The Gravel and Tar riders started in the pouring rain and finished in 24C heat on Saturday. Photo / Tony Mclaughlin
The Gravel and Tar riders started in the pouring rain and finished in 24C heat on Saturday. Photo / Tony Mclaughlin
The winner of Saturday’s Gravel and Tar men’s cycle race had a simple philosophy for dealing with the tough gravel sectors - pedal and don’t think about it.
Ben Oliver was riding for the MitoQ - NZ Cycling Project team and completed the 137.4km race that started and finished in Ashhust in three hours, 21 minutes and 17 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of James Fouche.
Oliver came sixth in 2021, the last time the race was held.
The 26-year-old said his strategy was not to let the Black Spoke team catch him by surprise. There were moments during the race when he questioned whether he would get to the line.
Oliver is also a mountain biker and won silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Gravel and Tar winner Ben Oliver (centre) with runner-up James Fouche (left) and Paul Wright, third. Photo / Judith Lacy
It was Fouche’s first Gravel and Tar. He said it was an awesome race and the gravel was good fun. “It was a savage day out, one of the hardest ones I’ve had.”
The 2022 Elite Road National Champion said he will be back next year.
The 24-year-old arrived in Palmerston North from Auckland the day before Gravel and Tar and went for a little ride with his Black Spoke teammates.
He told the Manawatū Guardian that after dinner that night he would be doing some stretching and putting his feet up.
Fellow Black Spoke rider Paul Wright, 24, was third in what he said was a pretty aggressive race.
Manawatū cycling fans’ hopes were pinned on Black Spoke’s Luke Mudgway, but he came sixth. He won Gravel and Tar in 2019 and came second in 2020 and 2021. Mudgway grew up in Pahīatua. He considers himself a “50/50 local” as he attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School and lived in Hawke’s Bay.
The 26-year-old will be living in Spain most of this year, returning for the Kiwi summer.
Mudgway said Gravel and Tar was a brutal race with the gravel adding another dimension. It was quite easy to puncture a tyre and this meant everyone raced harder during the gravel sectors to be in front. This position meant riders were less likely to get held up by anyone with a puncture or caught in a crash. Racing from start to finish on each gravel sector creates a lot of stress.
Gravel and Tar is also brutal with lots of climbs where opponents can attack. “It is really tough and that is why I love it.”
Racing in a Kiwi summer doesn’t faze Mudgway as he is used to cycling in Asia and Europe when the mercury gets close to 40C. “We love to get on our bikes and ride out in the sun.”
Gravel and Tar is his favourite race of the year. He loves getting to race in front of family and friends. “To be able to race in New Zealand is really special because they get to come watch.”
Wellington Anniversary Weekend ended well for Mudgway. He won the elite men’s race at Cycling New Zealand’s national criterium championships in Palmerston North on Monday.
At the Gravel and Tar dinner the night before the race, founder and race director Steve Stannard said it was his vision to have a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) accredited race in Manawatū.
Gravel and Tar winner Ben Oliver celebrates his victory on Saturday. Photo / Tony Mclaughlin
He was often asked why he ran Gravel and Tar and does sometimes wonder himself. Stannard said there are two groups of people in this world - those who do things and those who don’t. He had seen where cycling had taken his children and wanted to create opportunities for other riders.
Gravel and Tar gives younger, less experienced riders participation in a UCI race. This year there were 13 teams and 75 riders.
And what are professional and elite cyclists served the night before a race? On Friday, it was roast beef and ham, white rice, lots of vegetables, and fruit salad with cream and ice cream.
