STAGE TWO – 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 MIT 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 as in previous editions the longest stage of this year’s tour would once again see numerous attempts by Riders to escape off the front early into the stage with a group of four finally being allowed to

Ride clear gaining up to 2 and 1/2 minutes on the field at one stage the quartet made the most of their time off the front with Australian Liam white securing both K the mountain to ensure he was in the polka dot at the end of the day while Breakaway companion

Campbell py was awarded the MSC most combative however with under 20K to go The Paton reeled in the break before a number of teams started setting themselves up for the drive into the base with a short sharp climb to the Finish hitting up the climb it was the

New Zealand national team that set up Commonwealth Games Champion Aaron gate for the move with 300 M to go gate K clear to enjoy a comfortable Victory and be crowned the first yellow jersey for the 2024 Edition well Nick um some excellent conditions today and expected another Bunch kick

Yeah hopefully uh it’s pretty hot already so it’s going to be yeah definitely hot out there today and something to just keep uh carrying water on board uh to get the bunch kick at the end yeah now as a former winner of this particular stage and that you know what

It’s all about with those circuits around martinb just talk us through what sort of goes on yeah it’s um pretty oh it’s 122k but it’s still a very long stage with the circuits of M BR you know it’s pretty easy to switch off around there but uh you’ve really got to keep

On your toes and it’s definitely a team day today if a break gets up the road you know you’re going to rely on your team to bring back the break and uh present a bunch Kirk and the team will be pleased with the way things turned

Out yesterday yeah we gave it a nudge um probably not as how we expected it to go but you know yeah we got plenty more options to fire this week and that’s the exciting part now you’re south of course and a few of the New Zealand endurance

Boys did a little bit of different preparation coming into this race yeah uh so I think this is day six for me I’ll probably click over about 800 something k at the moment so yeah definitely was a tiring day yesterday um feel a bit Zapped today but you know if

I get a sniff of the Finish Line I think I’ll be all right fantastic conditions here going into the stage and it I guess it brings back good memories for you from last year yeah yeah I think it’s going to be pretty similar conditions as well with the wind um it’s beautiful day

Here today but I think it’s going to pick up as we get towards the finish so uh yeah hopefully bit of day sh Vu and what are you expecting of this particular stage here for us hopefully we get a small breakway going um obviously what Aaron and the leaders

Jersey um so yeah it works out for us if if there’s a smaller group that goes and um yeah the stage is pretty usually now it on for a Sprint so hopefully that’s the case again let’s talk a little bit about that Sprint for the uninitiated it’s pretty hectic coming into that

Final straight yeah yeah it’s a super fast straight into that left-hander with about maybe 600 700 meters to go into the Finish um so yeah it’s going to be pretty crucial to be sort of top 10 wheels into that last corner I think um it’s going to be head cross I think on

The on the Finish straight there so you don’t want to be too far up but you definitely want some bodies Sheltering you before you launch that Sprint well Mitchell we got another big stage on the tour here today but a lot flatter than yesterday so I guess different tactics

For the teams Sprint day today normally so uh’ got a pretty strong team for that and a few boys who will get up there for the bunch Kook uh it’s obviously going to be hot out there there so it’s going to take a toll on everyone so just stay

On top of that and it should be a good day and how was it yesterday of course it’s first major race of the Season very early on for everybody just to find those leags yeah it was a good one the last week cl’s always a bit of a shock

Uh managed to get up there for 10th so hopefully flat to finish today might be a few spots up ideally blue skies 28° and some challenging winds will greet the field on today’s 126 km stage 2 heading out of Maron the Riders travel South through the rolling farmlands of gladston before

Cutting across the winery District to martinb brgh where the 90 Riders will complete nine laps of a 7K circuit before finishing in the center of the Town a day which often lends itself to an exciting Bunch Sprint for the enthusiastic crowd gathered in the Town Square outstanding conditions here today

On day two of the New Zealand cycle classic as these 90 Riders roll out out in the neutral section there would be one of the favorites right there the Kean Watts the winner of last year’s stage here he’ll be Keen to be in the mix there as with the United States

Riders of course as we’ve said they’ve had a lot of travel over the last few days and now just starting to get their legs right and certainly by the end of this week would’ expect to see them in the mix as they were trying yesterday but that jet lag certainly can kick in

As we see the usual attacks off the front of the race as Riders try to attempt to get a break now this will be quite challenging here today given the conditions but the winds are starting to pick up as they make their way along the roads out of Maron through to gladston

And eventually across into that Winery District not too many lumps and bumps along the way a relatively flat sort of a stage so again making it very challenging for these Riders to do this as we can see again Riders being reeled back in after an attempt off the front

That looks like there Campbell py is in the most aggressive Jersey and he’s trying to stir things up early on once again as we took typically see him do in any race that he’s involved in here biley O’Donnell on the front after an outstanding ride yesterday he’s in the

Green jersey was second overall and he’s course now sitting second in the general classification as Oxford Edge and Copelands get themselves on the front Glenn Hayden a well-renowned time trialist he’d be a good man to have in any sort of a break and these teams are

Well aware of it as mighty Q managed to get the numbers game right here and they’ve got two Riders Sam Richie being one of those Riders as they make their way across here early on in the stage and this is a good looking sort of a

Group New Zealand team managed to put up one of their Riders up there though we just as you can see there the gatekeeper watching very closely here they’re not expected to have to roll they’ve got the Man in the Yellow Jersey hence why you won’t see them putting on too much sort

Of pressure here as a few more Riders try to scramble across to what particularly potentially I should say could be a break here but it looks like the paleton have decided no they’ve had enough of this they’ve allowed them to have their time on the cameras they’ll

Bring them back into the fold as the United States now starts to have a wee bit of a go here Rider number 23 Anders Johnson he’s the man that’s gone off the front solo bid and it looks like he’s going to have no one to join him this

Will be tough going for this man here from the United States but looks like he’s decided this is my time have a bit of a crack at it he’s now joined by a few Riders here one of the New Zealand reps once again could be Christensen I

Think they had this time round that was sent up the front to keep an eye on things Oxford Edge once again off to the fronts here with 1K to go here to the first of the K in fact the only K of the day and that’s why we’ll see one of the

Ki par coup Riders here he’s starting to make a bit of a bid to pick up the points he’s not necessarily after the Jersey here but it’s been a good move by the team from Australia here to put one of their teammates up there CU he picks

Up the points to defend his rider in the team who’s currently already leading in the K after winning a couple of them yesterday and speaking of K the man on on the front Camden f a man last year who actually took out the K overall when

It came to the conclusion of the weekl long worth of racing good gap opening up now at 2 minutes 30 and no surprises you see the national team as you would expect they’ve got the man in yellow so they have been asked by the peleton it’s

Your race at the moment if you want to take it you’re going to have to go on the front and do the majority of the work here as’s our three teams Copeland’s up there we see Oxford Edge on the very front there with as said a well performed Rider and of course one

Of the Australian riders in there in the mix as well as you said from Casi poup and it’s uh T Taylor Lane Welsh and they’re a well performed team of course they’re the former Oliver’s racing team very successful over the last six editions of this tour they’ve had a

Couple of stage victories they’ve been in yellow they’ve won the K the under 23 so they know what this race is all about as we see the first of the Sprints on the small circuit around Martin is the the crowd starts to build here in the town square and it looks like there’s

Only two Riders are going to have a crack at it think Camden may have just got the notd of approval from the judges to pick up those early points there 2 minutes now it’s going to hover a bit here it’s we’re getting closer to the finish of the race remember there are

Nine laps of the 7K circuit for these three Riders who have now been out in front for quite a considerable amount of time and I think the faces are starting to show that there out on that heat we’re reaching up to 28 degrees here it’s scorching around this Winery

District beautiful part of the country here in the wi rapper as part of New Zealand if you’ve never been here before it certainly needs to be on your bucket list as these guys make their way down towards all those various wineries they’d love to stop and have a drink I’m

Sure but meanwhile they know they’re being chased down hard and they would expect to see exactly what we’re seeing here now with the man in yellow and his team on the front you can also see the m q team they’re lining themselves up New Zealand cycle project they’ve got the

Likes of Hayden Strong a good we Sprinter in there Sam Richie another one that knows how to have a decent sort of a Sprint as well lining themselves up right in behind the national team and it is the man in yellow who’s been put on the fronts he is in domestique mode he

Said thanks very much teammates yesterday at 1 minute 44 it’s my turn to repay you guys and put the effort in on the front as well so they’re not afraid to do the hard yards here Aaron gate as he drives things through that Town Square there they’ll be well aware of

The time gaps but they have to time it to Perfection because it is tough conditions out there as you can see in the trees the wind is blowing and these three are starting to struggle a wee bits there as they make their way down another one of the long straights here

Sort of a a rectangular sort of a block for these Riders they come back through the township plenty of support here from the crowds around Martin people have come out from all around the district across from Wellington and even a few from across the country to witness this

Particular stage here they’ll be getting plenty of time checks from the officials hoping that they can hold these guys at Bay not an easy thing to do and nothing really changing in terms of the order of the main Pelon can they time it to Perfection as we have seen numerous

Times over the years in this particular stage but yes the faces as we now see only two faces out in front here with the Australian and the Kiwi off the front as the time starts to fall away and these Riders now reshuffle themselves into position here as the

Leading two come up into the finishing straight and get ready for yet more Sprint points and it is the Oxford Edge Rider who looks like he’s going to outdo the Australian here and pick himself up maximum points here for the whiz wireless Sprint T that’s the green

Jersey of course as they have a look over their shoulder they can see a rider coming across it looks like a Copeland’s Rider and I think it is and it’s Keegan hornblow a New Zealand representative that’s a fine effort he’s waited so he could see them in the distance close

Enough has done a huge effort to jump across to these guys here Here and Now team up to try and see if he can contribute to ensure that they keep the rest of this field at Bay it’s going to be a tough ask as you can see them in

The distance they’re not out of side out of mind in fact it’s the complete and utter opposite there and that’s why you can see things have eased off slightly in the main pelaton as they can see their prey not too far down the road here making their way around into the

Closing stages here of the second stage of the tour through the Finishing Line these Riders are looking very good out in front but man that’s a lot of effort happening back in that Main peton and a lot of Firepower still waiting as we see Curry on the front a man who’s just

Signed up with one of the World Tour teams here we’ve mentioned him before to have that sort of Firepower available to you as we said these guys particularly two of them have had a long day out in front here as they prepare for yet another Sprint Keegan won’t be too

Concerned by this here he knows what they’re after they’ve already picked up early points as we see the lapboard come up three laps now remaining for them as they go on through and still that yellow Jersey right up near the front piser corser about 2/3 of the way back might

Accuse slipping back towards the back there they’ve decided they’ll just uh regroup re look at things how they’re going to go as Keegan hornblow decides to go this is a man who of course won a stage the first stage in this tour last year has gone off the front here and has

Decided I think that the fatigue has been too much for those other two Riders I’ve used them to the best of my ability here it is now time for me to go solo and see if this could be a winning move it’s a great gamble to watch and the

Crowds will be absolutely loving it here and egging this young man on from Nelson malare region as I said part of the New Zealand track Squad he’s going to be handing heading over to the Nations Cup in Adelaide in a few weeks time getting a few more miles into the leagues here

As he makes his way down this finishing straight approaching the Bell laap as he goes on through here he has still got himself a little bit of a distance of around about 27 to 30 seconds on the main field as you can see them rocketing on through and there’s been a few

Adjustments as Riders now moving themselves forward St George team in particular you can see them the Continental team uh moving themselves up towards the front in behind the national team of course they’ve got the likes of Nick Kazu a former winner two years ago in this particular stage along with Kean

Watts as we said at the top of the show here they would be a couple of favorites in terms of the sprinters today an opportunity for them they know tomorrow it’s all uphill so today is the day that the sprinters will be licking the lips wanting to having a massive Bunch kick

But there’s one guy here who wants to upset the party Keegan hornblow and you can see he is desperately trying to get as much out of the legs here as they head into it you can see the official with the Bell the typical wind cycling

To indicate one lap to go and that time is dramatically dropping oh it looks like around 15 to 20 seconds there it could be enough if they start looking at each other if they start to hesitate but I tell you what there’s a lot of experience on the front of it here

They’ll leave them hanging out there for as long as possible it’s a cruel way to lose a race but you’ve got to give it a go you’ve got to chance your arm and we’re seeing a great ride here by Keegan trying to do it here for the Copeland

Team here but it looks like it’s all to no avail in the end here as we can see the man in yellow and his teammate surrounding coming forward as his team looks like one of the teams from Australia and that’s there as well in the blue colors

And that’s as well as we’ve got a number of others like sa georgees we’ve already mentioned coming up into it there we can see also the southern Racing Academy and the light tear sort of blue colors as well so everyone now try to jostle themselves into some sort of a position

Quality food Southland they’ve got a couple of decent sort of a sprinters they go into the final La it’s tight oh we see a few head off into the trees there Unfortunately they won’t get themselves back into play here because we’re coming down to the last k and a

Half here very tight into the corner everybody wanted to be in the top positions and unfortunately I would say we’ve lost a few of the key Riders here further back as they now kick into it with 400 m to go and it’s gate who pulls

On over and he drops a couple of his teammates off it looks like Kean wats and George Jackson going to line or she’s a tight one but on the inside 2 years running Kean Watts takes out the stage into Martin BR there very tight from his own teammate George Jackson to

Secure a third and one of our Australians and there securing a third place across the line but it’s all about the national team here who clearly after an outstanding Lead Out by their team and in particular the T leader with 150 M to go take out the stage well Kean we

Know there’s always plenty of plans coming into a stage but it’s great when it all works out yeah yeah I couldn’t have gone much better to be honest on on New Zealand the New Zealand team side of it um yeah we kept that break on fairly short leash um we’re happy with the

Numbers you know only three guys up there at one time so um yeah was we’re really happy with it similar conditions to last year so we knew we knew sort of roughly what to do and how good having uh the tour leader your teammates uh dropping you guys off with about 150 to

Go yeah yeah when he does that you see see the old Jersey pulling for you you know you can only been SP so the team’s got to be pretty pleased with the way things went today yeah no we’re really really pleased um we’ve had a aggressive

Start to the race we’ve had a couple of top five finishes on both of the stages and then we’ve now got the young Rider Jersey the km Jersey and we had the most aggressive today so we can’t complain now does that change Dynamics when you’ve got so many jerseys and you’re in

The mix for so many things I guess some decisions have to be made yeah look I think we’re we’re a pretty well-rounded team so we’ve got all options for all stages and um at the moment we’re in a really good position like we’ve got multiple guys now up on the km Jersey so

We can we can do that we can play that role and we and kind of of takes pressure off one particular guy let’s talk a little bit about tomorrow of course we go from the fast finish here into martinb BR the flat for the Sprints now we’re eing up hill into edals Hill

Yeah so different uh different uh parkour tomorrow uh as I said today is basically almost pan flight and then yeah tomorrow is um a really tough finish in Admiral Hill um we’ve got a couple of guys that were looking for the GC so um yeah hopefully uh their legs

Are good um and then maybe one of us can slip in a move at some an early early move so look we’ll just see it we’ll play day by day and well Aaron it worked out perfectly for the team today yeah definitely definitely can’t complain it

Was uh managed to stick to the plan keep the break away that went um relatively small than in check but they definitely didn’t lack Firepower so it took a bit of work and um yeah all four of us rotating to to look after um GJ and and

Keon for the last Sprint and then I just had to try and set them up in that last St and yeah just kind of worked out perfectly I was unfortunate to hear there was a crash just behind us so hopefully ifan didn’t lose too much skin and can fight again tomorrow and of

Course there’s a lot of unknown factors there with some of the international guys and they’ve been talking it up about this climb tomorrow and that do you expect to see a few new faces to the front yeah I think so especially when you know the guys that have flown in um

From far and wide sort of take a couple days to get their legs going again and so tomorrow might be the day we finally see them come to the 4A and and uh finally of course you’re wearing the whiz wireless Sprint a jersey as well getting a bit of stick from the

Sprinters yeah I’m not sure how I held on to that one today but uh we will see maybe I have to go for an intermediate tomorrow and keep the points up well congratulations to you and the team today outstanding eant and we’ll look forward to seeing an action tomorrow

Yeah thank you very much looking forward to It N [Applause] yeah