The Tour of Southland has been described as New Zealand’s most prestigious race, with many of New Zealand’s greats going on to win on multiple occasions, leaving their mark on the tour and New Zealand cycling history. I decided to enter in March this year and can best describe the race as insane from to start and finish. It was the hardest race I have ever taken part in.
At 18 years old I was one of many under 19s making the step up into the elite category for 2020. Through the past few years as a junior, I have been involved with the Cycling New Zealand Performance Hub, starting with the Grassroots Trust Waikato BOP Hub in 2017 before moving down to Invercargill to join the SIT Southern Hub in 2018.
I have had the opportunity to be guided under multiple coaches within the Hub that have given me the strengths and mindset to be able to go into a race like this fully prepared with the little things like having equipment ready to go the night before racing starts, to the bigger skills like being able to push my way through a bunch and know where and how to conserve vital energy to make the most out of my racing experience.
Seven days of racing with over 900km covered at an average of over 40km/h, I knew that I would have to be smart within the bunch and be able to make good decisions on and off the bike in order to get the best out of myself during this tour.
The tour shows weaknesses in riders more than any other race in New Zealand with the brutal crosswinds and long stages. To add to the already strong New Zealand riders, many international riders as far as Switzerland join the start list, trying to join an even smaller group of tour winners.
This year I raced under the fluorescent orange colours of the SIS-Santini Western Australia team under the guidance of Glenn Te Raki and Mike Jensen.
On Sunday 3rd November, we kicked off with a 4km prologue around Queens Park. Being the only track rider in the team, I started out of the blocks to get us up to speed before lapping off and hanging on. We finished off in 11th, an indication of how high the level of racing in this tour would be and how the next week would play out.
Stage One from Invercargill to Lumsden had a brutal crosswind and a lot of mistakes occurred. We ended up with two riders down from our team and one out of the tour. I managed to keep myself protected and safe to make my way in to finish my first stage of the tour.
The testing conditions continued in Stage Two from Riverton to Te Anau with rain battering the peloton for three hours before reaching the finish. Receiving a fresh crayfish lightened the mood right back up again.
Stage Three to Coronet Peak was a stage for the climbers, but that wasn’t going to deter me from having a go. I attacked from the gun but got pulled back before we got to the main road which was disappointing but it allowed me to go back into my domestique role, fetching bottles and making sure our climber was set for the day. Unfortunately a spill at the bottom of the climb and a broken wheel for our climber meant giving up my wheel to make sure he could still get the best climb in he could.
The next two stages were controlled by the leaders and my job was to help our sprinter get into a good move for stage five to Gore. With a good amount of team work and self drive he moved himself into the front group and finished 2nd on the stage.
For the 14km TT for stage six, I was determined to get a good personal result as with my track background I knew I could put out the power and skill around the course. I got around in 17 minutes and 37 seconds, and produced the best ride I could have on the day, finishing up in 23rd. It was exciting looking at the names who where ahead of me and being my first tour, I know I have a lot more years to get the result I want.
Rolling into the final kilometre of my first tour with the bunch, I was able to reflect on what a week it had been and all the learnings I had taken out off it, what I can take into my Hub training to better myself, and come back even fitter and stronger next year.