Yates backs up K2 win with Southland stage victory

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It was a day of contrasts as one of New Zealand's most experienced riders, Jeremy Yates, took a satisfying stage win while young Nelson rider Jack Bauer remained in orbit - and the race lead - on Guy Fawkes Day.

The 24-year-old from the Share The Road team dragged himself up the gruelling climb on the Crown Range near Arrowtown to retain the tour leader’s yellow jersey with three stages remaining.

At one stage Beijing Olympian Peter Latham (Team Bissell) had the yellow jersey on the road after he broke clear in a talented quartet of Jeremy Yates (Enterprise), Australian Ben King (Calder Stewart) and Auckland’s Aaron Strong (Ascot Park Hotel).

After stretching the group’s advantage to over 3:30 with 20km remaining, Yates pushed clear before pacing himself up the three kilometres of switch-backs on the Crown Range to claim a superb stage victory.

“This means a lot to me. I have had a lot harder road to get to this tour this year and so has the Enterprise team. It’s been a difficult road the whole way through for a variety of reasons,” said Yates.

“This is a special race for many reasons. I like anything with hills in it. It’s an awesome feeling today.”

Strong, with a pedigree in international mountain running, broke away from Latham on the climb to finish second, only three seconds behind. King of the mountains leader King was dropped near Arrowtown, leaving Latham to urge his weary body up the climb with the chase group edging closer.

With the yellow jersey in jeopardy, Bauer leapt out of that group to finish fourth, only 46 seconds behind Latham, to retain the yellow jersey by 25 seconds. Latham’s teammate Jeremy Vennell is third at 27 seconds with early tour leader Heath Blackgrove in ninth today after dropping nearly three minutes to the winner; he sits in fourth at 57 seconds.

Overall leader Bauer is delighted that he is starting to realise his potential but remains surprised in his ability on the hills.

“I didn’t feel I had the ability to get up the hills and climb with the likes of Heath and Vennell so I am stoked,” Bauer said.

“It’s been a long time coming and it’s great that it’s finally paying off. And I am fortunate to have a good team down here in share the Road to look after me and that’s what makes the tour what it is.”

Olympian Marc Ryan (ColourPlus) was 3:20 back in 18th today, which puts him in fifth overall, although he is expected to attack strongly tomorrow.

Zookeepers has just retained its lead in the team standings but is now just 15 seconds ahead of Bissell Pro Cycling with Subway Avanti third at 1:06.

Taupo junior Patrick Bevin (Ascot Park Hotel) rode strongly early to retain his lead in the sprint classification from James McCoy (Benchmark Homes), with King comfortably ahead in the battle for King of the Mountains.

How sweet it is…

It was a top day for Yates, who has overcome some hurdles to get to the start line and early in the race.

“The harder you have to work and the more you have to overcome then the sweeter it feels and we worked hard for this today.

“Coming into the tour I was aiming for GC but we had our chances limited on that first day and had a few more nails in the coffin on the stage from Tuatapere. Basically today was about a bit of redemption and get the Enterprise name out there again and my name on to the top step as well.

Latham said the initial plan was for him to launch team-mate Vennell for an attack on the Crown Range but found himself in the break and in a sniff of victory before his tank ran dry.

“We had eight of us and it quickly went down to four. It was a hard slog up the Devil’s Staircase into that wind,” Latham said. “We had a decent gap on to the climb but going up it the lights went out and I was just hanging on by a thread.

“I guess I was yellow on the road but when the peloton gets into action at the end they can just mow the small breakaway like we had down. We were giving it everything and Aaron and Jeremy are obviously very good climbers.

“I was hoping I could stay on the wheel for a bit longer on the climb but they just powered away and I was left to pick up the pieces.”

Latham said his US-based Team Bissell Pro Cycling, managed by former Tour of Southland winner Glen Mitchell, was well placed to attack over the final two days.

Tomorrow’s seventh stage is 164km from Winton to Te Anau before the riders make their way back to Invercargill in two final stages on Saturday.

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