Cycling: Northland Tour tests riders' stamina

2015 BDO Tour of Northland overall winner Sam Gaze crosses the finish line during yesterday's final stage. Photo / Josh Berry

A first place in the final stage of the BDO Tour of Northland proved bitter-sweet for ex-Northlander Ben Johnstone.

Johnstone was on track to take overall honours for the event but suffered a puncture on Saturday's stage between Opononi and Paihia.

While Johnstone revelled in what could have been, Commonwealth Games mountain biking silver medallist Sam Gaze managed to complete the final stage in good time.

But not without putting in some hard yakka beforehand.

The long 93km stage proved difficult in parts, with many experienced riders finding it hard going.

"Helena Bay itself was a bloody hard stage, some people made good attacks and made it a really hard hill," Gaze said.

"The hill at Helena Bay was definitely hard, before that it was quite rolling and progressive."

Despite this, both Gaze and Johnstone held off stiff competition to position themselves within reach of overall honours.

"There was heaps of cat and mouse and tactics going down about 5km to go," Gaze said.

"Ben rode the strong man's race and rode off the front with about 5km to go, taking the stage win."

Although Johnstone claimed two successful stage wins, he said "losing the yellow on Saturday sort of had to make me think differently about how I was going to ride. I had to put all my eggs in one basket."

Both riders will now head overseas to compete but agreed the Northland event was well worth it.

"This tour's been good training for when I fly out," Johnstone said, though he still had plenty left in the tank when asked what he would do with the rest of his Sunday.

"Oh I don't know, I might just go for another ride," he laughed.