ELITE WOMEN

Race Report courtesy of www.roadcycling.co.nz

It might have been just 30min, but the women's elite race at last night's RaboDirect National Criterium Championships had plenty of action culminating with young Pip Sutton crossing the line victorious.

Sutton is just 19 years old, but this is her second title in the Senior Women's category this year. Back in May she won the road race title in the National Club Championships. She was amongst many of New Zealand's experienced international riders in the 30min +1 lap race in downtown Takapuna, but after winning the Hamilton City Criterium just a few weeks ago, and placing 2nd in this event last year, she had already proven what she lacked in experience she makes up for in speed and smart racing.

By the finish line Sutton was 200m clear of the field. She had attacked with 7min to go and managed to hold off the motivated chase group to take the NZ Criterium Champion title and with it the coveted silver ferned jersey.

Earlier in the race it was Mico Protain's Serena Sheridan who provided the action. 

For the first two laps the Kiwi international sat on the front of the peloton as the riders dashed through the main streets of Takapuna where large crowds lined the footpath, and the bars behind them.

After a few familiarisation laps, Sheridan, who enjoyed success in Europe this season, stole off the front. With young Auckland rider Racquel Sheath in tow she built up a solid lead, while behind her a few riders tried unsuccessfully to bridge the gap.

Sheath eventually dropped back to the main bunch, while Sheridan dug deep to keep out the front. After 21min of racing it was Toni Strong (nee Bradshaw) who eventally joined Sheridan down the home straight with World Duathlon Champion Mel Burke not far behind sitting between the leading duo and the bunch.

The front three worked together for a couple of laps and while 2009 Criterium Champion Rushlee Buchanan tried unsuccessfully to bridge up, her turn of pace helped the field pull back the leaders. It was during the following lap, after 26min of racing and with the field all together, that Sutton made her big move.

She stayed out alone to hear the bell ringing to signifiy one lap to go, while behind her Sonia Waddell pushed hard on the front of the bunch with defending champion Kaytee Boyd tucked in behind - a combination which proved victorious in the Taupo road race late last month.  Sutton was too strong though, and the bunch had to settle for a fight for the other podium placings.

In the select bunch sprint Boyd threw her bike across the line, but it was Buchanan who sneaked in for 2nd place, Boyd 3rd.

ELITE MEN

He's been on the podium in this event for the last two years and also for many of his recent races, but last night Mike Northey finally got a win and became the NZ Criterium Champion. In downtown Takapuna the PureBlack Racing rider outsprinted his breakaway companions James Oram, Alex Ray and Aaron Strong to take the victory in front of a huge and vocal crowd. "I'm very happy, stoked,' said Northey, who finished 2nd in this event last year and 3rd in 2009. "The plan was for myself or (teammate) Dan Barry to get into the move, stay on the fringes and go from there. It was a hard course and quite technical, it wears everyone down."

The North Shore Grand Prix 1.3km circuit included many corners, road furniture, exposed and windy sections plus a hairpin turn at the top of a small climb. The elite men's race started in daylight, but for the latter part they were racing in darkness. While Northey didn't have a rider in PureBlack kit to help him in the breakaway, Oram and Ray are part of PureBlack's U23 development team, leaving Strong as the only non PBR rider of the four.

If there was a Most Aggressive Rider nomination for this event, Ray would have won. He opened the evening by flying off the front solo, and while he didn't stay away for the whole race, he was never far from the front of the action. After 10min of the 45min race, Ray, who was disappointed no-one came across to help him form a break group, was hauled in by the peloton and the race was all together.

The next laps saw one rider after another attack off the front, but each move was brought back as the PureBlack Racing and Subway Pro Cycling teams showed the benefit of numbers. At one stage it looked like Northey was going to be left dangling off the front, as Ray had been earlier, but eventually a group of six riders joined him to create a strong break group.  

At the 30min mark, Northey was in a break with support from PureBlack rider James Williamson, plus Ray and Oram, Strong and two Subway riders. Behind them, in the ever diminishing peloton, Chris Macic was doing a lot of work. Unfortunately for Macic, a mechanical issue ruined his day. He broke his own bike in a race recently, and without a bike sponsor he had to borrow a bike for this event. He found the chain slipping each time he put the hammer down and he eventually pulled out before the finish.

Up front, the furious pace saw both Subway riders and the one PureBlack rider fall off the pace, leaving four riders in the race winning break. The quartet continued to work hard and got up to 35sec lead. At opposite ends of the spectrum in the front group were Strong and Oram. Strong is a ten plus year veteran at elite level, while Oram, who won the silver medal at this year's time trial event at the UCI Junior World Championships is only 18. Given the top class field, it was an impressive race by both riders. Oram told RoadCycling.co.nz he knew he could not outsprint his companions and tried many times to get clear down the back of the course, but he was constantly denied. 

After winning the sprint, Northey said there were no deals done in the lead group. In the final sprint he chose to sit on the wheel of Ray, who won the Taupo criterium where Northey placed 3rd - although in that race both were riding as PureBlack Racing teammates. Northey came around Ray in the final stretch to take a clear victory. "It was nice to see a win; it's the Nationals so it's nice to get the win here," said Northey who placed 2nd in both the road race and criterium in Christchurch's Festival of Cycling last weekend.

Northey was thrilled to be on the top step of the podium - but he almost forgot to put on his new national champion's jersey!

Photo Credit: Pete Bruggeman - all event photos at www.pbase.com/bruggersphotography

RESULTS 2011 RaboDirect Criterium National Championships

Thursday 08/12/11

The scene is set for this Friday night's Jerry Clayton BMW North Shore Grand Prix. With the event hosting the RaboDirect Criterium National Championships, the 9th edition of this iconic Takapuna event will play host to the fastest athletes in the country.

The SUBWAY Pro Cycling line-up led by Peter Latham & Westley Gough bring a wealth of experience to Hurstmere Rd. Latham, a two-time previous winner of the event and Gough will both carry fine form off a recent intensive training camp with the BikeNZ Track Team. If Latham needs any advice on how to handle the streets of Takapuna Beach, he can also turn to team director Hayden Godfrey who himself has twice won the JCBMW North Shore Grand Prix. They will face a fully stacked PureBlack Racing team with sprinter Roman van Uden & North Shore favourite Mike Northey likely to be the riders to watch. With teammate Tim Gudsell unavailable to defend his 2010 RaboDirect Championship title, the PureBlack squad will be determined to retain the silverware in the team ranks.

There will be many riders looking to take advantage of the stand-off between the two large squads. Alex Ray, recent stage winner at the Tour of Southland & Taupo Street Race, along with 2011 Junior Worlds silver medallist James Oram will race in KiwiVelo colours. Perennial strong man Jeremy Yates (Mico-Protrain) alongwith Chris Macic (Jerry Clayton BMW) will certainly be in the fight to wear the silver fern as RaboDirect Criterium National champion for 2012.

Olympic hopeful Kaytee Boyd will look to defend her 2010 Championship title against the likes of BikeNZ Track teammate Rushlee Buchanan along with the experienced Serena Sheridan. Watch for aggressive young talent in the form of USA-based Emily Collins and BikeNZ Junior Worlds Track team members Georgina Wilson & Georgia Williams. Of special note is the entry of triathlete Debbie Tanner - who has marked the Grand Prix as the first event in her journey towards Olympic selection in 2012.

Entries remain open until racing starts in 5 grades - U17 Girls, U17 Boys, Age Group/Masters (non-championship), Elite Women & Elite Men

Sat 03/12/11

A fully stacked SUBWAYR Pro Cycling team are the first to announce their presence on the startline for next week's Jerry Clayton BMW North Shore Grand Prix. The line-up of Peter Latham, Westley Gough, Paul Odlin, Nick Lovegrove, Jason Allen & Matt Gorter ensures that the team will have all bases covered over the 45 minute race for honours. With the event hosting the RaboDirect Criterium National Championships, the right to wear the silver fern as champion for 2012 will be serious motivation for those racing.

There is a wealth of experience in the SUBWAYR Pro Cycling camp with Peter Latham having been a two-time previous winner of the event. He will surely be the team leader alongside Westley Gough, having come off a recent intensive training camp with the BikeNZ Track Team. If Latham needs any advice on how to handle the streets of Takapuna Beach, he can also turn to team director Hayden Godfrey who himself has twice won the North Shore Grand Prix.

Stay tuned for further updates over the next week!

photo: defyevolution

Communique No.1

Welcome to the 2011 RaboDirect Criterium National Championships. On behalf of all officials and riders, I would like to thank Peter Ulmer and his team for the hard work they have put in to enable this event to be held.

The Panel of Commissaires is appointed by the BikeNZ Road & Track Technical Panel. Our role is to ensure that UCI and BikeNZ Road & Track Racing Rules are respected and that every competitor has a fair and equal chance to deliver their best performance on the day. We look forward to working with riders, supporters and event management to make these championships successful.

Some general rules and procedures that competitors need to be aware of, before arriving at the event, are listed below:

1  Entries

• Entry is via individual riders.

• Entries forms are available from www.smartsport.co.nz

• U19 riders may compete in the Open category, without loss of junior status

2  Licences

• Licences will be collected.

• All riders in the Championship grades must have a 2011/2012 National or International BikeNZ Licence at the time of entry. 

• U17 riders must have a U17 licence in either 2011 or 2012.

• Riders in the Age Group/Masters (non-Championship) event are not required to hold a licence.

• Any medical certificates are to be presented when collecting race numbers at Registration.

3  Rules

• Racing will be conducted under the appropriate BikeNZ Road & Track and UCI Regulations.

4  Equipment

• Bicycles with fixed wheel or aero tri-bars are NOT permitted

• Helmets must be compliant with appropriate NZ Standards for use on open roads

• Junior Grades will be subject to the appropriate gear restrictions, defined by rollout distance:

  1. U17 – 6.610m

  2. U19 – unrestricted, as riders will be competing in the Elite/Open category

• Wheels for Junior U17 must have a minimum of 16 spokes and must not be made from composite materials. Both the Mavic Ksyrium ES and SL wheels have carbon fibre front hubs and therefore because these wheels contain some composite materials, they are not accepted in U17 BikeNZ Road & Track events.

5  Withdrawals

• Any rider withdrawing from a race must remove their race numbers and hand them to a commissaire as soon as possible. It is important that you advise finish line officials if you do withdraw.

6  Protests

• Any protests are to be made to the President of the Commissaires Panel (Martin Thomson) as soon as possible after the event. Any rider making a protest must do so in a courteous and professional manner. Any decision of the Commissaires Panel is final, there are no appeals.

7  Medal Allocation

• Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for National Championship events.

8  Registration

• Registration will open at 4.30pm on The Promenade - outside Portofino restaurant

I hope you enjoy your time at Takapuna – it is a great event.  I, along with my fellow commissaires, look forward to enjoying some great racing with you.

                                                         
Martin Thomson                                                                   
President of the Commissaires Panel                                        
                                                                            
For any queries regarding this Communique please contact:
Martin Thomson  0274 543 259  martinth@ihug.co.nz