Battle of the Taupo streets

Nov 27th, 09. Taupo's streets were packed tonight for the Elite Street Race where smallish fields provided plenty of excitement for the cheering crowds.

The podium with Cath Cheatley centre ©RoadCycling.co.nz

With World Champion Alison Shanks in the women's race and kiwi Tour de France veteran Julian Dean in the men's, everyone found at least one person they could support.

The women were the first to battle. Their race of 20min and 2 laps was hotly contested with the strong field of 14 kiwis and 4 Australians mixing it up together.  

The four Aussies were racing as a team and had a constant presence up the front of the pack in their white Prime Estate team kit.

Also in white, albeit adorned with World Champion rainbow rings, was Alison Shanks.  She gave the crowd a thrill when she took a turn attacking at the front of the field where the fast pace had already dropped some of the riders. 

Alison Shanks leads the pack

Another Australian attack

Great crowd support for Cheatley

In the final sprint it was Wanganui's Cath Cheatley who won, just beating out Australian hopeful Nicole Whitburn with Naila Hassan 3rd.

Although Cheatley claimed to be a little rusty from a rest after her busy season and World Championship success, she found just the right amount of form in tonight's race to defend her Taupo title. She won last year's Taupo Elite event, a hotdog street race. "It all came together, it was a great race," she said of tonight's success.  

Cheatley was planning on preparing for tomorrow's 60km road race by switching task completely.  She headed off to play Auntie with her extended family for the rest of the evening.

With most of the women also contesting tomorrow's inaugural WorkoutZone Women's Elite Road Race, they raced off to Turangi where many of them were staying in preparation for the morning's early start.  

All, that is, except Naila Hassan.  Hassan only decided to enter these two events earlier in the week and as a late entrant today she was held up like many others when the organisers ran out of bib numbers for the road race.  

At 9pm Hassan was still waiting outside the late registrations tent.

Women's results ...

Other articles on this great weekend of cycling

• Photos: Meshy Holt and the other winners of the WorkoutZone road race
• Photos: Patrick Bevan's win at the Avanti Classic
• RoadCycling.co.nz's ride around the lake
• Local lad wins Avanti Classic
• NZ Road Champion wins WorkoutZone Road Race
• Results: Avanti Classic
• Results: WorkoutZone Women's Road Race
• Photos of the Taupo Elite Street racing
• Bici Vida hunt down the win
• Battle for the Taupo Streets - women
• Results: Taupo Street Race
• When once just isn't enough
• Top tips for tackling Taupo
• Start list for the Elite races
• Small field, big names in Elite Women's race
• Alison Shanks latest Taupo attraction
• Defending champion skips Taupo
• Julian Dean adds to Taupo weekend
• Taupo Cycle Challenge 10,783 and counting
• Street battle looming in Taupo
• Greg Henderson's tips for one day racing