Jan 28th, 10. Today's stage finish up the tough Admiral's Hill was expected to create some fireworks among the General Classification leader board, and it didn't disappoint.

Michael Torckler is the new leader of the tour ©Peter Bruggerman

The 110km stage hill finish stage finished with an uphill sprint where the Kiwi had enough gas to pull away from the King of the Mountain, Australian Lachlan Norris (Drapac Porsche).  Jay Thompson (Fly V Australia) finished in 3rd and kept his Sprint Jersey.

The day began with a small breakaway including Heath Blackgrove (Team Solway), Michael Vink (Subway Avanti), Mike Northey (Bici Vida), Clinton Avery (Cardno Team), Mark Langlands (R+R Team) and a couple of Australians.

There were no sheep on the road to halt the race today and the only incident was a crash in the peloton while riding through road works.  Luckily everyone got back on their bikes and resumed racing at a consistently high tempo, but not high enough to reel in the leaders.

However, the time gap never got out too far which enabled Jack Bauer (Trust House Team), Westley Gough (Team Solway) and Mark Frendi (Shortis Cycle - Australia) to bridge the gap.   Bauer enjoyed some time off the front of the new lead group but once the road angled upwards he struggled to hang on.

While Bauer struggled, the Cardno Team were working hard on the front of the chasing peloton to get Torckler in a good position to leap to the lead group.  On the 3rd to last climb Cardno teammate Aaron Strong powered to the front and his pace strung out the group perfectly.

"At the top of the climb everyone started looking at each other and Michael went for it," explained Strong.   "He took off solo, then he was joined by McCauley, Matt Sillars, and one other.  At the bottom of the next climb they were still a minute off the leaders but then Michael hit it up."  

By the top of what was the second King of the Mountain line Torckler had left the other three riders behind, reached the leaders and crossed in 3rd position.  At this stage the lead group had shattered into small groups.

The final climb - up Admiral's Hill

Torckler gaps Norris where it matters, on the line ©Peter Bruggerman

"Heath Blackgrove had another team member there, Westley Gough, who rode off the front for awhile allowing Heath to just sit on. We [Tockler and the two Aussies who joined him on the podium] chased Westley and caught him on the bottom of the climb."

"Then I set a tempo from there for a good km or so and then pulled over to let one of the other boys take a turn. They weren't too interested in doing too much. One of the Aussies jumped off the front and I joined him and the others didn't have anything left in their legs."

"It was down to the two of us from there.  We went full gas for a couple of kms and opened up a good lead then just rode a good tempo to the top."

Torckler managed to drop Norris at the steepest part of the climb about half way up, but the Australian managed to get back on to Torckler's wheel.

"I didn't have the legs to keep him away.  Then we left it to the sprint.   It was only in the last couple of hundred metres I pulled away, it won't be much of a time gap, just a few seconds," said Torckler.

Norris retains the King of the Mountain jersey he won yesterday thanks to the points he earned in all three of the King of the Mountain climbs today, but Torckler has the biggest prize, the yellow jersey.

"It's the jersey everyone wants.  I'm really happy with the win.  It's a big stage, I'm very happy."

As a good climber Torckler knew this tour would suit him. Way back in September when Torckler gave RoadCycling.co.nz his season round-up after his time in Spain he said this tour was a goal of his NZ summer. 

Today's stage wasn't a particular focus, but Torckler said it's a stage he knew he could do well in. 

"It's definitely a stage I can go well on if things are working all right, and they seemed to be working all right!  The team was brilliant, couldn't ask for much more," he said of his Cardno teammates Clinton Avery, George Bennett, Wade Mangham and Strong.

"We'll have a chat tonight I'm sure and talk through all the options [for defending the lead]. It should be good fun, I look forward to it.  We have got a very strong team which is going to make the job a lot easier," he said.

General Classification leaders after Stage 2 (Full results....)

Only one change in the leader's jerseys ©Peter Bruggerman

1. TORCKLER Michael, Cardno 6:07:59
2. NORRIS Lachlan, Drapac Porsche + 00:05
3. THOMPSON Jay, Fly V Australia + 01:46
4. BLACKGROVE Heath, Team Solway + 01:51
5. McDONALD Peter, Drapac Porsche + 02:11
6. MATTHEWS Michael*, Jayco Skins team + 02:21
7. YATES Jeremy, Team Solway + 02:29
8. CRAWFORD Jai, Fly V Australia + 02:32
9. BENNET George*, Cardno + 02:34
10. STRONG Aaron, Cardno + 02:36

NZ U23 National Champion Tom Findlay proved you can't have a good day everyday.  

In January he won the Nationals, placed Top 5 in the North Shore Grand Prix, won last weekend's SRAM Tour de Ranges and finished in the front bunch yesterday. Today the need for a rest caught up on him, Findlay had a bad day and DNF'd.

Thanks to Steve Elden, Team Manager for R+R Sports and Sarah from BikeNZ for their help today.

Related articles on the Trust House Cycle Classic

• Full results
• Team lists
• Torckler crowned Trust House Tour Champion
• Fast paced stage sets Torckler up for final tour defence
• Sprint Ace wins stage but Kiwi retains yellow
• Attacks expected in Trust House tour today
• Torckler gives Kiwis something to cheer about
• From Tour Down Under to Wellington tour
• Defending champion stakes his claim
• Summit fun on Rimutaka Hill
• Five NZ champions for Trust House tour
• Kiwi Aussie showdown looming
• Defending champion back for Trust House tour

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