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Yates too good for classic field
Jeremy Yates at the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. PICTURE: BEN FRASER(271104bf)
By CHRIS BRAMWELL in Taupo
Bad boy Jeremy Yates rode under a cloud but was still way too good for the other riders in the annual Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge on Saturday.
The Avanti Classic Race saw a large field of 111 elite riders race around the 160km course in cool and windy, but fine conditions.
The former world junior road champion was first across the line in 3hr57min75s, despite the cloud of controversy surrounding his entry in the race.
Yates was handed a two-year suspension from the international professional circuit last week after he was found to have unusually high levels of testosterone. The ban comes into effect on December 2.
Yates had a licence to enter Saturday's 160km Classic, and organisers said he was entitled to race.
At the finish line Yates was keen to focus on the race and not discuss the ban although, when asked if he may appeal, he said ``wait and see''.
Other riders appeared supportive of the 23-year-old's participation in the race.
Yates said Saturday's conditions were ideally suited to his style of riding.
''Conditions were perfect, nice bit of wind keeps the guys honest, if you muck around you'll find yourself at the back,
''Taupo is always a hard one, normally there is a break from the beginning, but the strong head wind stuffed it up, so it came down to a good-old-fashioned bike race, which is my style,'' he said.
Taupiri's Geoffrey Burndred and Wellington's Joseph Cooper finished second and third respectively in 3hr58min15sec, while Rotorua's Paul Bishop rode home strongly in fifth position 30sec later.
''We had a tail wind in from Turangi, which wasn't so bad and things only got tough coming along the lake front,'' he said. ``I was pretty happy with that.''
Coming in just six minutes behind Yates, Wellington's Nadene Boyle won the women's section of the classic.
Boyle found the headwind tough going, but had a great race.
''[The wind] was so hard, I had to find lots of big men to hide behind. I was riding in a really supportive bunch, I had heaps of guys keeping an eye on me, signalling and saying'come on','' she said.
Also participating in the event were four of New Zealand's Olympic medallists, Sarah Ulmer, Hamish Carter, Bevan Docherty and Ben Fouhy, as well as Olympian and Tour de France rider Julian Dean.
Other well known participants included Paralympian Mark Inglis, multisporter Steve Gurney, World Superbike racer Aaron Slight and politicians Rod Donald, Mike Ward and Wayne Mapp.
The course was also covered by unicyclist Ken Looi, handcyclist Tom Scott and cycling writers the Kennett brothers, riding a collection of vintage bicyles.
The event, now in it's 28th year, is organised by Taupo Moana Rotary Club and Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College with all proceeds going to the wider community.
Bad boy Jeremy Yates rode under a cloud but was still way too good for the other riders in the annual Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge on Saturday.
The Avanti Classic Race saw a large field of 111 elite riders race around the 160km course in cool and windy, but fine conditions.
The former world junior road champion was first across the line in 3hr57min75s, despite the cloud of controversy surrounding his entry in the race.
Yates was handed a two-year suspension from the international professional circuit last week after he was found to have unusually high levels of testosterone. The ban comes into effect on December 2.
Yates had a licence to enter Saturday's 160km Classic, and organisers said he was entitled to race.
At the finish line Yates was keen to focus on the race and not discuss the ban although, when asked if he may appeal, he said ``wait and see''.
Other riders appeared supportive of the 23-year-old's participation in the race.
Yates said Saturday's conditions were ideally suited to his style of riding.
''Conditions were perfect, nice bit of wind keeps the guys honest, if you muck around you'll find yourself at the back,
''Taupo is always a hard one, normally there is a break from the beginning, but the strong head wind stuffed it up, so it came down to a good-old-fashioned bike race, which is my style,'' he said.
Taupiri's Geoffrey Burndred and Wellington's Joseph Cooper finished second and third respectively in 3hr58min15sec, while Rotorua's Paul Bishop rode home strongly in fifth position 30sec later.
''We had a tail wind in from Turangi, which wasn't so bad and things only got tough coming along the lake front,'' he said. ``I was pretty happy with that.''
Coming in just six minutes behind Yates, Wellington's Nadene Boyle won the women's section of the classic.
Boyle found the headwind tough going, but had a great race.
''[The wind] was so hard, I had to find lots of big men to hide behind. I was riding in a really supportive bunch, I had heaps of guys keeping an eye on me, signalling and saying'come on','' she said.
Also participating in the event were four of New Zealand's Olympic medallists, Sarah Ulmer, Hamish Carter, Bevan Docherty and Ben Fouhy, as well as Olympian and Tour de France rider Julian Dean.
Other well known participants included Paralympian Mark Inglis, multisporter Steve Gurney, World Superbike racer Aaron Slight and politicians Rod Donald, Mike Ward and Wayne Mapp.
The course was also covered by unicyclist Ken Looi, handcyclist Tom Scott and cycling writers the Kennett brothers, riding a collection of vintage bicyles.
The event, now in it's 28th year, is organised by Taupo Moana Rotary Club and Taupo-Nui-a-Tia College with all proceeds going to the wider community.
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