Cycling: Miller cruises to victory

INVERCARGILL - Auckland cyclist Graeme Miller confirmed what had been likely for the previous five days when he won the Tour of Southland in Invercargill on Saturday.

Miller, a fortnight short of his 39th birthday, took the lead on the first full day of racing on Tuesday and was never threatened.

His Southland Times team were dominant throughout the race. Team-mate Eric Wohlberg of Canada was second overall, 59s down on Miller, and Glen Mitchell was fourth.

Miller also won the sprint ace competition and Mitchell the king of the mountains.

Racing on the last two stages on Saturday was the chance for lesser riders to try for stage wins.

The first, 79km from Te Anau to Lumsden, was won by the second-youngest rider, 18-year-old Hayden Roulston of Ashburton.

Roulston and Aucklander Karl Murray broke away soon after the start and the bunch, controlled as ever by Miller and his cohorts, made no serious chasing attempt.

It was a similar pattern in the afternoon when Steven Wallis of Auckland, Wade Rose of Dunedin and Tim Vincent of Nelson attacked on the descent from the only climb after 10km of the 101km from Lumsden to Invercargill.

They stayed away for Wallis to win the stage, but just to emphasise his dominance, Miller won both bunch sprints for third in Lumsden and fourth in Invercargill.

Miller, who first won the Southland tour in 1997 at the age of 37, said though he raced successfully in North America each year, it was important to win at home.

"It's always good to come back home and win important races here," he said. "The selectors seem to notice them more."

Miller's next aim is the national championships in Dunedin this weekend and then making the team for the Sydney Olympics.

NZPA