It was a hot pace from the word go, with hot shots, Clinton Avery and Sam Bewley playing at the front. I used this time to warm up and spin the legs a bit after a pretty intense training camp as part of the Waiariki Academy of sport including boot camp style training.
The famous Hells gate hill spilt the bunch like normal and I did miss the initial attack but managed to bridge across over the top really putting the hurt on my legs. Form there I was swinging on the nine strong break away and pulling some weak laps all the way around to the Rotoma hill where I got slightly droped and lost about 15 seconds. This was nothing I couldn't bring back on the two minute long down hill where I took a few major risks to do so. Clinton Avery had already gone off the front and by the time I caught back up he was out of sight.
When we hit the Whakatane flats I started feeling rather strong again and pushed the pace. Some riders dropped off in because of this. We approached the Ohope hill where Dirk Peters put in a very solid attack followed closely by Josh Page (fellow Team AvantiPlus rider from Napier), I could not match the pace and just rode up the climb with two others that did drop me over the top, Again nothing I could catch back up on the downhill. These are the two guys that I caught at the bottom behind me in the sprint for 4th place.
A great hit out and I do enjoy the change from mountain biking now and then, bring on Vineyards!!!
Top Five: Clinton Avery, Dirk Peters, Josh Page, Scott Green and Nelson Shaw.
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