SUBWAY® – Avanti Cycling Team in top form ahead of Tour of Southland
29 October 2008
Members of the SUBWAY® – Avanti Cycling Team gave an impressive display over Labour Weekend winning three titles at the Lion Foundation National Club Cycling Championships held in Wanganui.
Defending champion Jeremy Yates (Ramblers) won the Open title held in conjunction with the Under 23 event won by SUBWAY® – Avanti team-mate James Williamson (Central Otago). Williamson crossed the line in second place ahead of five-time national champion Gordon McCauley (Counties – Manukau), and team-mate Joseph Cooper (Port Nicholson Poneke).
The result meant Williamson was crowned Under 23 champion, whilst Cooper picked up the bronze medal in the Open event. Both riders will join Yates, Track World Omnium Champion Hayden Godfrey, and Olympic bronze medalist Jesse Sergent in the SUBWAY® – Avanti Cycling Team for the upcoming Power Net Tour of Southland.
New Plymouth’s Tom Findlay won the Under 19 title on Saturday, whilst fellow SUBWAY® – Avanti team-mates Jason Christie (Tinwald) and Patrick Williamson (Central Otago) finished third and fifth respectively. Christie also finished third in the opening day’s Under 19 time trial.
The Labour Weekend results will give the SUBWAY® – Avanti Cycling Team added confidence heading into the six-day tour held November 3rd – 8th. Yates has shown impressive form of late winning the last two rounds of the National Points Series which he leads overall. The former Junior World Road Champion recently represented the national team in Australia’s Sun Tour finishing seventh. The event was won by former Tour de France yellow jersey holder Stuart O’Grady.
Yates will be well supported in Southland by Williamson and Cooper who have regularly been by his side in New Zealand’s recent UCI tours. Williamson, who is in his first season in the Open ranks, finished strongly with high stage-placings in last year’s Tour of Southland and finished 11th in the Trust House Tour of Wellington in January.
Former New Zealand Under 23 champion Cooper has this year won the tours of Hawkes Bay and Queenstown, and together with Williamson the duo have the attributes to provide valuable support for Yates when the roads climb. Yates won the King of the Mountains classification in the 2007 tour.
Whilst stage wins are a possibility, both Godfrey and Sergent will be most affective for Yates on the flat stages, particularly if the yellow jersey falls onto his shoulders early on. Godfrey is a multi-stage winner of the tour and two-time winner of the Sprint Ace classification. This title, as always is, sure to attract Godfrey’s attention.
Team manager Greg Hume says Sergent is a class act, and depending upon how he comes out of his rest period following the Beijing Olympics, he could surprise.
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