McGrath rewarded with gold in road race

HEAD FOR HOME: A leading bunch for the six lap race put on a final sprint to the finishing line. PHOTOS/STUART MUNRO

Wellington's Brendan McGrath capped off a grand summer on his bike with a gold medal in the road race at the Southern Trust New Zealand Masters Games on Saturday morning.

Previously Auckland-based, McGrath took a summer vacation from work, finally getting back on the job today, so he could compete in a range of cycle tour events.

Around 120 cyclists took part in the looping course which finished near the Blueskin and Brunswick Rd intersection, 11km per lap.

The 30-50 year groups completed six laps of the road, with the other age grades doing four.

McGrath was the first one home after six laps in 1 hour, 43 minutes, 10.97 seconds.

Still active at national club championship level, McGrath started in a lead group of four riders and then peeled away by the third lap to run his own race.

"Good levels, really nice."

It was his first time competing in Wanganui and it won't be his last.

"Nice new roads, new course. I'll be back."

McGrath said he had hoped to pit himself against Gordon McCauley, the 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, who did not compete with illness.

Supporting his wife, who was racing, McCauley said McGrath was about 10 years too late.

"If we'd have raced, I'd have beat him as he doesn't have a sprint," McCauley laughed.

Other riders were not so fortunate. Taranaki's Wayne Gunderson was left with a nasty cut on his arm following a crash and also got into a heated debate with officials.