Cycling: Tyre separates bosom buddies

HEADS DOWN: Luke Mudgway pips Regan Gough by a millisecond to the finish line. PHOTO/Don Kennedy

IF you ask coach Ivar Hopman he'll tell you there was "hardly anything in it - nothing more than a tyre width".

That's all that separated bosom buddies Luke Mudgway and Regan Gough after the former crossed the line first to claim the Tour of the Bay crown on Saturday in the open men's 100km ride around Havelock North.

"It was really close. Two people were stationed on either side of the finish line with electronic timers and I was one of them," said Hopman who coaches Olympian Gough.

The pair clocked 2h 33m 25s so electronic chips and video footage as back up were employed to decide a winner.

"Luke came out of the corner first so Regan had to come from behind and he did manage to come next to him but he couldn't throw his bike across the line," Hopman said, revealing Mudgway had done the same to Gough in 2014 national junior road race in Cambridge.

"Luke's an amazing sprinter so it was tyre width there, too."

Mudgway, who is based in Manawatu, and Gough, of Waipukurau, were friends from their early teens in Central Hawke's Bay and the Ramblers Cycling Club pair went on to become maddison junior track world champions.

So if Mudgway has got the wood on Gough what is Hopman's advice to his protege?

"Regan has other strengths so he shouldn't let it come down to a sprint finish.

"He needs to drop Luke before and not let it drag out to the finish line. Reagn should have got rid of him about 20km earlier but Luke is a very tough competitor."

Hopman said Mudgway was fresh out of the Tour of China where he had won the third stage and finished third overall in general classification three weeks ago whereas Gough's energy was channelled towards the track.

Mudgway competed in Masterton and Gough in Hamilton yesterday as the pair prepared for the Tour of Southland.

Kirsty McCallum, of Havleock North, won the women's 100km title. Hopman said the Waikato series rider for Ramblers finished a second ahead of Amanda Jamieson, of Waipuk, who also finished a second ahead of Nat Kerwin, of Napier.

"It's great to see Kirsty getting stronger in every race."

His riders, unrelated Max Williams (Havelock North) and Jono Williams ( Haumoana ) also had a tyre-width finish in the 50km race.

In the women's equivalent, Laura Bickers beat Tracey Chatterton by three minutes in the battle of Napier riders.