Two from two for Benchmark Homes Cycling Team

Apr 19th, 10. Josh Atkins won the second round of the Benchmark Homes series from a five man breakaway, giving his Benchmark Homes team two wins from two in the series.

The winning five rider break with 5km to go ©Cathy Adair

Hokitika's classic Blue Spur and Mahinapua loop circuit provided excellent racing conditions on a fine day for round two of the Benchmark Homes Elite Team Racing Series on Sunday.

17 teams and 117 riders from both ends of New Zealand including Bici Vida (Auckland), H & J Smith Outdoor World (Invercargill), and everywhere in between, lined up on the start line for the 136km race.

This is the first time the series has been held in Hokitika with riders and managers generally agreeing it was a challenging circuit with plenty of scope for testing even the best riders.

"The course was great," said Tasman Wheeler's Karen Fulton, "Lots of hills, crosswinds and changes of speed. I loved it!"

These sentiments were echoed by most riders with a general enthusiasm for the Hokitika Cycling Clubs race organisation, warm West Coast welcome and enthusiasm.

"This is just the start of things to come," said Glenn Bennett, CYB Racing Team manager, "We want the race back here next year, the locals love it, the riders love it and our sponsor Beachfront Hotel is keen to be involved again next year".

Five go free to battle for men's victory

Chad Adair from team Bike RIGHT, took out the sprint prime at the top of the staircase with Josh Atkins from Benchmark Homes Cycling Team taking out the hill climb prime at the top of the Blue Spur.

The pressure and pace was on from the beginning with some real attrition showing through the hill climbs as early as the 30km mark for the women in the field, with ten of the 17 who started being dropped.

Benchmark Homes' Will Bowman broke away early in the men's race, but Ultimo Jamis Cycling Team and John Bull Avanti Plus riders worked hard to pull him back.

Men's podium ©Benchmark Homes Cycling Team

Despite attacks from all sides, nothing really stuck until Eric Drower from Subway-Avanti and Thomas Hodgson from Tasman Wheelers had a decent crack at the 90km mark.

Josh Atkins and round one winner James McCoy from Benchmark Homes made a decisive break on the second climb up the Blue Spur.

Surprisingly, the peloton didn't shut these two series leaders down.  

They were only joined by Paul Odlin from Bici Vida, Scott Lyttle (Dunedin's Cycle Surgery Race Team), Eric Drower (Subway Avanti), Brad Evans (Kumho Tyres Otago) and Tom Hodgson (Tasman Wheelers).

"We put that hammer down and worked well together," said eventual winner Atkins. "With two climbs to go, Scott Lyttle took the pace up and forced a break with Tom and Brad being dropped at 130km".

"We didn't muck around with five km to go and I knew I could go for it. It worked out perfectly. James and I know each other's strengths so we worked together. He knew I had the sprint so James pushed it and took off with about a km to go. Eric, Paul and Scott gathered him in so just before the last corner he went again. That worked perfectly for me and I took the sprint on the line."  

Atkins won the sprint ahead of Bici Vida's Paul Odlin and Subway Avanti's Eric Drower.

"I'll be back for Hanmer. We are aiming for a third team victory," said Atkins who has been enjoying a string of successes since recovering from leg surgery earlier in the year.

"We are rapt," said Brendan Hart, Benchmark Homes team director. "We are continuing the momentum and the winning streak. We were disappointed with our results at Brunner yesterday as we don't feel they reflected how well our riders rode. They are riding well as a team, reading the race well, committed to doing their part and have the form to finish it off. They are riding smart and consolidating."

Subway Avanti Team Manager Greg Hume was happy to have one of his team on the podium, Eric Drower, even if the race didn't go quite as planned.

"Our team plan before the race had been to place at least two in the break, but we failed to do that in the break that mattered as we were outnumbered by Benchmark Homes team members. It was a challenging, enjoyable course!" Hume said.

Women's race a battle of three

The trio of top women, Jeannie Kujahek and Karen Fulton of Tasman Wheelers plus Julia Grant from Mico-All About Plumbing left the rest of the women's field behind half way through the race and stayed together until the finish.

Round one winner Kujahek ran into trouble on the 2nd Blue Spur climb, but managed to stay in the hunt.

"I had a problem with my front deraillieur and my chain came off. It was a grueling chase to get back up with Karen and Julia," she said.

Current leaders of the Benchmark Homes series ©Benchmark Homes Cycling Team

"Our team plan was to hang in with the men for as long as we could and get one and two in the women's race either way (either Jeannie Kujahek or me), so I'm stoked."  

"We were marking Julia Grant as we knew she wanted to win. It has been a great weekend for Jeannie and I with first and second in both the Around Brunner race yesterday and again today!"

Fulton's win means Tasman Wheelers also have two from two in the Benchmark Homes series.

Overall leaders

After two rounds of the Benchmark Homes series Josh Atkins take the lead for the men, Jeannie Kuhajek retains the lead in the women's category and Mark Spessot retains his lead in the Masters category.

Round 2 of the Benchmark Homes series is May 9th's Ocean Ridge Hamner Springs to Kaikoura race.

Related article

• Provisional results of the Benchmark Homes series....