McIlroy, Hollamby consolidate position at head of Pioneer race

THE team of Kate McIlroy and Amy Hollamby has made an early claim in the Pioneer race after stage two around Queenstown yesterday.

The riders enjoyed a 69km loop around Queenstown and McIlroy and Hollamby made it backtoback stage wins, firming their early grip on the overall classification in the open women’s category.

The New Zealand combination won the stage by more than five minutes yesterday, extending their general classification lead to nearly 10 minutes.

Hollamby said the pressure was on from the starting gun out of the Ice Arena at Queenstown.

‘‘The road guys on the front were smashing really hard.

‘‘I was thankful for the road work I have been doing this year to have that topend speed, that is for sure,’’ she said.

McIlroy was typically honest in her assessment of a day she thoroughly enjoyed, but one that still had its challenges.

‘‘I had a few little falls on the bike at the beginning. I was on my side flapping around and then the last few kilometres we came down a really steep descent and across a river. I should have bought my running shoes!’’

In the open men’s category, the Europeans showed they will be a genuine threat, with Sebastien Carabin (Belgium) and Ismael Ventura Sanchez (Spain) taking the stage by 1min 46sec from prologue winners Tim Rush and Michael Vink.

‘‘For a long time we were riding with the leading group, but when we got to the first single track we made good time. We are fast in this type of terrain so we made good time there,’’ Ventura Sanchez said.

Rush was full of admiration for the skill of the Europeans.

‘‘It was very impressive to watch them. They got away around Moonlight Trail and just kept that gap. We were catching up on some fourwheeldrive hills and rolling stuff, but as soon as they got out of sight on the single track, they were gone.’’

Rush and Vink still lead, 2min 26sec ahead of the first day’s stage winners, with South Africans Alan Gordon and Timothy Hammond moving into third, 18min down.

Defending champions James Williamson and Scott Lyttle lost almost 17min to the stage winners.

In the mixed category, defending champions Queenstown riders Mark Williams and Kate Fluker moved to the front of the race with a superb ride on trails they know well.

The event is based around Molyneux Park for the next two nights with today’s track comprising 101km and 2664m of climbing.