Atkins earns gold label at Forrest Graperide

Mar 28th, 10. 2,000 riders took on the 101km Forrest Graperide event in Blenheim on Saturday where Benchmark Homes team's 17 year old Josh Atkins earned the overall victory.

The 101km ride started at the Forrest Estate Winery in Renwick on the outskirts of Blenheim before heading north into Picton, Queen Charlotte and Pelorous Sounds before returning with a climb over the Mahakipawa Hill through Havelock and back to Renwick.

In the elite race a group of nine riders went clear  including Atkins and his teammate William Bowman, top track rider Jason Allen, national time trial champion Gordon McCauley and his Subway Avanti teammate current NPS series leader Matthew Gorter.

Atkins out-sprinted the select bunch to claim the victory in the race which was the third round of the RaboPlus National Road series (NPS).  His time was 02h22m.  In the mayhem of the final sprint Gorter crashed and while he was ok, his bike was totalled.

Atkins, a member of the New Zealand team to last year's junior world championships and a former secondary school champion, scored the best win of his young career. He proved a break off the bike can have more positives than negatives with his hunger to taste victory again.

Update: From surgery to success for Josh Atkins

The Benchmark Homes rider held out Allen and McCauley for the top podium position.  In fourth place was Chris Jenner, the former European professional, now living in Noumea.

Nelson's Karen Fulton (Team Freshchoice) proved too strong for the small women's field winning four minutes ahead of Tracy Clark (Pegasus) and Kiwi-based Dane Sia Svendsen.

Non-elite Graperide

Behind the select bunch the 1,800 riders entered in the social event , who completed the same 101km, finished in times ranging from 2h32m to 6h18m.

Michael Allison (pictured in MTB mode) enjoyed his Graperide road race

Allison started out road cycling, then ended up switching to cross country mountain biking when he moved to Christchurch.  Now he's enjoying being back out on his road bike with both disciplines helping each other.

"I think a lot of people noticed me doing a lot of overtaking in Graperide with hairy legs and possibly weren't impressed," Allison, who finished the event in 3h21m, told RoadCycling.co.nz.

Allison also rode Le Race in Christchurch last weekend and although Graperide was longer, he found it easier and more enjoyable.

Twice around - tough racing

For those who think once isn't enough, the Leppin Magnum gave 73 riders the chance to try the course twice.  After 202km the top two riders had to find more energy for a sprint where Nigel Vaise won ahead of Andrew Young in a time of 5h14m.

If twice around seems tough enough, spare a thought for Brian Bushe of Peka Peka.  He crashed after 140km but carried on to the finish line then on to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone and shoulderblade!

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