Triple junior world track champion Travis Meyer, 18, of Perth prised the yellow jersey off Gordon McCauley after the second stage of the Wellington Classic cycling tour race yesterday.
Meyer, who finished second in Wednesday's stage one, a criterium in Lower Hutt, again finished second in yesterday's stage
- his first attempt at such a distance in a road race.
With McCauley of the Trek Zookeepers finishing 4m 31s behind stage winner Richie Porte, from the Solway Park team, Meyer took the lead in the general classification standings.
The Zookeepers had held the yellow jersey throughout last year's tour.
Australian Porte clocked 3h 16m 22s for the 133.5km trip from Featherston to Masterton, 7s in front of Meyer and 15s in front of another Australian, Chris Luxton of Savings and Loans.
Meyer leads the general classification on 4h 26m 38s. Second is David Pell of Savings and Loans, also from Australia, at 18s. Porte is third at 37s.
But the Zookeepers' Hayden Roulston remains in the picture - fifth on general classification, 1m 03s behind and well-placed to defend his title with today's crucial third stage, a 185km ride ending in a tortuous 12km up Admiral Hill, near Masterton.
The stage contains six climbs, with two of them, not including Admiral Hill, rated at category one.
Roulston was not unhappy with how the day went despite being bereft of support on the run home. "It's not too good to be left alone but that happens and I didn't lose anything.
"[The third stage today] will be the winning of the tour."
- NZPA
