Torckler takes 10th anniversary K2

Oct 30th, 11. Michael Torckler denied K2 King Jeremy Yates his 5th victory on Saturday when the PureBlack rider came back from injury the best possible way - with a win.

After winning this race for the last four years, most people expected Yates to take out another victory - but just because everyone expects you to win does not make it so.

When Yates had a mechanical on the last quarter of the race, 24 year old Torckler saw his opportunity and attacked - never to be seen again.

After starting from Thames, the small elite men's field set a solid tempo up the 14km opening climb, the Kopu-Hikuai Hill. Yates showed his form by winning the first King of the Mountain points, but shorly after a dangerous bunch of Eliot Crowther (Tauranga), Jim McMurray (Tirau) and Andi Bajc (Slovenia) jumped away.

Yates, Torckler and last year's 3rd and 4th placed riders, Andy Hagan and Silas Cullen from Wellington, appeared happy to let the trio have their lead and by the time they reached the halfway mark at Whitianga the time gap was out to 5min.

The big danger in the breakaway was Bajc who has represented Slovenia at the World Championships and was a late entry into K2 just a few days out. But with almost 2000m of climbing, the 60km between Whitianga and just past Coromandel is the toughest section of the race, and as expected Yates and Torckler started cracking the whip. The trio were reeled in 30km later, on the long climb up Whangapoa Hill.

On the last two climbs of the day over Manaia Hill and Kereta Hill, Yates and Torckler went to work, with only Crowther and Bajc able to tag on. Crowther was first to drop away, followed by misfortune for Yates when his chain slipped off on Ketera Hill.

Torckler attacked instantly, opening a lead on both riders. Yates gave chase as they swept down onto the Firth of Thames coastline for the final 40km to the finish line, but Torckler was too motivated and too strong.

The 200km K2 might be one of the toughest one day cycle races in the country, but for Torckler it paled in comparison to the last 10 months. In January he hurt his knee in a racing crash, it forced a few days off the bike but didn't seem too bad, until a few weeks later when a fall while on a PureBlack Racing training camp split his weakened knee cap in half. While his teammates were off showing the US a taste of Kiwi aggressive riding, Torckler was back here working on rehab.

His comeback announced, Torckler crossed the finish line in Thames in 5h12m08s, almost 3min clear of Yates. Behind them Andi Bajc was impressive after a day of riding in the wind to outsprint Te Awamutu's Hayden McCormick and Cullen and Hagan for 3rd.

After the K2 warm up race, Yates and Bajc and now down in Southland for the PowerNet Tour of Southland. Today 's profile is not lumpy enough for these climbers, but tomorrw they will get their chance to shine again when then peloton tackles Bluff Hill.

Elite women

The Elite Women's race, contested over the 100km K1 event from Whitianga to Thames, turned out to be a similar affair. The small but elite field of 16 riders was blown apart as Auckland's Teresa Adam stamped her authority on the race up the Kuaotunu Hill.

Adam's aggressive riding split the race into four bunches, with a five-strong lead bunch of Courteney Lowe (Taur), Emma Crum (Akld), Jeannie Kahujek (Nelson) and recently crowned world duathlon champion Melanie Burke (Akld) leading Janine Copp (Wgtn) and national junior reps Ashleigh Neave (Napier) and Georgia Williams (Akld).

The trio stayed close for the next 30km, until Whangapoa Hill, when Adam and Lowe went to war.

Adam proved strongest, opening up a 30sec lead as they crested the big climb. But she proved the most skilled downhill rider too, eventually reaching Coromandel Township with 90sec in hand.

With 53km and two big hills yet to ride, however, the race was anything but over. Lowe showed tactical nous and waited to join forces with the chasers. But Adam was simply too strong, actually adding to her lead on the final 40k of flat riding along the coastline to Thames.

Adam eventually stopped the clock in 2h52m56s, winning 3min 32secs ahead of Lowe, who also rode well to finish almost three minutes clear of Emma Crum in third

K2 results Elite Men – 200km
1, Michael Torckler, New Plymouth, 5:12:08
2, Jeremy Yates, Hastings, 5:15:02
3, Andi Bajc, Solvenija, 5:15:52
4, Hayden McCormick, Te Awamutu, 5:15:52
5, Silas Cullen, Wellington, 5:15:52
6, Andy Hagan, Wellington, 5:15:59
7, William Bowman, Christchurch, 5:24:13
8, Josh Page, Hastings, 5:24:14
9, Eliot Crowther, Tauranga, 5:24:16
10, Sam Lindsay, Auckland, 5:24:17

K1 results Elite Women – 100k
1, Teresa Adam, Auckland, 2:52:54
2, Courteney Lowe, Tauranga, 2:56:26
3, Emma Crum, Auckland, 2:59:15
4, Jeannie Kuhajek, Wakefield, 3:03:34
5, Ashleigh Neave, Napier, 3:03:58
6, Melanie Burke, Auckland, 3:03:59
7, Janine Copp, Wellington, 3:03:59
8, Janine Copp, Wellington, 3:03:59
9, Georgia Williams, Auckland, 3:04:05
10, Gayle Bronwlee, Auckland, 3:09:57

More than 1200 riders from six countries lined up for the 10th anniversary K2 cycle classic.