Cycling: Team's tactics score Flyer clean sweep

Team tactics were the contributing factor in an Auckland clean sweep at this year's Taupo to Rotorua 100k Flyer.

Auckland cyclist Sam Lindsay was the clear winner for the 13th Taupo to Rotorua 100k Flyer at the weekend.

More than 200 spectators lined Fenton St, Rotorua to watch the 21-year-old rider make history as the first rider to win the race after the course was reversed for the first time in the event's history.

More than 1500 cyclists took part in the event which started at the Taupo Events Centre and finished in Rotorua.

Thanks to a favourable tail wind and team tactics, Lindsay crossed the line in a starter gun time of 2:20:53.8 followed by fellow Aucklander Louis Crosby 2:21:05.6 and Lindsay's Nature Valley team-mate Jared Holmes in 2:21:06.1.

Lindsay, competing for the first time in the event, said he owed a lot of his win to his team-mate, who made a break 5km from the finish.

"It was me and Jared - we were sort of playing it together a little bit," he said.

"So he went off the front and as soon as the group caught him, I pretty much just went straight away, sort of tired them out a bit so I got a good gap."

With a tail wind for the start of the race Lindsay said the pace was pretty quick for the first half of the race which set him up nicely for the steeper second half of the race.

Lindsay said he enjoyed the race and was considering returning for next year's event.

The first Rotorua rider home was Ben McHale, who was fourth in a time of 2:21:06.3. The 28-year-old applauded the Nature Valley team's tactics.

"Unfortunately it wasn't my team. Once Sam got away it was pretty hard to chase with a couple of the other guys urging him on, to keep out there. So it made for a tough chase."

McHale said he enjoyed the reverse course which made it more of a tactical race.

"It was awesome, that definitely suits me a lot better. It was pretty fast at the start and we actually made a break in the first 5 or 10km, just out of Taupo.

"Once you hit the hills by Waiotapu, it was really quite nice. You got to open things up and it really favoured the climbers, the strength riders over the sprinters."

The Rotorua rider said he'd like to see the race alternate every year to give it an extra edge.

"It will give something for the sprinters and give something for the climbers. But I really do hope they keep that course because I loved it."

Hastings rider Josh Page rounded off the top five, finishing in a time of 2:21:07.1.

Rotorua's next rider home was Aaron Perry who was 12th in a gun time of 2:24:02.3. Saul Webb was Rotorua's third rider home finishing 16th in 2:28:40.6.

The first woman home was Tokoroa rider Karyn Brown in a time of 2:29:28.8.