number 313 he is of course one of the New Zealand track Representatives he’s a very good bike rider been riding for the black spoke team and it’s he certainly knows

How well to ride a bike both on the track and on the road so good to see him up the front there for the St George Continental team as we can see it’s evident here in the main palleton that the speed is on when we see the single

File and they’re picking up a bit of a tailwind and going at some 65k hour which of course ensures that the front group have to be doing at least that if they want to keep this group away and who’s the man right at the front ensuring that the pace is kept High the

Man in yellow himself he won’t necessarily be looking for the stage Victory he’s got the likes of your George Jackson Jan wats who they might be trying to set up for today cuz it’s an ideal sort of a stage for them as they come through the Finish area and

You can see they’ll be checking this out with this long straight to ensure that they know exactly how it’s done and that there and they fortunate with the fact that they have four laps and that they can check out exactly the caner of the road the corner coming into it there to

Know exactly where they could set themselves up ideally if they were to come home as a bunch kick so a number of teams make making their way towards the front but slotting in behind the national team a 50sec gap now this is starting to stretch a bit here now baleo

Remember not only is he out there looking for that Sprint Ace this guy comes in at 16th overall in the general classification at only a minute 25 down so at the moment if this group would have start to stretch it a bit further here he could become the virtual leader

On the road so hence why gate and Co will be keeping this in check they’ll be well aware that Bailey is trying to steal some more points here for the whz wireless Sprint Tes because there is a number of writers as I mentioned at the

Top of the show here that are buying for this particular competition here he comes in here sitting in third so I think it is overall in the Sprint Ace and currently you’ve got gay himself and Camden Fain who are both tied on 15 points a piece as they roll through and

They literally do just roll through for the king of the mountains because for all of these guys here they’ll pick up a few points but it won’t make any difference because that Jersey has been sewn up already by the Casi team and it’s whove got it well and truly sewn up

Here and quite pleased that these guys that’s why they’re not in there in this particular break they know that they of no threat to that particular Jersey so these guys are settling down for it now looking to try and get themselves the sage Victory as we see a fantastic drone

Piece of footage here and again you can see the yellow Jersey sitting at about five wheels back there keeping himself nice and safe towards the front a close eye on things believe it or not here we are having a Sprint this is the WIS Wilder Sprint available here there’s a

Couple of them again the Riders they’ve already agreed they know there’s only one man in contention for it here they don’t want to waste any energy so Bailey gets to pick that up and he’s picked up a number of points along the way here and he will be pushing himself further

Up the leaders board and potentially if he can hold off and that’s the charge here of this main peleton he could move himself into the green jersey not forgetting of course even if they were to be caught there are still points up for grabs in the stage finish as well so

He’s giving it absolutely everything as we see the Kenan ryer number 42 he’s been driving it along quite a bit here today great to have these guys back over they’ve been a number of times over the years Kenan cycling team fantastically have them got a great support crew I

Know they social media well supportive here of this tour as we see Bailey and Co along with Ryan kavner and they congratulating each other good effort mate we’ll sit up and we’re going to head on back as kavner decides to head back and you can see that yellow figure

Of the tader towards the front bile O’Donald continues to to carry it on with Toby Evans of Copeland this young man he’s done an outstanding stage here he’s been riding over in France for the past 12 months he’s one of the younger Riders here in this year’s tour and he’s

Looking to head back over to France again in 2024 so this has been a fantastic effort for him to be off the front today with some High Caliber Riders here showing them how it’s done the Hawks Bay Rider but it looks like it’s going to be to no avail here is on

This last half lap or so for these Riders they’ have come back into the fold and a few others now pis corser cycling here will now try and get themselves off the front and try and see if they can make some sort of difference with Joel Douglas The Man in the pist of

Corser development team he gets himself briefly off the front here but I would suggest yep as the Pitcher Show he’ll get himself sucked back in because there are other teams who want it to be a Sprint finish bridg lane right up there towards the very front of the race CU

They got Matthew Greenwood number 55 second recently in the under 23 Australian National championships Elliot Schultz sits currently second overall in the Gen General classification it is the other Australian team also up towards the front as we saw there in those sort of purpley colors team we’ve mentioned a

Lot the Casi par coup team but now the Riders spread themselves across the across the roads here and the power is starting to be put down by one or two teams and they’ll stretch them out making life difficult for Riders to establish themselves into that final Corner because that’s where they all

Want to be here cuz it’s going to be a tight one turning into that final one based on what we’ve seen over the last three laps this is their fourth and final lap here for these Riders and you can see now the the Kiwi contingent the national team start to really pick the

Pace up can George Jackson pick himself up a stage here today and it’s the T leader himself Aaron gate that’s going to lead them down into the finishing stet she’s a tight Bend there as you can see ryers peeling on off he’s lining up George Jackson oh no there’s been a

Crash a crash Midway down the street and it looks like George Jackson and a handful of other Riders have hit the deck hard so it is now up to the likes of gayen Co to try and take on the challenge at the front and it looks like

It’s going to be a challenge he’s going to take on with a Vengeance as Aaron gate takes out the win biley O’Donnell into second place and Adam Chapman of rashell Ridley a fine Sprint for him to secure a third as Aaron gate takes his third stage in this year’s tour he’ll be

Very concerned though by the fact that he’s lost a couple of teammates and a heavy fall down that finishing straight but the national team continue a 100% record taking every stage thus far well congratulations Aaron another stage victory yeah thank you definitely I I said it was a surprise yesterday but

Today definitely was a surprise I was all in for for George unfortunately heard you know some chains drop and what I thought was some sliding carbon unfortunately behind me so I was like okay I’ll just have to tether this a bit hope he’s still there and just give it a

Final drive to the line and um unfortunately didn’t come past but fortunately no one else did and um yeah hopefully George is all right cuz he lost some skin there today and pull up right to try and get him up finally tomorrow and of course coming into the

Stage and it continues it’s very tight at the top there I think it was 24 seconds in the top 10 coming into the stage and we had a couple of guys like zner biley O’Donnell off the front yeah that head wound up um Admirals yesterday was pretty unprecedented in terms of how

Close this this race has been across the board with so many guys still still in contention so it’s definitely uh the race is far from done and it’s going to be a I think pretty fast and Relentless crit in Wellington tomorrow which should be a good one to watch

And it’s a unique experience isn’t it for the crowds to come out and see such racing yeah it’s awesome it’s uh something you don’t really get a chance to see anymore in New Zealand tyght circuit racing that really just puts a real emphasis on how fast we can go

Around a circuit like that so I think it’s definitely worth anyone who’s Keen to come out and and see a bike race it’s um I know that’s what inspired me when I was first started watch first started racing was seeing uh Sarah Almer rip around the Criterium circuit in Orland

So this is hopefully some inspiration for the Young Bucks coming up through the ranks too well congratulations again for today and all the best for tomorrow thank you very much well congratulations Liam two sprints available today for that King of the mountains but you guys

Are done enough to secure it yeah it’s a nice feeling uh we were really concerned today that someone um from Southern Cross Racing would get up the road um and pro and try and challenge the points so we’re looking for the move um it didn’t eventuate but there was no one in

The move that was of uh serious concern so that’s a nice feeling to sew it up and it was quite challenging out there that wind picked up as the stage went on and some very high speeds yeah it was a really fast start I think we averaged

Yeah close to 48k an hour for the first hour um and it was really hard to get into the into the move and and the move of the day so look to have it sewn up now is a big uh big relief and look we can go go down to Wellington tomorrow

And enjoy the crit and of course Australians are renowned for crit racing so you’d be looking forward to it yeah and it’s funny cuz normally I would say I like a good crit and um probably not used to wearing the king of the mountains which is quite ironic but um

Yeah it’ll be really nice to get down to Wellington do a a crit in the in the center of the town there or the city and um yeah it’ll be enjoyable well congratulations great to see in the polka dots and we’ll see you tomorrow yeah thank you appreciate It