Waikato’s Prudence Fowler (Te Awamutu Sports) cemented her place as one of the top young cycling talents as she claimed back-to-back double gold medals in the under 17 girls on day two of the Vantage Age Group Road National Championships in Pleasant Point, near Timaru.

The pinnacle national road cycling event for age group riders has attracted 545 riders from 33 clubs around New Zealand for the three-day competition that began on Friday with an individual time trial and continues throughout the weekend with road races on Saturday and Sunday.

The road race, sponsored by South Canterbury Toyota, took in a 21km loop of rolling South Canterbury countryside, with different age groups completing between two and four laps of the course.

Fowler, who well and truly had a target on her back after claiming the double time trial and road race crowns last year, showed her ability to absolve the pressure as she rode away to victory in the performance of the day. 

After the field bunched together over the first half of the race, Fowler made a decisive move on the second lap, which was followed by Charlotte Spurway, Lucy Buckeridge, Rhylee Akeroyd and Jenna Borthwick. The quintet worked together until Fowler attacked again at the start of the third lap. She rode solo for the final lap, using her time trialling ability to great effect and was unbothered on her way to the title aside from a small mishap as she caught up to masters riders finishing the previous race. Spurway and Buckeridge, from the original breakaway group, claimed the remaining podium placings.

The script was a little different in the under 17 boys with riders trading attack after attack off the front for the majority of the race. Twenty riders were still together with 5km remaining until Charlie Tattersfield (Ramblers) and Ryan MacLeod (Canterbury TT) jumped off the front of the group 2kms from the finish. The bunch ran out of real estate to chase them down and the pair crossed the line in a photo finish with Tattersfield declared the winner from MacLeod with Hamilton’s Zakk Patterson backing up his silver from the time trial to take third, 26 seconds back.

In the under 15 racing, both podiums were a repeat of yesterday’s time trial with Te Awamutu’s Hamish Banks and Counties Manukau’s Ruby Spring claiming gold medals.

Banks was too strong for Maui Morrison after the diminutive Te Awamutu rider had stuck with him in the breakaway, before he made his move on the final climb. In the girls’ race, Maia Barclay, Emma Blackmore and Tegan Feringa broke away with Spring with the Counties Manukau rider claiming the bunch sprint honours.

In the women’s masters racing, the Canterbury Time Trial Association trio of Fiona Humpheson, Sara Harnett and Sharon Prutton backed up their wins from day one. Other winners were Kapiti’s Katie Richards and Masterton’s Lesley Mouat.

In the men, David Rowlands (Port Nicholson Poneke), Gary Ferguson (Pegasus) and Bruce Stanton (Canterbury TT) did the double in the masters 3, 8 and 10 categories respectively. Mark Spessot (Otago), Geoff Keogh (Otago), Andrew Morrissey (Counties Manukau), Dennis Parker (Pegasus) and John Lowe (Cycling CHB) won the other masters men’s races.

In the para cycling races, all of yesterday’s time trial winners were able to back up their performances on day two with Fraser Sharp (Tauranga) winning the mixed C1-5 category, Jonathan Nelson taking the h1-5 class, New Plymouth’s Stephen Hills grabbing gold in the T1-2 class and current individual pursuit world champions Emma Foy and pilot Hannah van Kampen triumphing in the blind/visually impaired category.

The event, organised and sanctioned by Cycling New Zealand, is hosted by Cycling South Canterbury and generously sponsored and supported by Vantage Windows & Doors, South Canterbury Toyota, Placemakers Timaru & Twizel / Pink Batts, Trust Aoraki and Alpine Energy.

Results Day 2:
Paracycling: C1-5: Fraser Sharp (Tauranga) 1:49:47s, 1; Nicole Murray (Te Awamutu) 2:03:30s, 2; Sarah Ellington (Auckland) 1:55:68, 3. H1-5: Jonathan Nelson (South Canterbury) 50:21s, 1; Tiffiney Perry (Morrinsville) 1:05:04s, 2. T1-2: Stephen Hills (New Plymouth) 47:19s, 1; Eltje Malzbender (Morrinsville) 55:43, 2; Nau Puriri (Marsden Wheelers) 54:47, 3. B/VI: Emma Foy (Marsden Wheelers) 1:46.53s, 1; Amanda Cameron (Gisborne) 1:56.27, 2; Blair McConnell (Canterbury TT) 2:21.14, 3.

Men
Under 15: Hamish Banks (Te Awamutu) 1:19:44s, 1; Maui Morrison (Te Awamutu) 1:20:49s, 2; Nick Rush (Leeston) 1:21:22, 3. Under 17: Charlie Tattersfield (Ramblers) 1:43.13s, 1; Ryan Macleod (Canterbury TT) same time, 2; Zakk Patterson (Hamilton) 1:43:39s, 3.

Masters 3: David Rowlands (Port Nicholson/Poneke) 2:15.58, 1; Glen Carabine (Tauranga) 2:17:07s, 2; Scott McDonnell (Pegasus) 02:19:12s, 3. Masters 4: Mark Spessot (Otago) 2:20.02s, 1; Michael Jones (Counties Manukau) 2:21.19s, 2; David Rush (South Canterbury) same time, 3. Masters 5: Geoff Keogh (Otago) 1:43:18s, 1; Ian Paintin (Port Nicholson Poneke) same time, 2; Jim McMurray (Forestland Wheelers) st., 3. Masters 6: Andrew Morrissey (Counties Manukau) 1:48.01, 1; Benny van der Griend (Counties Manukau) same time, 2; Steve Brough (Tasman) st., 3. Masters 7: Dennis Parker (Pegasus) 1:54:59, 1; Patrick Johnston (Wanganui) same time, 2; Hans Bauer (Tasman) 1:55.23, 3. Masters 8: Gary Ferguson (Pegasus) 1:54:02, 1; Paul McLachlan (North Canterbury) 1:59:12, 2; Alister McMillan (South Canterbury) 2:01.17, 3. Masters 9: John Lowe (Cycling CHB) 2:23:03, 1; Geoff Gudsell (Tasman) 2:28:18), 2. Masters 10: Bruce Stanton (Canterbury TT) 1:58:58, 1.

Women:
Under 15: Ruby Spring (Counties Manukau) 1:31:29s, 1; Maia Barclay (Counties Manukau) 1:31:30s, 2; Emma Blackmore (Counties Manukau) same time, 3. Under 17: Prudence Fowler (Te Awamutu) 1:54:39s, 1; Charlotte Spurway (Canterbury TT) 1:56:38s, 2; Lucy Buckeridge (Auckland) 1:58:29s, 3.

Masters 3: Katie Richards (Kapiti) 1:57:25, 1; Penny Pawson (Counties Manukau) 1:57:26, 2; Belinda Fuller (Masterton) 2:02:07, 3. Masters 4: Fiona Humpheson (Canterbury TT) 1:59:20, 1; Sandy Wiggins (Cycling CHB) 2:05:00s, 2; Petra Trust (Counties Manukau) 2:05:01, 3. Masters 5: Sara Harnett (Canterbury TT) 2:03:00, 1; Carol McCallum (Ramblers) same time, 2; Tracy Clark (Pegasus) 2:06:04, 3. Masters 6: Lesley Mouat (Masterton) 2:06.44, 1; Jane Sweeney (Marsden) 02:07:30, 2; Jan Brosnahan (Otago) 2:10:27, 3. Masters 7: Sharon Prutton (Canterbury TT) 2:11.05, 1; Denese Keenan (South Canterbury) 2:23:53, 2; Mary Cullen (Ramblers) 2:35:28, 3.

CAPTION: Prudence Fowler wins the under 19 girls road race at the Vantage Age Group Road National Championships in Pleasant Point. (Credit: Bradley Powdrell)

Details: www.roadnationals.nz
Full results: Saturday's road races

For further information contact:
Kate Leach
Kate.leach@cyclingnewzealand.nz
021 531 339