Ben rides in his father's cycle tracks

Like father like son, Ben Johnstone has inherited his dad Lee's love and skill for cycling, and has been busy stamping his mark in the sport.
The 13-year-old Pompallier College student and Marsden Wheelers Club member backed up a superb bronze medal effort in the under-15 28km road race at the National Club Road Cycling Championships at the weekend, by winning the under-15 boys title at the Northland Secondary Schools Championships, on Tuesday.
Ben's father Lee - an established cyclist in Whangarei who rides for Fat Dogs Cycles - also had a successful nationals, winning the M2 Men's 105km Road Race, as well as collecting a silver medal in his 25km time trial.
Over 30 riders contested the NSSC, which race co-ordinator Ruth Jarman said was a good turnout, as cycling was not a huge sport in schools here like it is in  bigger centres.
"The day went fantastically well ... the numbers meant we had competitive fields in most  of the age groups ," she said.
Cyclists across all of the age groups had to complete a short 4.8km time trial before either riding a 34km road race (under-20 and under-17 age groups), or a 14.5km race for the under-15 boys and girls. Johnstone produced the best combined time trial time and road race time of 31 minutes and 48 seconds over the rolling terrain in the area surrounding the Kokopu Road area.
"It started to rain just before the under-15 started their road race, so it was wet and cold out there ... the riders did well to get through it," Jarman said of Tuesday's conditions.
Meanwhile, inspired by his selection in the New Zealand team to ride at the DBR Australia Junior and Women's Canberra Tour in July, Okaihau College's Mathew Zenovich continued to impress, taking out the under-17 boys' grade, as well as the Marsden Wheelers award for the fastest male rider overall, with his combined time of 1:02:52.
The fastest female overall, Whangarei Girls' High School's Kate Allen, also won the under-17 girls' title, and rode a combined time of 1:18:28.
Whangarei Boys' High School's Matthew Markby was hot on the heels of Zenovich in the 34km road race and took out the under-20 men's title, while Georgia Walker won the women's division.
Honor Hamlet was first in the under-15 girls' age group, while  Rachyl Edge from Whangarei Intermediate  secured the under-13 girls' title.