KEY POINTS:
Tour leader Kristin Armstrong may have avoided the rain in today's 126km fourth stage of the five-day women's cycle Tour of New Zealand, but there was no way she could hide from the wind.
Armstrong, riding for the Swiss-based Cervelo Lifeforce team, went into today's stage with a 21-second lead over Team High Road's Oenone Wood (Australia) in the general classification.
Wood edged out a fast-finishing Rochelle Gilmore (Menikini Salle Italia) to win the stage in 3hr 28min 52sec, with Team High Road's Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany) third on the same time.
Armstrong finished five seconds back to maintain her grasp on the yellow jersey going into tomorrow's last two stages, although Wood has closed the American's general classification lead to a scant six seconds.
Third place is Australian Ruth Corset (Tabak) at 1min 33sec down on Armstrong's 11hr 08min 57sec time after four stages.
Today's 12-lap stage around a testing Miramar circuit included a short and nasty climb up Awa Road, a stomach-dropping descent into Worser Bay then a slog into the strengthening northerlies around the bays back to Miramar.
The threatened rain held off until the last lap of the stage, with only a few light showers to trouble the riders.
The unpredictable winds kept the cyclists on their toes, Armstrong said afterwards.
"It would be in one direction going one way, then we'd go round a corner and the wind would hit us from a different direction," she said.
"That made it very difficult for anyone to get away."
Gilmore's teammate Natalie Bates, United States national team member Lauren Franges and New Zealand's Marina Duvnjak broke away from the peloton after around 20km, and worked hard at maintaining a lead which ballooned out to nearly three minutes at one stage.
"It was nice to have that break out there," Armstrong said. "We just sat at the front and controlled the peloton for a while.
"We were happy for that break to cross the line first, but if Team High Road weren't going to gain time on the yellow jersey, they were definitely going for the win."
As it turned out, defending champions Team High Road - formerly T-Mobile - managed both. The breakaway trio was pulled in with about 15km remaining, and Team High Road controlled the peloton until the home straight beckoned.
However, the decision to go for the stage win was made a little earlier, Wood said.
"It really happened a lot before the corner, with three or four laps to go we decided to go for the stage win," she said.
"Coming into the last straight, Ina took it into the corner and gave me a great lead-out until I came round. I didn't even see Rochelle until she was almost equal with me."
Wood has featured in the top three in every stage of the six-stage tour, and is keen to maintain the pressure on Armstrong in both the time-trial and criterium tomorrow.
Armstrong, however, has a special affinity for the time-trial - she was world champion in 2006 - and is relishing the chance to really stretch herself.
"I hold the time trial close to my heart, so whether I was wearing the yellow jersey or not I'd go out there and give it 110 per cent. I just love that race against the clock."
- NZPA
