Locals steal the show

CHASER: Keira Brennan chased all day to nab the runner-up spot in the primary grade on home turf at the weekend.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO

Skaters from all around the country contested the sixth running of the St John's Club Rivercity Speed Skating Tour last weekend, but it was the locals who largely stole the show.

Whanganui's Andrew Jones took the premier men's title from Timaru's rising young star Jan-Hendrik Kuepper. Jones won four of the tour's eight stages including the signature event, the Keown Honda 666m Time Trial at Mitre 10 Mega.

Kuepper won three stages and third place finisher overall Tuata Reweti-Migo of Manawatu picked up the 500m race at Kowhai Park. Jones' young teammate Eden Smith was fourth overall and picked up two second places, one the 4800m race courtesy of a brave start-to-finish leadout by Jones.

The premier ladies class was dominated by Whanganui's Rebecca Smith. The first two stages at Jubilee Stadium fell to Valley In Line's flat track specialist Georgia Hurley but after that Smith proved to have too much power and experience for her rivals, winning the remaining six tour stages which included the Creative Aluminum-sponsored 666m time trial. Timaru's Leah McDonald was a consistent second overall from her injury-plagued teammate Tyla Smith with Hurley fourth. Timaru youngster Ariana Snook was impressive in two of the longest races of the tour, finishing a strong second to Smith in the 4800m at Mitre 10 and the 5km points at Kowhai Park. Whanganui's Melissa White contested Sunday's stages and picked up a second place in the 10km elimination.

The ladies B class had a small field but featured some of the best racing as Whanganui's Renee Teers and Timaru's class acts Jazmyn McAuley and Ella Benson went at it from start to finish. McAuley bolted to an early lead by winning the opening indoor time trial and 400m race but Teers came back by winning the longer indoor race and at Mitre 10 hauled back a last lap 10m deficit to pip McAuley for another win. Teers very nearly won the combined men and ladies B 5km elimination race, finishing second outright and first woman home. However, McAuley bagged the 500m and 666m TT so the pair entered the last 3km race with only a point separating them. McAuley made an early break and Teers could only hang on for second overall with Benson third. The rematch between the trio should be a highlight of the national championships in four weeks.

The men's B grade was won by Hadley Beech of Valley In Line from Timaru's Keaton Swindells who picked up two stage wins. Hamilton's Campbell Mc Robbie and Wellington based Aryan Sanghvi of the South Canterbury club tied on points, with McRobbie taking third overall by dint of a higher special stage placing.

The juvenile boys grade was the predicted scrap between the Whanganui club skaters with Drew Brennan and Chase Morpeth winning four stages each. In the end the difference was an uncharacteristically poor 500m heat by Morpeth that saw him miss the final and hand the tour jersey to Brennan. Behind them Trent James and Sean Sullivan cultivated a growing rivalry with James, consistently holding off Sullivan for third, but Sullivan taking a great second in the 500m to keep things close.

Caitlin Fergusson defended her juvenile girls title with a clean sweep of the tour but was on occasions pushed hard by Nelson's second placed Lydia Stack. Amy Baird of Timaru, Ocean Wooley Manawatu and Jasmine Beech of Valley Inline battled for third with Baird coming out on top. Whanganui newcomers Cassandra Bonica and Keira Hodgson spent the tour trading places to finish 6th and 7th respectively, with both showing future potential.

The primary class was a great battle with Whanganui's Lucas Hodgson taking six stage wins but chased all the way by determined teammate Keria Brennan and a dogged Micky Zhang was third overall. The masters class saw close racing between Manawatu's Tony Migo, Hamilton's Mark Brill and Whanganui's Johnmen Zhang with Migo taking three stage wins and the others two apiece. Ultimately Migo triumphed by two points from Brill and Zhang 15 points adrift in third.

Whanganui host the national championships over New Year with the road nationals at Kowhai Park, track at Jubilee Stadium and marathon around Cemetery Circuit.