Christchurch Boys High School takes leads in Tour of NZ

Christchurch Boys High School takes leads in Tour of New Zealand

22 April 2013

Defending Tour of New Zealand teams champion Christchurch Boys High School moved into the lead on stage three in the South Island today, over taking Pablos Wanaka.

The young team with an average age of 15 completed today’s 113 kilometre stage from Wanaka to Omarama in three hours and twenty one minutes, five minutes ahead of the Wanaka team, to take a two minute lead into tomorrow’s racing.

Leading individuals in the South and North Island, Dan Underwood and Tim James, consolidated their leads with both riders again being the first solo cyclists to finish their stages.

Underwood completed the southern stage over the Lindis Pass in three hours and twenty eighth minutes, nine minutes ahead of second placed Gary Lloyd. Underwood now has an impressive 47 minute lead over Lloyd after Paul Donaldson, who was lying second, did not finish the stage.

Jeanette White finished four seconds ahead of second placed woman Gillian Radcliff in the South Island, completing today’s stage in three hours and fifty eight minutes to hold a 31 minute lead over Radcliff.

Twelve riders started in Dargaville in the North Island’s fastest group today that split up after it hit undulations at 30 kilometres that saw James, Marty McDonnell, Mark Roberts, Chris Wilson and former national representative and leading North Island female individual Yvette Hill-Willis escape.

At the 40 kilometre mark James proved too strong on a climb, leaving Hill-Willis doing most of the work in the chasing bunch that saw Roberts dropped with 19 kilometres remaining to the finish line in Brynderwyn.

“I towed the boys most of the way home, dropping Mark at about 50 kilometres,” Hill-Willis said. “Marty (McDonnell) then rolled me on the line to get second solo male, I came in third overall and was the first woman with Chris (Wilson) taking third solo male.”

James won the stage in two hours and six minutes, four minutes ahead of McDonnell, Hill-Willis and Wilson with Roberts finishing two minutes later, but still holding on to third in the North Island’s individual classification.

North Island teams Hikurangi and Six Gardner Brothers teams came in together in two hours and twenty six minutes that sees Hikurangi retain its three minute lead.

Tomorrow’s North Island 84 kilometre stage starts in Tuakau and ends in Raglan while in the South Island riders start in Tekapo and race 88 kilometres to Geraldine.

Ends

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