Canterbury champion Around Brunner champion

Leon Hextall - 2011 Around Brunner winner ©murrycavephotography.co.nz

Apr 18th, 11. Fresh off his victory in the U23 Canterbury Road Championships, Leon Hextall won Around Brunner in impressive style - solo off the front of a breakaway.

Greymouth's Around Brunner 130km event is in it's 5th edition and despite entries being lower than in previous years due in part to the Christchurch earthquake, organisers determined the race would go on, rain or shine.

Unfortunately, the rain did come but to both the men's and women's winners it was a positive not a negative factor.  

With New Zealand's best elite riders busy racing internationally, the local scene is kept exciting by competitive domestic teams and riders.

Hextall has raced with the Benchmark Homes Team for four years now.

He is known for searching out the winning breakaway and is usually seen close to the front of the early action.

That is exactly what happened in Saturday's race when Hextall made the early break of six which stayed away for the entire race.

"Once I was in the break I knew it was the winning move," he said. "The wet conditions were great, it kept the pace down. I tried to make it hurt in the hills and then made my move with 10km left – it's good to see a break winning a race rather than it coming down to a sprint finish."

With 10km to go, Hextell attacked and rode home by himself to win in a time of 3h16m52s, 20sec clear of any of his breakaway companions. He considers this win the biggest of his career to date.

Brehan Cairns from Invercargill (H & J's Smith Outdoor World) was 2nd in a photo finish with Christchurch based rider Marc Prutton (Homestyle Test Team).

Women's race - track ace sprints to win road race

Sequoia Cooper (H & J's Smith Outdoor World), an Otago Physiotherapy student, said her win in the elite women's race was a complete surprise after being focused on a track programme as part of the Bike NZ's national track training group.

"It's my first win on the road in years and was my first big road race of the season after being focused on the track. I really enjoyed the wet conditions," she said,

Cooper called on all her track sprinting experience to win a tight sprint finish from Kathryn Jones of Dunedin, Sophie Williamson (H & J Smiths Outdoor World), last year's winner Karen Fulton (Fresh Choice) and Sarah Smallman (Team Thule). Cooper's winning time was 3h19m12s.

Recreational riders

Wayne Smythe (John Bulls Cycle Team) was an impressive men's winner of the recreational event, riding clear with over 50 kilometres to go, to win by over three minutes with a time of three hours and twenty six minutes.

The female recreational event was won by Kylie Rochford (Christchurch) in three hours and twenty nine minutes.