Teenager Dylan Simpson and the prestigious 86-year-old Garthorne Cup he earned winning the tough Whanganui to Mangamahu and return road cycling race at the weekend.
Teenager Dylan Simpson and the prestigious 86-year-old Garthorne Cup he earned winning the tough Whanganui to Mangamahu and return road cycling race at the weekend.
Whanganui teenager Dylan Simpson earned himself a slice of history winning the tough road cycling race from Whanganui to Mangamahu and return on Saturday.
The 18-year-old's impressive ride won him the prestigious Garthorne Cup, a trophy raced for every year since 1932.
Simpson started off the scratch mark along withfive others and gave away up to a 25 minute handicap to the front group in the large field of riders competing over the testing 85km course.
As the riders crested the tough Reids Hill summit on the return journey it was the trio of Mike McRedmond,Wayne Butcher and Ashley Christie who started from the 16 minute mark that went over the top first followed by the remnants of that group and riders from the 8 minute mark. Chasing hard was Simpson and Shannon Whitlock who had broken clear of the other scratch riders.
On the small climb after Reids Hill, Simpson managed to shake off Whitlock and set about catching the front riders over the return journey which he duly did and finally caught the front trio with 2km remaining.
Simpson took the win and fastest time with a very impressive performance and claimed the 86-year-old trophy.
McRedmond placed second with Butcher third and Christie fourth. A large bunch finished closely behind, headed home by Darcy Forrester from another teenager in Kyle Hoskin and Adrian Pettit.
