Sun, 08 Nov 2009 5:33p.m.
By Dave Goosselink
One hundred and twenty-five cyclists started the tour of Southland, but only 94 managed to finish this year.
Heath Blackgrove won the yellow jersey, but not everyone was chasing yellow.
The drama started on day one - almost 50 cyclists going down in the biggest crash in the tour's history. Another left veteran Gordon McCauley with cracked ribs and needing new wheels. It also forced defending champion Hayden Roulston out of the tour injured.
"It opens up the door for others, but you never want to see someone go out like that," says competitor Jack Bauer.
Peter Latham crashed midweek, but got back on his bike to ride into contention for the yellow jersey.
But tour winner Blackgrove had the stamina, his Zookeepers team also topping the table.
"In the end we had the strongest team, and I mean, they rode me into the yellow," says Blackgrove.
Green was the preferred colour for sprint ace Patrick Bevin, capping a year in which he won three road titles.
"Junior road race of New Zealand, Australia, and Oceania was quite cool," he says. "It was something that probably hasn't been done before and will be a while before it's repeated."
Newbie Tom Findlay hung with the veterans to finish third overall, winning the pink jersey as under-23 leader.
"Just to be up there with all the pros, learn heaps, just take it in and use it," says Findlay.
He was happy to have survived his first tour - others weren't so lucky.
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