Cycling: Gough completes national treble

TREBLE DELIVERED: Regan Gough deals with the media scrum. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

Hawke's Bay Olympian Regan Gough recovered from a puncture to complete a treble of national cycling titles for the summer yesterday.

Waipukurau's Gough, 20, won the under-23 169km road race at the national road race cycling championships in Napier two days after he won the 40km time trial in Taradale. In November he won the national criterium title in Auckland.

An Post-ChainReaction team rider Gough's titles were two of three won by Hawke's Bay riders during the last three days. On Saturday Mike Greer Homes rider Amanda Jamieson, who also hails from Waipukurau, won the 112km under-23 women's road race title.

However it was Gough's double which had tongues wagging the most at a crowded finish line on Napier's Marine Parade after yesterday's road race which was staged in hot and windy conditions. He punctured on the last climb of the demanding Napier Hill.

After a slick wheel change he emptied the tank to rejoin the bunch before regrouping and outsprinting Aucklander James Fouche on the line for the title.

Gough's time of 4hrs15m17s was one second faster than Fouche. Canterbury's Jack Marryatt was third, 9m48s behind Gough to complete the same trifecta as fans saw in the under-23 time trial.

With his victory Gough backed up the prediction made by his Hawke's Bay-based coach Ivar Hopman almost a fortnight out from the nationals.

"I was lucky to get back on and contest the finish. It was definitely a hard way to do it and definitely something I was not hoping I had to do.

"To get the double after the time trial, and even the criterium championships that I won in November, was a good way to kick things off for my new An Post team. It means a lot for me and a lot for the team and hopefully I've been able to impress them and they will be happy."

Next week Gough will travel to Berlin for a six-day tour with his team.

Jamieson managed to pip long-time leader Michaela Drummond of Manawatu to capture the first women's under-23 title. All six under-23 riders recorded the same time of 3hrs24m33s.

"That was so hard. I was cramping in my legs and it was so painful. I just had to push through the pain and give it everything I had. I'm so thrilled to get the title," Jamieson said.