SUBWAY® Pro Cycling’s Hubbard dedicates Benchmark win to grandfather

11 September 2011                       

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SUBWAY® Pro Cycling’s Tom Hubbard made it two from two with a win in the second round of the Benchmark Homes Tour in Timaru today, and dedicated the result to his grandfather who recently passed away.

SUBWAY® Pro Cycling’s Sam Horgan won the opening race in Nelson and the SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team was focused on keeping the tour series leader’s jersey and its lead in the team’s classification.

Racing was on a tough circuit riders completed three times after a shorter opening circuit with the number of climbs gradually taking its toll on the field.

After several failed breakaway attempts the winning move was made as the final lap of the 120 kilometre race got underway. It contained SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team mates Paul Odlin and Hubbard, James Early from the Benchmark Homes Cycling Team and L & M Group Racing’s Brendon Sharratt.

The group worked hard at holding off the chasing bunch that had been whittled down to 30 riders until Hubbard attacked on the final climb to win in two hours, 41 minutes and 44 seconds. Early beat Sharratt to the line to take second, nine seconds after Hubbard.

“The team did a super job at the front all day today, and I honoured my race plan” Hubbard said.

“It was helpful to have two Subway (Pro Cycling Team) riders in the winning move, and I was worried the bunch was catching us at the end but it was a great result for me and the team today. My grandfather was a huge supporter of my racing and he passed away a couple of weeks ago; today’s win was also for him.”

Hubbard also claimed the lead in the Benchmark Tour Under 23 riders classification. Horgan came in fifth with the rest of the SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team all comfortably in the leading bunch, job done.

“It was a great result all round,” SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team General Manager Hayden Godfrey said.

“We stuck to the plan and kept the leaders jersey in the team and also increased our lead in the teams competition.”

Round three of the Benchmark Homes Series is on October 8th.
Photo caption: Tom Hubbard leads teammate Ian Smallman in today’s racing.
Photo credit: Megan Ellis

Notes:

• The Subway Pro Cycling Team was New Zealand’s first professional cycling team, established six years ago.
• It has been registered as a UCI Continental team since early 2009 with a successful track record of racing in New Zealand, Asia and the United States.

www.subwaycycling.co.nz

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SUBWAY Pro Cycling team dominate Benchmark opener

Sam Horgan had his biggest win racing for the SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team as the team dominated the opening round of the Benchmark Homes Tour near Nelson on Saturday.

Horgan won the 130 kilometre race in three hours, twelve minutes and sixteen seconds, 14 seconds ahead of team mate Ian Smallman. SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team riders also filled fifth, sixth and seventh positions resulting in the team comfortably winning the teams classification.

“The win means a lot to me as it’s my fifth year doing the (Benchmark) series after starting out as a real novice rider,” Horgan said.

“It’s great to finally pay back the faith my sponsors have in me. It’s my biggest win with SUBWAY® Pro Cycling. Ian took second but deserved the win just as much as I did; he was just so strong.”

Seventy two riders from 12 teams started the day on two laps of a tough hilly Upper Moutere course. The field threatened to split several times on the first lap until Horgan and Smallman counter attacked after a strong break by SUBWAY® Pro Cycling’s Jason Allen was caught.

Horgan and Smallman quickly established what was to be the winning move with Hamish Schreurs from the Benchmark Homes team. The three riders were joined by Darcy Ellerm-Norton (Team Cycleworkz) and Tom Francis (L & M Group Racing) and continued to build a lead over the chasing peloton that had split into several groups.

As the leaders hit the race’s major climb up Neudrof Saddle for the second time the gap was three minutes. Approaching the final 10 kilometres Smallman hit the leaders with a strong surge on the final climb of the day which allowed Horgan to attack off the front and use his time trialling skills to solo to the win over the last five kilometres. 

Photo credit: David Letsche – CyclingPhotos.co.nz

Notes: http://www.subwaycycling.co.nz/

• Horgan 3:12:16, 1; Smallman 3:12:30, 2; Schreurs 3:12:57, 3; Thomas Nicholson (Tasman Wheelers) 3:13:00; 4, Tom Hubbard 3:13:24, 5; Nick Lovegrove 3:13:24, 6; Paul Odlin 3:13:43, 7; Tayla Harrison (Benchmark Homes) 3:14:06, 8.
• The Subway Pro Cycling Team was New Zealand’s first professional cycling team, established six years ago.
• It has been registered as a UCI Continental team since early 2009 with a successful track record of racing in New Zealand, Asia and the United States.

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