"I've never done much bunch cycling before, so when our bunch got quite big I just tried to stay safe. I had only been over the run once in training and even though I thought I knew it pretty well, you get out there in the excitement of the race and you don't know where the hell you're going.
"It was awesome though. A perfect day and I felt good. But now I have to think about tomorrow."
Seamus Meikle is also thinking about today. After a dominant first day the 27-year-old chiropractor set himself up to be the latest Greymouth resident to roll out of bed and win the race that starts on his own back door.
Meikle was part of a five man break- away on the opening cycle section. Clocking a slick 1hr 39min for the 55km ride they missed the course record by a scant minute. Starting the mountain run he was closely followed by Hamilton's Will Sams and Christchurch's Josh Harris. Like Simpson in the women's race, however, once the running started Meikle took control.
He eventually reached Klondyke Corner at Arthur's Pass 18 minutes clear of Sams and 26min clear of third place Mitch Munro from Christchurch, although the Waiuku-born leader admitted later, "I was just running my own race and honestly didn't realise too much who was around me.
"The conditions were pretty fast so I just concentrated on taking the right short cuts and keeping the pace up."
Meikle, who finished 10th last year in the world championship One Day race, was less confident about today's race to the finish line at Sumner Beach in Christchurch.
"Normally, I'd say my strength is kayaking," he said. "But after today maybe I'm a runner."
