The team time trial around Queens Park went well, we picked up 5th so we were pretty happy. On the afternoon stage to Bluff I got caught up in the crash 5km from the bottom of Bluff and took some skin off my knee, elbow and hip, but other than that I was alright and made my way up Bluff at my own pace.
Day 2 was the longest single stage in the tour, 165km from Invers to Gore. I sat in the bunch nice, and we got amongst the stage finish with a PowerNet lead out. I didn't know the finish and got a bit caught out 1km from the finish but Tom Scully and Shane Archbold picked up 4th and 5th on the stage, good day for the PowerNet team.
Day 3 was a double day, and probably the hardest day of the tour. In the morning it was a bunch kick and we lined up Scully for the finish. I took him from 900m to go and took Shane to 300m to go and he had Scully on his wheel. Tom got up for another 4th place, Greg Henderson won that stage. The afternoon stage was fast with a lot of cross winds! I rode well up in the bunch and made the front group of 45 on the finish into Winton. There was a group of 3 with about 20 seconds with 2km to go, and I decided if Tom or Shane were to have a go at the bunch kick it was up to me to bring it back. I was on the front from 2km-1km to go but unfortunately both the boys got swamped and Mike Northey took out the stage.
Day 4 was up to the Crown Range, nothing too exciting happened here for me. I rode pretty well and got to within 5km of the stage finish in the bunch before I tinkled up the hill top finish. Day 5 was a shitter, the real Southland weather decided to turn up and for the first time we had rain and wind! It was a chilly 5 degrees at the start in Winton... I rode well but was definitely starting to fatigue as it was day 5! I got to Black Mount in the bunch then cruised up the hill and formed a nice big group of around 25 riders to ride to the finish at Te Anau.
Day 6, the last day! The morning stage into Lumsden was tense, with the yellow jersey only seperated by 3 seconds between Jack Bauer and Hayden Roulston. Into the finish I lined up Shane Archbold with a big turn on the front less than 1km out. Roulston was on Archbold's wheel and jumped past him taking the stage, and also the yellow jersey from Bauer! The final 60km was back into Invercargill and 3 laps around Queens Park. Again it was a bunch kick and it was my job to get Shane near the front with less than 500m to go. Shane was on Hendy's wheel coming out of the last corner with 300m to go but didn't quite have the speed to get over him, but finished up 2nd, and the best result for the PowerNet team so far!
I was happy with my first Tour of Southland, was definitely good training, building the engine, and I was very grateful the weather was good to us!
Last Friday I flew to Perth with Shane and Aaron Gate for the Perth Grand Prix on the track. It was to blow out a few cob webs and get us ready for the Oceania Champs where I am now, in Adelaide. So far I have picked up 2nd in the Elite Men's Omnium, and have the Team Pursuit today!
I'm off to Melbourne on Sunday with a number of the riders here, for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup next week. My mum, brother, sister, grandad, and uncle are all coming over to watch so hopefully I can have a good few days on the track and show them some good racing!
Cheers
