May 2nd, 10.  Gordon McCauley likes to win races.  He missed out on the Club Nationals time trial title on Thursday, but today he beat ex teammate, Subway Avanti's Joe Cooper and took the road race win.

McCauley and Roger, Club Road Champions ©RoadCycling.co.nz

By the end of the first of six 28.3km laps, McCauley, and a group of seven others including eventual U23 winner Shem Rodger, had created a gap which proved too big for anyone to reel in.

"I just tried to split it in the first lap in the cross winds. When the wind is blowing it suits me perfectly, and the hills were all big ring climbs," McCauley, who was racing for Counties Manakau Cycling Club, told RoadCycling.co.nz

In the eight strong group were four riders in the senior men competition and four in the separate competition for the U23 title.

Taylor Gunman (Bici Vida), Shem Rodger (Bici Vida), Sean Joyce (Placemakers) and Fraser Bermingham (Placemakers) were battling the U23 competition while McCauley (Counties Manakau), Cooper (Subway Avanti), Nick Lovegrove (Subway Avanti) and senior men's time trial champion Chris Nicholson (Tasman Wheelers) were after the senior men's title.

While Aaron Strong (Counties Manakau) organised a small chase group, the front group of eight eyed each other up determining strengths and weaknesses.

McCauley is a master when it comes to reading his competitiors and by the second to last lap he'd worked out who he could afford to have at the finish sprint, and who he needed to dispose of earlier.

"Joe wasn't wanting to work without Nick there [when Nick was suffering], so I kept attacking to split them up. Shem and Taylor at that point were no threat because they are U23. So I was trying to split the Subway riders up."

McCauley wasn't surprised 43 year old Chris Nicholson was one his breakaway companions.

"Chris is a good rider. He can ride a 51/27 on a hilly course and beat me in a TT, he's going pretty good."

Knowing Nicholson's strength, McCauley didn't want to be up against him in the final metres and therefore worked hard to drop him when he saw an opportunity.

The two Bici Vida riders were also playing the attrition game in the U23 category, but unfortunately a Rodger attack saw teammate Gunman get dropped.

The early break on one of the many climbs ©RoadCycling.co.nz

When the leaders came past the finish line and heard the bell indicating the final lap, the group of eight was now three; McCauley, Cooper and Rodger.  

Lovegrove was next, chasing to get back on, and as Gunman passed RoadCycling.co.nz he yelled out, "I'm shelled".

Strong's chase group had swelled from five to seven, but with a 3m16s gap, they knew they were fighting for the minor placings.

On the final lap McCauley felt Cooper was tiring and decided to try a couple more attacks on the rolling hills at the back of the course, but Cooper hung on.

As they entered the long finishing straight the crowd could see the race had come down to an exciting sprint between Cooper and McCauley.  Rodger was there too, but as the only U23 rider, his victory was already secure.

McCauley pulled out one final burst of power to cross the line victorious.

"Any win is a good win," the five time NZ Road Champion said of his first NZ Club Road Champion title.

Rodger was also pleased with his win.  The track National Points Champion is still coming back to form after fracturing his leg in a couple of places.

"The leg was feeling really good actually. I didn't feel too good to start with which made me look after myself in the first few laps which was good. It was always going to be a case of attrition out there. I just did what I could and everyone's legs just fell off around me. So I am stoked," he said.

The U23 minor placings were decided from the chase bunch sprint where Sean Joyce (Ramblers) and Lois Crosby (Counties Manakau) earned the silver and bronze respectively.   In the senior men's competition Nicholson crossed the line for the bronze medal, also from the chase bunch which finished 3min behind the leading trio. 

More stories and a photo gallery will be up in the next day or two.

Related article

• RaboPlus Club National results