CYCLING

Fall in the rain "gutting" for Kiwi cyclist Dion Smith

By Cycling New Zealand

UCI ROAD CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Day 5 Wrap
A slip on the greasy cobbled climb less than 2kms from the finish has cost New Zealand rider Dion Smith a top finish in the under-23 road race at the UCI World Championships in Virginia, USA today.

The 22 year old Smith, who had pushed into the leading group for the final climb on the cobbles on Libby Hill in downtown Richmond, was gutted after he fell with light rain making the surface treacherous.
The Auckland rider had been positioned well for a top result before several riders fell on the slippery surface.

“I knew I had to take it easy with the layer of water on the cobbles. When some riders came down inside me I had to evade them but the slightest reaction on that surface was enough and I came down,” Smith said.

“I hit my knee pretty hard on the bars and just couldn’t get going. Right now it is really gutting but I guess that is bike racing.”

Smith said he had positioned himself ideally and was confident he would have played a significant part in a push for medals.

“I was breathing well and my legs were good. I would have given it a real go. It is doubly disappointing because Hayden (McCormick) and James (Oram) had ridden me into a good position.”

Smith said the team plan was to keep in cover early in the race with McCormick and Oram to position Smith near the front of the race and in the top 10 going up Libby Hill for the final time.

It won’t be the final time that the trio ride together, having all signed for the new pro continental team of ONE Pro Cycling, a British-backed team that will race in Europe next year.

Earlier Auckland’s Hannah Gumbly was the best of the New Zealander riders in the junior women’s race, finishing in the second chase pack in 43^rd place.

The Australian junior road race winner pushed up to the peloton on the second of four laps in the 65km race. The pack split when three riders went off the front with Gumbley finding herself in the second half of the chasers, finally finishing 3:46 down on winner Chloe Dygert (USA).

Georgia Catterick was 53^rd just ahead of teammate Mikayla Harvey in 56^th.

Tomorrow Cambridge rider Sam Dobbs, Auckland’s James Fouche and Palmerston North’s Robert Stannard will compete in the junior men’s road race followed by new world time trial champion Linda Villumsen with Rushlee Buchanan and Jo Kiesanowski in the elite women’s race.

Both races are over 130kms with eight loops of the downtown circuit, with three climbs on each lap.

Results:
Under-23 Men Road Race, 165km: Kevin Ledanois (FRA) 3:54.45, 1; Simone Consonni (ITYA) same time, 2; Anthony Turgis (FRA) 3:54.47, 3. Also NZers:  James Oram at 1.25, 71; Dion Smith at 3.02, 85; Hayden McCormick at 11.48, 116.
Junior women, 65km: Chloe Dygert (USA) 1:42.16, 1; Emma White (USA) at1:23, 2; Agnieszka Skalniak (POL) at 1.28, 3. Also: New Zealanders: Hannah Gumbley at 3.43, 44; Georgia Catterick at7.17, 53; Mikayla Harvey at7:28, 56,
CAPTION: Dion Smith (left) follows a French rider up the cobbled climb during the under-23 men’s road race at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Richmond, Virginia today.
IMAGE CREDIT: Graham Watson.
Details: www.cyclingnewzealand.nz or www.uci.ch