Cycling: Gudsell retains yellow jersey

Day two of the Wellington-Wairarapa cycling classic saw Tim Gudsell's leader's yellow jersey come under threat, but not removed from his shoulders after two stages in the Masterton region yesterday.

Australian Stuart Shaw from the Team Trust House won the morning's stage two in two hours 43 minutes 44 seconds after a near 100km breakaway with two companions.

Hayden Roulston, from team Subway, won the evening criterium in Masterton's town centre in 1hr 05min 30sec.

Overall Gudsell was 35sec ahead of Roulston clocking 4hr 56min 47sec to date with Gudsell's teammate Gordon McCauley trailing the leader by 41sec in third.

On the first of the day's stages, Shaw was accompanied by teammate Darren Lapthorne and Scottish National Team rider Duncan Urquhart after the trio escaped from the field just 20km into the 117km route from Featherston to Masterton.

Strong winds and an undulating and twisting road alongside Lake Wairarapa allowed the three to gain time quickly over the pack containing Gudsell.

After just 29km at the Southern tip of Lake Wairarapa, they turned north, immediately feeling the benefits of a strong tailwind.

Reaching speeds of over 70km/h on descents and 55km/h on the flats, their lead was three minutes 33 seconds at the halfway point.

Gudsell, fearing the loss of his yellow jersey should the escapers gain too much time, ordered his Samsung team to the front of the bunch.

Aided by members of the SouthAustralia.com-AIS squad, they began to gradually pull back the leaders.

However it was not enough and with 9km to go, Urquhart took the day's only King of the Mountains points, one minute ahead of the flying pack.

Shaw and teammate Lapthorne were not going to let the Scotsman spoil their morning, and he sprinted up the finishing straight a full two lengths ahead of Urquhart and with Lapthorne in third.

Brady Gibbons from team R+R won the bunch sprint ahead of Trust House's Rob McLachlan, 45sec behind Shaw.

"I've hardly ridden the bike for three months," a delighted Shaw said.

"I had a really bad crash which needed a skin graft and I've been off the bike since January 8 with work commitments.

"I expected a nice easy day riding in the bunch, so I'm stoked to win here."

Gudsell admitted he was concerned about losing his overall lead.

"I was a little worried when the lead got out to three minutes 30 seconds, but the team worked hard on the front and I'm happy with the way it turned out," he said.

The tour's third stage evening criterium in Masterton provided spectators with some high speed action as Roulston won a 60km/h sprint from a group of seven riders that had gone clear of the pack with just 10 min utes remaining.

Gudsell also made it into the select group, which also contained Gordon McCauley from the Samsung New Zealand National Team, 1992 Olympian Rob McLachlan and Scottish champion Evan Oliphant.

Finishing third in the sprint behind Oliphant and Roulston, Gudsell retains his yellow jersey heading into tomorrow's 158.8km stage four which involves a return trip from Masterton to Pahiatua.

"Once the break was established I felt really good," Roulston said.

"I didn't enjoy last night (in stage one's Lower Hutt race) but today I feel like a different man."

- NZPA