Close finish in cycle stage

CRICKET: Marlborough's Sam Reed had everything ready to come to Wanganui's Junior National Bike Tour.
His bike was sorted, his gear ready to go ? and then he remembered he hadn't entered.
"I was busy and I forgot. But I gave Ron (promoter Ron Cheatley) a ring and he was great," Reed said yesterday after an epic grind up Georgetti Road to the Water Tower to take the prologue of the Bikewise-sponsored tour by a fraction of a second from the desperately unlucky Rotorua rider Clinton Avery.
Avery was quite easily the quickest in a dominating ride, but beat the start by an estimated one second ? and thus had to incur a 5sec penalty.
Reed, who was two riders after Avery boomed across the line, recorded 3min 57.44sec to edge Avery's corrected time of 3.57.51.
That was a remarkable 18sec or so better than Reed's time in the prologue last year, an indication of the improvement through his junior year which ended with him making the New Zealand road team to Australia, where he rode the Tour of Canberra.
An exhausted Reed took some time to recover after his ride, and said he had ridden the course twice in the previous two days as well as last year ? so knew what he was getting in to.
"Last year I wasn't quite strong enough."
Told his time, Reed commented: "Wow, I'm pleased with that. I hope I've got something left for the rest.
"People have been saying the hill is not steep ? but it is, and that bottom bit blows you away and you have nothing left. It was crazy ? it doesn't really hit you until afterwards."
Third was promising Aucklander Andrew Thompson, and fourth the unknown from New Plymouth, Michael Torkler. They were the only other riders to break 4min.
The world champion time triallists battled up the hill ? Feilding's Jesse Sergent was the quickest, and there was under 2sec between him and world team-mates Sam Bewley (Rotorua) and Westley Gough (Waipukurau).
They remain right in the running as the tour gets into the long stage from Wanganui to Hunterville and return today. Leading placings:
Prologue: Sam Reed (Marlborough) 3min 57.44sec 1, Clinton Avery (Rotorua) 3.57.51 2, Andrew Thompson (Auckland) 3.58.08 3, Michael Torckler (New Plymouth) 3.58.72 4, Jesse Sergent (Feilding) 4.04.41 5, Alex Meenhorst (Auckland) 4.5.17 6, Josh Brannigan (Hastings) 4.05.77 7, Westley Gough (Waipukurau) 4.05.79 8, Sam Bewley (Rotorua) 4.06.84 9, Oliver pearce (Christchurch) 4.06.98 10.