Veteran cyclist Ben Evans just got the better of his young rival Elliot Frizelle to win the inaugural 110km Fred Ogle Memorial race yesterday.
The pair worked together for almost the entire race and, with Lee Johnstone, broke away from the rest of the field to be in a good position
toward the end.
Cramp forced Johnstone to fall off the pace with just over 10km to go and it was Evans and Frizelle who sprinted for the line.
Both riders finished together but it was the veteran who was marginally ahead on the line to finish in a shade over three hours, in 3:02.29 - a good time considering the strong winds that buffeted the riders during the race.
Johnstone limped home to the finish the race in third.
In the 50km race, Roger Greerson was the first across the line in 1:35.12. Matthew Zenovich finished second, with Jonathon Jarmon in third. No times were taken for the 25km fun ride.
The memorial race for Northland road safety campaigner Fred Ogle, who was knocked off his bike and killed earlier this year, was well supported by local riders.
Just over 240 cyclists - well over the expected 150 - entered the event, which passed the site where another popular Whangarei cyclist, Lynley MacDonald, was also killed on the road this year.
Race director Paul Fancy from Avanti-Plus said he was very happy with the big turn out.
"Last week we only had about 30 entries and at that stage I was hoping for around 100, so to actually get 240 was pretty pleasing," he said.
He said a lot of people as usual had left it until the last minute before committing to the race, after checking such variables as the weather. The event, which started and finished at the Mangakahia Sports Complex, will become an annual event dedicated to Ogle's memory.
Members of Ogle's family were at the start of the race at 8am and some of them returned later for the event's prizegiving.
