Olympian Has Yellow Jersey at Tour of Southland

30-10-16 - Rio Olympian Regan Gough will wear the yellow jersey for the opening stage of the 2016 SBS Bank Tour of Southland.

The 2015 world team pursuit champion and his Mike Greer Homes team mates Jason Allen, Sam Horgan, Tim Rush, Michael Vink and Ben Johnstone took out this afternoon’s 4km team trial prologue around Invercargill’s Queens Park to make an early statement in the 60th anniversary of New Zealand’s most prestigious stage race.

“It was good to come away with it, we probably weren’t the best team on paper so to do that we were all stoked,” Gough said.

“We ummed and ahhed – it is quite hard being in the yellow jersey in the first stage and you have a lot of responsibility put on your shoulders for not much (reward).”

A transponder issue meant that the prologue was unofficially claimed by the Kia Motors-Ascot Park Hotel team, who eventually had to settle for second place on the same time, while the Barry Stewart Builders team was third, seven seconds in arrears.

Gough said changes to this year’s race, with the major climbs of Coronet Peak and Bluff Hill in the middle of the week, would make for plenty of interesting racing.

“It’s definitely going to be a tough tour this year, tomorrow and then up to Te Anau, Coronet and Bluff – the weather will play a huge part in how everything unfolds.”

Tomorrow’s opening stage is a 170km beat starting in Invercargill and travelling through western and northern Southland before finishing in Lumsden.

The 2016 SBS Bank Tour of Southland runs from October 30 to November 5.

SBS Tour of Southland

Results from the 1st stage of the SBS Tour of Southland.

Lap of Queens Park

1. Regan Gough (MGH) 04m46s; 2. Michael Vink (MGH) ST; 3. Ben Johnstone (MGH) ST; 4. Sam

Horgan (MGH) ST; 5. Travis McCabe (USA) (KAP) ST; 6. Ryan Thomas (KAP) ST; 7. Taylor Gunman

(KAP) ST; 8. Steven Lampier (GBR) (KAP) ST; 9. Fraser Gough (KAP) at 03s; 10. Alex Frame (KAP)

at 05s; 11. Luke Mudgway (BSB) at 07s; 12. Drew Morey (AUS) (BSB) at 07s; 13. Alex West (TSR) at

08s; 14. Callum Gordon (TSR) at 08s; 15. Joel Yates (TSR) at 08s; 16. Tom Sexton (PMK) at 09s; 17.

Hayden Roulston (PMK) at 09s; 18. Nick Kergozou (BSB) at 07s; 19. Morgan Smith (BSB) at 07s; 20.

Fraser Hewett (PMK) at 09s; 21. Sam Phipps (TSR) at 08s; 22. Ethan Batt (TSR) at 08s; 23. Roman

Van Uden (PNL) at 08s; 24. Alex Heaney (PNL) at 08s; 25. Nicholas Reddish (ORF) at 08s;

Overall Standings

1. Regan Gough (MGH) 04m46s; 2. Michael Vink (MGH) ST; 3. Ben Johnstone (MGH) ST; 4. Sam

Horgan (MGH) ST; 5. Travis McCabe (USA) (KAP) ST; 6. Ryan Thomas (KAP) ST; 7. Taylor Gunman

(KAP) ST; 8. Steven Lampier (GBR) (KAP) ST; 9. Fraser Gough (KAP) at 03s; 10. Alex Frame (KAP)

at 05s; 11. Luke Mudgway (BSB) at 07s; 12. Drew Morey (AUS) (BSB) at 07s; 13. Nick Kergozou

(BSB) at 07s; 14. Morgan Smith (BSB) at 07s; 15. Alex West (TSR) at 08s; 16. Callum Gordon (TSR)

at 08s; 17. Joel Yates (TSR) at 08s; 18. Sam Phipps (TSR) at 08s; 19. Ethan Batt (TSR) at 08s; 20.

Roman Van Uden (PNL) at 08s; 21. Alex Heaney (PNL) at 08s; 22. Nicholas Reddish (ORF) at 08s;

23. Ryan Christensen (ORF) at 08s; 24. Ryan Wills (PNL) at 08s; 25. Matt Zenovich (PNL) at 08s;

Team Overall

1. Mike Greer Homes 14m18s; 2. Kia Motors - Ascot Park Hotel ST; 3. Barry Stewart Builders at 21s;

4. Team Skoda Racing at 24s; 5. PowerNet at 24s; 6. Olivers Real Food Racing at 24s; 7.

Placemakers at 27s; 8. Tineli Performance Bikewear at 30s; 9. Creation Signs - L&M Group Ricoh at

33s; 10. Vantage Windows & Doors at 42s;

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