Wollaston continues great start to year

Ally Wollaston continued her winning start to the New Year when she defended her title at Cycling New Zealand’s National Criterium Championships at Palmerston North.

Ally Wollaston crosses the finishing line first
Photo: Supplied

Wollaston dominated the sprint finish with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bryony Botha on a fast and challenging circuit around Massey University.

There was plenty for the locals to cheer about, with local Manawatu professional Luke Mudgway adding his name to a prestigious list of previous national champions, when he claimed the elite men’s honours.

Wollaston, who won the criterium at the WorldTour race at Tour Down Under in Adelaide last week, showed her sprinting qualities to pip Botha after dominating a small field in the elite women’s race.

National mountain bike cross country champion Sammi Maxwell pushed off the front early with Wollaston and Botha, who quickly put time into the rest of the field.

From there, the two training mates from Cycling New Zealand’s national track squad, pushed clear to open a one minute gap of the chasers. While Botha turned up the heat, Wollaston had too many wheels in the sprint finish.

“I really wanted to race aggressively. There were not too many of us out there so I wanted it to be a well-deserved win, so I am happy,” said Wollaston.

The men’s race was dominated by riders from the Bolton Equities Black Spoke team, who provided some early speed before the experienced James Fouche pushed clear.

“James ripped it up the final climb before Paul Wright and George Jackson took over and lead me out. I just had to open up at the end. The course suited a strong lead-out and I was lucky to have a team that was so strong and ripped it,” said Mudgway.

“I had heaps of family and friends were which was good. I don’t get to race in front of them very much, so it was nice. “

It is part of a back-to-the-future role for the former track rider, who has turned back to sprinting for the Black Spoke team.

“We didn’t really have a sprinter last year and our coaches suggested I should consider it. I’ve worked so hard and it is starting to pay dividends.”

There is no rest as Mudgway joins his Black Spoke team in Australia this week when they compete in a WorldTour race for the first time at the Cadel Evans Ocean Race.