Three wins from three US races for Bevin

Mar 30th, 10.  America is beginning to learn what New Zealand learnt last season - it's awfully hard to beat Patrick Bevin in a sprint finish.  Bevin has won three races from three starts!

Patrick Bevin in Piece of Cake. Photo courtesy ©Pat Malach Oregon Cycling Action

He's only been in the US for a few short weeks but Bevin hasn't been taking an easy transition into American racing.  

He's been giving it everything, and coming away with the spoils.

Bevin is one of three Bici Vida riders who are racing with Rubicon Orbea in the US over the NZ winter months.  Mike Northey and Roman Van Uden raced for the team last year, but Bevin is a new recruit.

He was the first of the three to start racing for Rubicon Orbea this season and he's quickly shown the team managers they made a great call signing him.

Bevin's first race was the unfortunately named Tour de Dung in Washington where the 18 year old from Taupo won the kick from a small bunch after three hours of racing which averaged 45km/h. 

The next day he raced the the Mason Lakes Road Race # 3, also in Washington.  With Rubicon teammates to help this time, including Aaron Tuckerman the 4th Kiwi in the team, Bevin bridged to the break then took them on, and won, in an uphill sprint finish.

Fast forward to the weekend just gone and Bevin was in Oregon in another oddly named event, Piece of Cake, where again he fought his way to cross the line for victory.

RoadCycling.co.nz caught up with Bevin after his latest win to hear how the young Kiwi is finding US racing compared to NZ racing.

"The level of competition would be something like Taupo's Avanti Classic  Cycle field - substantially larger than most of our domestic races," Bevin said.

The courses he's raced so far have suited him well, generally flat with some small rollers.

"The racing so far has been not too dissimilar to home with breaks going in each race and it being a solid days riding to stay up the road."

"Last weekend the fields in Washington (state) were strong as it was the start of their state race series. Some of the domestic pros based out of the Northwest were using it as final preparation before going to Redlands, the first race in the NRC. There were about 100 starters last Saturday!! We averaged just shy of 45km/h with the break not being established until the last lap."

"This weekend in Oregon it was the first round of their similar race series. The race was actually called Piece of Cake - which is funny considering how hard it went out of the blocks. The field was decent sized again, 70 odd - although the race was over for 60 of those guys by the 15km mark!!"

"We managed to put four guys in to the orignal break before settling into three out of the final eight with a split being caused by a crash. To have two teammates who wanted to take it to the sprint made it easy - I just had to deliver!!"

And like he did so many times back in New Zealand, Bevin did deliver.

This coming weekend Bevin is taking on a local criterium before heading to Los Angeles for Dana Point, which includes a time trial and criterium.  Dana Point is the second round of the NRC.

If you are a Kiwi international, join the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and keep in touch.