CYCLING: Dashing Dan does it again

Anendra Singh
Ask Hawke's Bay cycling's Mr Fixit - Dan Warren - what is his secret to finishing in the top-three spot for more than a month, he replies: "The Pain Train, mate".
The 24-year-old bicycle mechanic, who works for former Olympic rider Rob Oliver at The Hub, yesterday outsprinted his rivals to clinch the Tour de Beautiful 100km race in Central Hawke's Bay.
Starting at Central Hawke's Bay College, Waipukurau, in a field of 143 riders, including 17 females, Warren tamed the new course that took in the picturesque Wanstead Hill and the meandering Blackhead Road turnoff stretch through Porangahau to clock 2hr 37min 28sec.
Organisers took the new route to the fun ride after failing to secure a permit in time for the usual route from Waipukurau to Waipawa and Otane that also staged 50km and 10km races for a field of 390 registered riders in total.
The hills were relentless and just kept coming, and the cross-winds on the way back were adding to the problems on a hot day, Warren said. Westley Gough had a strong ride and was always threatening to run away.
Napier's Robert Collins was second, Josh Brannigan third and Waipukurau's defending champion, Gough, fourth.
The CHB rider paid the price for breaking away too early in the final sprint, leaving the five-rider bunch about 700m from the finish with Collins hot on his heels. However, a wily Warren made his move with 150m to go to zip past the puffing pair.
A jubilant Warren, who made a habit of securing a top-three placing in all the Ramblers races in the past month before Christmas, said: "A few months ago about two to three of us (now 15-20) started what we call the 'Pain Train' from The Hub on Tuesday nights.
"It's a gruelling 60km workout at Tukituki that hardens us up."
Warren said the fun ride was a great preparation for this weekend's Quality Autos Tour (formerly Stortford Open) to be raced over more than 200km at Puketapu and Onekawa on Saturday, and Te Mata Peak and Tukituki on Sunday.
In the 100km race, Napier's Jill Beaver (2hr 51min 36sec) was the first female home followed by Havelock North's Shona Brown and Susan Tunnicliff.
In the 50km race, Ian Clark, of Napier, outpaced Havelock North's champion time-triallist Kerry Harford to take line honours.
With 52 females in a field of 161, Havelock's Julie Williams (1hr 21min 27sec) was the first female home, pipping Napier's Anneka Edmondson by 14 seconds. Havelock's Gemma Newland was 10min 28sec behind the leader.
It was pretty much a Gough affair in the 10km competition of 71 cyclists. Eleven-year-old Fraser Gough, of Havelock, clocked 18min 50sec to grind down Hastings rider Ryan Clare by 2min 28sec. Gough's elder sister, Anna, 14, cut the chalk in 22min 7sec to finish 1min 4sec ahead of Faline Drummond, of Waipawa.
Tour organiser Thomas Ekholm, of Waipukurau, gave the thumbs up to the new circuit, saying ambulance staff had a work-free day.
"No locals got first place in any races but we won the raffle."