Cromwell – Queenstown Easter Tour 2006
17/04/2006

by Gavin Povey

This year only Jason Kelly and I from Ramblers travelled south for the annual Cromwell – Queenstown Easter Tour. Both of us competed in the B grade which comprised 27 riders, including some very good South Islander’s whom we’d never heard of. The event consisted of a prologue, a time trial and five road stages based in the Cromwell, Queenstown and, for the first time, in the Te Anau and Manapouri districts, so we weren’t sure what all of the course was like.

In all the times I have travelled to this event, there have been threatening weather warnings of gales and snow, but for the first time this year none of this eventuated. I even got by without wearing four layers of cycle clothing and thermal gloves to keep warm!

The Kelly’s and myself arrived in Cromwell very late on Thursday night before Easter under trying circumstances, and after hopping on the ferry and driving for at least 9 hours basically non stop from Picton – what a day. Luckily the racing did not start till late in the afternoon on Good Friday so we had plenty of time to recover and get ready.

Good Friday - Prologue – Cromwell to Bannockburn Pub: 5km
After the briefing before the event, I recognised very few names on the start list and there were only a handful on this list who took part last year, so we had very little idea of how we would get on. The prologue stage involved a flat four and a half kilometres before a steep climb of about 500m to finish outside the Bannockburn Pub just south of Cromwell. The conditions at the start were a lot more favourable than in previous years with a very slight tail cross wind and not far off 18 degrees or so and sunny – the first time I didn’t need to wear a thermal at this event! We both started towards the end of the B grade field and we nearly missed both our starts after a few guys ahead of us missed their starts and then the organisers decided to move our times forward! Luckily we were within earshot of the start at the time. I caught the guy who started in front of me up the final climb which I was happy with and finished over 30 seconds faster than what I did last year in a time of 7min 51s. Jason, who had been ill over the past few weeks and was still not 100%, made the start and finished 1 second ahead of me. We both thought that was good enough to be near the top, but after the stage at the pub looking at the results, discovered we had only got 10th and 11th and finished 29 and 30 seconds respectively behind the B grade winner Nick King from Invercargill.

Easter Saturday - Stage 1 - Remarkables Ski Field Entrance to Five Rivers: 83km
This Saturday morning stage was a rolling one where there were plenty of attacking opportunities available. The stage followed Lake Wakatipu south on the Invercargill road and finished a few kilometres after cresting the summit of Jollies Pass at Five Rivers. The bunch was pretty quiet for the first few kilometres and then I decided to make a move and try to establish a breakaway group. Only one other guy came across and we worked together for a good 6 or 7km or so through the rolling sections, until the group gradually hauled us back. Once passed Kingston, I tried again after a short sharp climb and again only one other guy came across who was going for the sprint a couple of k’s up the road at Fairlight. I let him take the sprint as I was interested only in GC so got 2nd in the Sprint ace for the stage. Both of us worked pretty well and the commissaire’s car came up to us and said we were a minute ahead meaning I was in the virtual yellow jersey. Unfortunately the main peleton, which included the yellow jersey, chased us down and caught us through Athol just before the ascent of the pass and after spending 15 – 20 km’s or more out front. KOM points were on offer at the top of the Jollies Pass and the peleton split half way up the climb leaving myself and 6 others to fight out for the points which included the yellow jersey. Jason unfortunately missed the split and finished in 17th at 1min 31s behind by the finish. I ended up getting 7th in the stage. This moved me up to 7th on GC while Jason slipped to 23rd place.

Easter Saturday - Stage 2 - Five Rivers to Manapouri: 78km
The rain began falling at the beginning of the stage but luckily only lasted about half an hour before clearing up a little. This stage had predominantly false flats with the KOM climb being half way through the stage at Gorge Hill, with the sprint prime only being 15km or so in to the stage. After my efforts in the morning, I thought better to save some energy for the time trial on Sunday morning. Apart from the sprint, the KOM climb, and the last few k’s, the pace was quite sedate. Many attacks were attempted after the KOM but the bunch was not letting any one go. It ended up being a bunch gallop with myself taking 6th and Jason finishing comfortably in the peleton after a hard morning stage.

Easter Sunday - Stage 3 – Manapouri to Te Anau: 19km Individual Time Trial
This was one of the key stages of the Tour and the gaps would open up in GC. Sunday morning dawned overcast and very cool. The course was a very fast one with false flats which started beside the Lake at Manapouri and finished on the outskirts of Te Anau. Jason made up a bit of lost time on this stage and finished 7th in the stage in a time of 28min 25secs but over two minutes slower than the B grade winner! Nick King, the B grade stage winner, would in fact have got 2nd in A grade! I did not have the greatest time trial and completed it in 29min51secs after being passed in the last three k’s by the KOM leader. Jason moved up to 15th on GC for the stage while I slipped a few places to 13th and only four seconds ahead of Jason.

Easter Sunday - Stage 4 – Te Anau to Five Rivers: 80km
After rushing through Te Anau trying to find the start line on the Milford Road, we headed back on the same road as yesterday to Five Rivers. Again Gorge Hill was the KOM but it was a lot harder coming up it from this side as we discovered. A couple of guys got a healthy lead of over 2 minutes approaching this climb and we thought the yellow jersey would start getting agitated. But, the peleton was content to cruise in the meantime. However, once we made it past the KOM and on to the false flat descents, the chase began and we were constantly doing between 50 and 60k per hour chasing the break down. It took a good 10k or so of this before we caught them. Approaching the last 5k or so of the stage, another two guys snuck off the front up the false flats to the finish and gained just over 30 seconds on yellow. I had a good sprint and finished third in the peleton for fifth in the stage moving to 10th on GC, while Jason had a much better day, finishing again comfortably in the middle of the pack and moving up to 12th.

Easter Monday - Stage 5 – Fernhill, Queenstown to Glenorchy: 47km
Easter Monday was the final day of the Tour and during the night it bucketed down cats, dogs and all. Luckily it had cleared up by morning but the roads were still very damp and slippery. This was the hardest day of the Tour to date with several hill climbs along the way but was the easier of the day’s stages. The peleton managed to drop a handful of riders on the way to Glenorchy. I was good today and got 3rd on the KOM climb. Towards the end of the stage, Leigh Chapman rode off the front with about 5kms to go to take the stage win. The remainder of the peleton finished in a bunch sprint with myself taking 3rd for 4th place in the stage and some guaranteed prize money at last. Jason was getting stronger and again finished within the main bunch. I moved up again to 9th overall, just one place out of the GC prizes, while Jason moved up to 14th.

Easter Monday -Stage 6 – Glenorchy to Mote Lake Road, Queenstown: 44km
This stage will always be one that I’ll remember. Back in 2003 I won the C grade at the top of the final climb here. I was hoping to make up at least a few more GC places today. The peleton started the stage pretty quietly on the flats and an early breakaway got away which was not caught until up the final climb. However, once we got back in to the hills, it was all on. The main KOM climb was the longest of the stage and the bunch splintered up there. I was again with the first group of about seven but Jason missed the split. However, our group eased up down the other side so Jason and a few others got back on again. Before the final ascent, there is a longish steep climb which put the bunch under pressure. The KOM leader was putting the acid on and I could see yellow was not having the best day. I held the wheel of the KOM guy across the top of this one with a handful of the rest including yellow not far behind. We again got back together on the descent with about eight of us left. Jason unfortunately did not bridge the gap this time but was not far behind. Once we hit the bottom of Mote Lake Road, with the steep switchbacks equivalent to Bluff Hill, the KOM leader got on the front and lead all the way to the line for a deserved win. The yellow jersey fell off the pace about the same time I did near the top of the hairpins before the road levels out somewhat with about 1km to go. I couldn’t get yellow off my wheel before the line and he outsprinted me at the end. I ended up finishing 7th for the stage and moved up into GC prize money with 7th overall @ 4min 11secs. Jason finished about 1min 30secs behind me but climbed into 11th overall @ 5min 51secs. The story of the last stage though was that Nick lost yellow on that last climb by only 13 seconds to David Plew from Christchurch. Again, a reminder how crucial that last climb can be.

Once again the Tour was a great one to ride in with pleasant weather conditions for a change. Allan Dunn, the organiser, once again invites more Ramblers to go down and race in the Deep South at Easter next year which is April 06th – 09th.