Gordon drops to 39th after Stage 4

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

HORIZONTAL rain and strong winds made Stage 4 of the New Zealand Cycle Classic an ordeal for Gisborne’s Callum Gordon and most of the riders yesterday.

Gordon was part of the main peloton that finished nearly 20 minutes behind the winner of the 142-kilometre “Five Towns” stage, which took riders from Masterton to Carterton, Greytown, Featherston and to the finish line in Martinborough.

It ended with JLT Condor team rider Jonathan Mould winning a three-man sprint finish and recently crowned New Zealand road race champion Joseph Cooper (IsoWhey Sports Wellness) claiming the yellow jersey.

Gordon’s Team Skoda Racing also lost the under-23 age-group leader’s jersey. Alex West held it but Logan Griffin’s sixth placing in the stage meant the Oliver’s Real Food Racing team member claimed the jersey.

The stage started in drizzling rain and the weather soon deteriorated.

At one point, horizontal rain and fierce crosswinds blew riders across the road. Four riders abandoned the race.

Conditions also caused the peloton to fracture several times.

A lead group of nine split into three, which decided the top-three placings, Mould winning from Jordan Kerby, with Cooper third.

Gordon was officially 83rd. He came in with the main peloton, whose riders were 19 minutes 40 seconds behind the top three.

Cooper’s efforts brought him the yellow jersey as overall race leader, 36s ahead of Griffin, with New Zealand National Team member James Oram — the previous race leader — another second back.

Gordon is 39th overall, 24m 52s adrift of Cooper.

The classic finishes today with a 120km stage, comprising 12 laps of a 10-lap circuit on the outskirts of Masterton.