Subway–Avanti’s Lovegrove third in 1000 Cycle Race
24 August 2010
Nick Lovegrove from the Subway-Avanti Pro Cycling team finished third in the Hudson Gavin & Martin Auckland 1000 Cycle Race on Sunday.
Lovegrove and his Subway–Avanti team mate Joe Cooper were part of the initial break of 12 riders in the race Lovegrove said was aggressive right from the gun.
”It was an aggressive start to the race with most riders figuring that if an early move got clear, that would be the race,” Lovegrove said.
The windy conditions proved decisive meaning positioning in the various bunches was very important.
“The cross winds meant that there was plenty of time spent in the gutter gnawing the handle bars just to stay in the move.”
Lovegrove managed to stay with the leading group when it split three quarters of the way through the third lap but Cooper was reduced to chasing the leaders.
“Joe (Cooper) got caught in a bad position in the cross winds when the final selection was made and couldn’t get across.”
Lovegrove and Aaron Strong lost touch with the front of the race when Gordon McAuley attacked on a climb leaving the two riders chasing McAuley, Paul Odlin and Shem Roger. The two worked well together on the final lap, catching Roger within 300 metres of the finish line.
Lovegrove then outsprinted Strong to take third behind winner McAuley and Odlin. Cooper led the chasing pack home for sixth.
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