Cycling: New Zealand teenager Jenna Merrick shines at Herald Sun Tour

Jenna Merrick. Photo / Getty

There's a new exciting prospect in New Zealand cycling - and the world is now taking notice.

18-year-old Jenna Merrick has finished fourth at the women's Herald Sun Tour, beating a slew of the world's best riders across the two-day Australian race.

Merrick, who has been an age-group standout in New Zealand, announced her presence on the world stage with a superb ride on stage two on Thursday, finishing fifth on a route which ended with a descent from a gruelling 3.6 kilometre climb at an average gradient of 9.7 per cent.

As leading Australian team Mitchelton-Scott put on the pressure to steer Lucy Kennedy to stage and overall victory, only six riders could stay within two minutes of the leader on the testing climb. One of them was Merrick, who crossed the line 88 seconds after Kennedy to claim fourth overall, and the prize of being the best young rider at the race.

Most impressively, Merrick finished ahead of some world-class riders, most notably Elisa Longo Borghini. A podium finisher at the World Championships and Olympic Games, as well as a victor in major classics and the prestigious "La Route de France", Longo Borghini finished fifth overall, 10 seconds behind the teenage Kiwi rider.

The performance continues a breakout 2019 for Merrick, who finished second at New Zealand's Gravel and Tar race, and was crowned New Zealand's Under-23 time trial champion.

Now, with some help from also-promising Kiwi riders in the Mike Greer Homes squad, such as fellow 18-year-old Niamh Fisher-Black, Merrick has claimed the best result of her career – and one of the best by any young Kiwi cyclist.

There was also some success for Kiwi riders on stage three of the men's Herald Sun Tour today.

22-year-old Luke Mudgway, who has had an excellent start to 2019 racing domestically, finished fourth on the stage, as part of a nine-man breakaway which stayed away from the peloton.

The Team Sky duo of Luke Rowe and Owain Doull were too powerful, crossing the line together as Doull took the stage victory, while Mudgway finished 36 seconds back to earn a solid fourth place in the biggest race of his career to date.

Canadian star Michael Woods leads the race by four seconds over fellow big name Richie Porte, ahead of the decisive penultimate stage tomorrow.