Lyttle picks up young rider award on Southland tour

Not even a puncture on the final stage could stop Masterton cyclist Scott Lyttle from winning the young rider's classification in the Tour of Southland which ended over the weekend.
Lyttle 22, admits to huge frustration when he puncutured just 40kms out from the finish, a situation which saw his 2min lead in the section for riders aged under-23yrs reduced to nothing.
Worse than that, by the time he was back on his bike his main adversary had established a handy break on him.
But despite the exhaustion born out by battling rain, snow and winds over the last three days of the five-day tour, Lyttle summoned up enough energy to mount a final assault which not only saw regain the lead but build a 55secs advantage over his nearest rival.
"I think I made up something like a minute in the last 12 kilometres?..I was pretty knackered at the end," he said.
Lyttle said he had gone into what was his third Southland tour with the objective of winning the young rider's section in the last year for which he would be eligible for it.
But after a season riding as an amateur in France where picked up a win and nine top 10 placings against quality competition he was also optimistic of doing well in the overall placings.
And he did that too, placing sixth overall, just 3mins 4secs down on winner, New Zealand representative Hayden Roulston.
Lyttle said that apart from his last day puncture the latest tour had gone pretty well according to plan.
Confident he would be competitive he had ridden more aggressively than in his previous attempts at the event and actually made it as high as third on general classification at one stage.
"I've probably been in better shape over the last year but I thought I was still good enough to have a decent shot at it," he said. " And I would have been a place or too higher overall but for that puncture - that was the low point for sure."
Lyttle said the adverse weather conditions had tested the resilience of the riders but it was something he had anticipated.
"It was pretty much typical of what you get in Southland?? there was a bit of everything over the five days," he said. "You have to be tough mentally, you can't let it wear you down."
Buoyed by his latest success Lyttle is now looking forward to two major events in January, the national road championships in the Hutt Valley and the Tour of Wellington.
Following that he may race in Australia before returning for another season in France where he hopes to further enhance his chances of turning professional in the not-too-distant future.
Lyttle knows that ambition won't be easily achieved though as places in professional teams are keenly sought and he is one of literally hundreds of riders keen to turn that dream into reality.
"It's all about getting noticed by placing consistently well in events which mean something," he said. "You've got to earn it the hard way, it's all about performance. You've got to make it happen, it won't come any other way."