Nelson's Serena Sheridan continued her outstanding form to win the women's road race at the club national road cycling championships in Wanganui today.
She had to hold off the challenges from Emma Crum and Lauren Ellis, both in their first year in the senior division, to claim the title in the 124km race around a testing circuit in challenging conditions.
Sheridan, who assumed pre-race favouritism after the scratching of Aucklander Kaytee Boyd, did not chase the early break by Southland's Dale Tye.
But she later joined Kapiti's Crum and Tinwald's Ellis to go clear of the final lap after Tye drifted back.
Ellis was dropped on the last climb and while Sheridan managed to control the sprint, Crum pushed her all the way, finishing 20m behind.
The win continues Sheridan's fine form, building on her international experience this year and her recent win in the national points series event at Napier.
Crum, who was third in her senior debut at the Oceania championships last year in Invercargill, showed she is a talent for the future as is Ellis, a medallist at the world junior track championships in 2007.
Taranaki's Tom Findlay edged out Nelson's George Bennett to claim the honours in the men's under-19 race in a superb finish.
Findlay attacked with 15km remaining but was caught by Bennett, with the New Plymouth rider just outkicking his rival, both recording the same time of three hours 12 minutes 49 seconds for the 124km journey.
New Zealand junior international Jason Christie, of Tinwald, held off Southland's Matt Marshall for third in another sprint finish.
The under-19 girls' contest proved just as exciting with Te Awamutu's Emma Petersen claiming the title for the second successive year.
A group of eight broke clear early in the 62km race, before two dropped off and then three riders -- Peterson, another Te Awamutu rider Maddy Brunton and world under-19 track medallist Gemma Dudley, of Levin -- went clear.
Peterson just held on in a superb sprint finish from Dudley and Brunton, who were all awarded the same time.
The championships finish tomorrow with the under-23 and senior men's race.
Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston is a late scratching although his fellow Beijing Games teammates Sam Bewley and Jesse Sergent will still race.
