CYCLING

Brad Evans races to share of stage win at Tour de Korea

By Aaron S Lee

New Zealander delivers Drapac their second stage win after finishing penultimate stage of Tour de Korea in a dead heat with British veteran Kristian House.



SEOUL—New Zealand cyclist Brad Evans (Drapac Pro Cycling) will most certainly remember his first professional win, even if it is one he will have to share with British veteran Kristian House (One Pro Cycling) after the two finished in a dead heat after 142.8km on stage 7 at the 2016 Tour de Korea (UCI 2.1) on Saturday, June 11.



The officials initially granted the photo finish to House, who crossed the line with head raised. But after a quick discussion, the ruling was reversed with Evans apparently spoiling what appeared to be One Pro Cycling’s fourth stage win of the week.

The 24-year-old from Otago recently signed with the Australian Pro Continental team last month after riding on the squad’s developmental team before being called up as a stagiaire late last year.

“I don’t care, I don’t care, my name is on the results in first and I am stoked,” said Evans upon hearing the initial verdict was reversed in his favour. “I will take it.”

Both Evans, who claimed the intermediate sprint bonus, and House chased down an initial four-man break to start the race. The group also consisted of Koreans Kun Soo Kim (KSPO) and Hajeon Jung (Seoul Cycling Team), along with Ireland’s Conor Dunne (JLT Condor) and New Zealand’s Fraser Gough (Avanti-IsoWhey Sport), who claimed the KOM on the category 3 climb 20km later.

“It was the first time to have an opportunity for myself and I was 100 percent making the most of it,” Evans told NZ Bike. “I was still being cautious because I knew we had a good sprinter behind me in Brenton Jones (AUS), but at the same time I really wanted to take my chance for a stage win.”

The share of the win gives Drapac its second of the eight-day race after Jones picked up his first win of the season on stage 4 to slip into the yellow leaders jersey for a day. House’s portion of the victory gives his British Pro Continental team its fourth of the week.

“It is what it is,” said the 36-year-old House, a former British national road race champion (2009). “On paper we get a record of the win.”

While still in support of his young 24-year-old rider, who was officially signed from the team’s development team last month, Drapac sports director Keith Flory was compliant with the commissaire’s call.

“The decision was made and it’s still a win for both riders, but it does take a bit of the shine away,” said Flory. “Brad feels firmly he crossed the line first and from the footage I’ve seen I would have to agree.

“Unfortunately the official overhead finish line camera was not working when the leaders crossed so there is no ‘conclusive’ proof to go by.”

A slow leak in the front tyre plagued Gough, who finished fifth.



“This week has been really up and down for me,” said Gough, who has been on a hiatus from racing for the past two months. “This race is just in time for our trip to Belgium, and I am starting to feel my legs again.”

There were no changes on general classification with Slovenian Grega Bole (Nippo-Vini Fantini) still in the yellow leaders jersey with only Sunday’s 65km road race remaining. However, Jones reclaims the blue points jersey over current white jersey holder Yevigeniy Gidich (Vino 4-ever SKO), who’s been in the white jersey since stage 4.

Aaron S. Lee is a pro cycling and triathlon journalist for Eurosport and contributor to NZ Bike.  ​
Image Credit: Daebong Kim.