Victory gets Kiwi amped for end of season success

Sep 23rd, 11.  It might not have been the biggest race of his European season, but a victory is a victory and Alex Meenhorst is happy to be in winning form ahead of some very big end of season races.

His race schedule with UCI Continental Team Differdange - Magic-sportfoot has seen the 24 year old Kiwi compete in South Africa, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia and Estonia, but it was in his European home of Luxembourg where he took his first international win of 2011.

"The race wasn't a biggie, but still I guess a win is a win. It was an Elite Luxembourg race which we use for training, I guess it could be compared to a Kermise style race in Belgium," Meenhorst told RoadCycling.co.nz after last weekend's success.

"I broke away in the final 10kms and had a teammate bridge across to me before the final 5kms. We both attacked each other for the victory as we had a good gap and both of us on were on good form. In the end it came down to a spint and I took the victory."

While many Kiwi riders are home from their season, or about to head home, Meenhorst is gearing up for a few highly ranked races.

This weekend he is off to France for the three day UCI2.2 Tour du Gévaudan Languedoc-Roussillon, then on October 6th he will line up with pro-tour riders for the UCI1.1 Paris Bourges one day race.

"I hope to do well in these races," he said.

Before he finally arrives back in New Zealand he is racing the tough nine day UCI2.HC Tour of Hainan in China.  

With all this great race form in his legs, Meenhorst will then head straight to NZ's Tour of Southland in the first week of November, "where I will ride once again for the awesome Kia Motors / Team SVS with George Bennett."

Once the season is finally over, Meenhorst is having surgery to fix a tendon/knee problem which held him back earlier in the season.