Cycling: Bike choice proved costly

Amelia Watkinson.

Fraser Gough could easily have been beating himself up last night for an early decision during Hawke's Bay's The Hub Three Day Cycle Tour.

That was the Hawke's Bay rider's decision not to ride his time-trial bike in Friday night's 6.7km time trial. Because after the 293.7km tour ended yesterday just one second separated Gough and the elite men's title winner Andy Hagan of Wellington.

Had Gough opted for his time trial bike he could have been a comfortable tour winner.

"My time trial bike wasn't set up. This weekend was all about training for this week's five-day New Zealand Classic which starts in Masterton on Wednesday so I'm happy with second. I got better and better as the tour went on," Gough, 22, said last night.

In addition to missing out on the title Gough also let his father Peter down during yesterday's 104km Puketapu stage. Peter is one of the managers for the stage sponsors Ngatarawa Wines and he told his son he had to win it but Gough finished third.

"Dad just wanted his money back," Gough quipped.

Hagan's decision to ride in the elite division rather than the masters grade which he tackled during the previous weekend's Napier-based elite nationals paid off. Gisborne's Gordon Callum finished third in the tour, 3m19s behind Hagan and he also captured the King of the Mountains and Sprint Points prizes.

Aussie visitor Morgan Smith was fourth, 4m59s behind Hagan.

Gough's cousin and multiple world track champion Regan Gough, who won the time trial, withdrew from the tour on Saturday as he was still being nagged by his throat infection.

Hawke's Bay triathlete Amelia Watkinson, 24, won the elite women's title by 39s from Natalie Kerwin. This was a tremendous feat as it was her first attempt at the tour which started less than a week after she won the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman.

"I managed to hold some form after tapering out in Tauranga," Watkinson said. She is unsure what her next event will be and is on the hunt for qualifying races for the September world triathlon championships in Australia.

Hannah van Kampen completed the Bay trifecta in the elite women's division and finished one minute behind Watkinson. Kerwin won the Queen of the Mountains title and van Kampen the Sprint Points title.

Tauranga's Heath Lett and Hawke's Bay's Gary Hall finished first and second respectively in the masters one grade. Hawke's Bay's Andrew Townshend, a mechanic for major sponsors The Hub, won the masters two title by 53s from Gisborne's Craig Hoskin.

Waikato's Jim McMurray took out the B grade division of the tour by 2m46s from Hawke's Bay multisporter Luke Osborne.

The tour attracted 164 riders across seven divisions.