The star-studded Trek-Zookeepers Cafe team began the Wellington Cycling Classic with a roar by winning yesterday's time trial by 19s as they took early control of the yellow jersey.
Junior international track star Sam Bewley led the zebra stripes of the Zookeepers across the line in 9m 12s,with teammates Gordon McCauley, defending champion Hayden Roulston and Marc Ryan in close attendance at the end of the 7km team time trial at Avalon, Lower Hutt.
Last of the team to cross the line was Matthew Haydock by a small margin and that was good enough for him to take the under-23 leader's jersey.
Second were the Savings and Loan team from Australia in 9m 31s, with Subway third in 9m 32s.
Trust House, in 9m 39s, and Solway Park, 9m 40s, rounded out the top five of the 18 competing teams.
Bewley arrived on Tuesday from Los Angeles after representing New Zealand in a track World Cup meet.
It was his first stage win since his under-17 days and he said it was the result of a team decision.
"The team decided it was going to be me or Matt Haydock and I was just in the right place at the right time," Bewley, 19, said.
"It's a pretty good way to start the tour and proves we are one of the strongest teams out there."
Everyone contributed in the time trial and for him it was a question of giving "everything when you are in the front and try and hold on when you are not in the front".
He would love to wear the yellow jersey for a few more stages of the five-day tour but the plan now was to defend the jersey for as long as possible and "get it on to someone [another teammate] who can hold on to it at [the last stage on Sunday] Petone".
Today's 117km second stage from Featherston to Masterton is not considered particularly difficult.
Zookeepers team manager Ron Cheatley said the team just needed to to "make sure we don't do something stupid tomorrow and let some good riders get away".
"It'll be pretty much defensive, but that's just one part of it. I think we've got a few other options as well."
Some of those Cheatley will be keeping an eye on are Savings and Loan's 2000 Olympics track gold medallist Brett Aitken, Subway's Logan Hutchings, Trust House's Robin Reid and Solway Park's Scott Lyttle.
