Underwood and James Hold onto Leads in Tour of New Zealand

Underwood and James Hold onto Leads in Tour of New Zealand

21 April 2013

Dan Underwood and Tim James built on their solo leads after day two of Tour of New Zealand was completed today.

Underwood was the first solo rider to finish the South Island’s 75km stage from Queenstown to Wanaka over the Crown Range, finishing the stage in one hour 45 minutes, six minutes ahead of second placed individual Paul Donaldson.

Jeanette White also retained her solo classification lead over second placed Gillian Radcliff after completing today’s stage in two hours and six minutes; an impressive 44 minutes clear of Radcliff. 

Underwood, a former ski instructor who now lives in Japan, is the Tour’s defending solo champion but says he is not in the same form he was last year, but was still keen to come back to New Zealand to ride and catch up with family and friends. 

“I haven’t done as much riding and racing in my build up to this year’s tour,” Underwood said. “I just wanted to make sure I got in a good group heading over the top of the Crown Range, one that would work well of the downhill leg towards Wanaka, and that’s pretty much how it worked out, but its early days and there’s still a long way to go.”

Open team Pablos Wanaka has had its lead shortened in the South Island’s team’s classification, with defending team’s champion, Christchurch Boys High School winning today’s stage in one hour and forty minutes, moving it into second place ahead of the Smokin' Arrows and now three minutes and twenty one seconds behind the Pablos who took one hour and forty five minutes to finish today’s stage.

James flew into Auckland from the UK and immediately stamped his mark on the North Island Tour of New Zealand by winning the first two stages. Riding off the front on today’s 79 kilometre stage from Omapere to Daragville with 15 kilometres to go James again pushed Marty McDonnell and Mark Roberts into the minor placings, winning today’s stage in one hour and 56 minutes to retain his overall lead of 12 minutes over McDonnell, who is riding in the Masters (50-59) category.

Former national representative Yvette Hill-Willis from Auckland built on her strong start yesterday by staying with James and McDonnell to record the third-fasted time on today’s stage, crossing the line only two seconds after McDonnell and less than a minute after James, increasing her lead in the solo women’s event over Megan Blank to 30 minutes.

The Hikurangi team led by Rod Oram turned the tables on yesterdays North Island winning team Six Gardner Brothers, coming in 18 minutes ahead to take a three minute lead into day three, ensuring a tussle between the two teams that will go all the way to Wellington.

Tomorrow’s South Island 113 kilometre stage starts in Wanaka and heads to Omarama while the North Island’s 70 kilometre stage starts in Dargaville and ends in Brynderwyn.

ENDS

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