Kim Cadzow, a Paris Olympian, hails from Luggate and has returned to her WorldTour team base in Europe with two championship jerseys.
Cadzow, 23, won New Zealand’s elite national road race (118km), and the elite road time trial (24.4km) in Timaru last weekend, Cycling New Zealand reports.
Cadzow rides for EF Education-Oatly WorldTour team.
"Winning two titles has not really sunk in yet.
"It is pretty incredible, I think.
"I had a bit of a hard time in the summer so I didn’t expect to come away with this one this time," Cadzow said, post-race.
Meanwhile, Paul Wright, 27, of Lake Hawea, upset a strong group of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) WorldTour riders to claim the men’s elite road national title.
He, too, takes a champion’s jersey back to Europe to wear while racing with Factor Racing, a mostly Slovenian team.
Wright is described by Cycling New Zealand as a professional journeyman on the UCI continental circuit.
He put all his cards on the table in Timaru with an emphatic victory in the eight-lap, 190km road race.
In the second lap he had formed an initial lead group and when that lead bunch split in two at the sixth lap, Wright stayed up front.
The chasing pack was not able to fire any threatening shots in the final two laps.
When Paris Olympian track rider Keegan Hornblow attacked, Wright speared over top of him and held on for the win.
"This means a lot. I needed the win ... I always feel like the underdog.
"I never feel like a favourite.
"Never have and probably never will.
"I really can’t believe that I have done it," Wright said post-race. — Cycling New Zealand
RESULTS:
Road race, women, elite, 118km, 5 laps: 1st Kim Cadzow (EF Education Oatly, Wānaka) 3hr 14min 42sec; 2nd Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek, Nelson) at +24sec; 3rd Kate McCarthy (Hamilton) at +26sec.
Time trial women elite, 24.4km: 1st Kim Cadzow (EF Oatly Cannondale, Wānaka) 34min 52.15sec; 2nd Ella Wyllie at +31.2s; 3rd Henrietta Christie (EF Oatly Cannondale, Lincoln) at +54.98sec
Elite men, 190km: 1st Paul Wright (Factor Racing, Wānaka) 4hr 17min 36sec; 2nd Ben Oliver (MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project, Rangiora) at +9sec; 3rd George Bennett (Israel Premier Tech, Nelson) at +25sec.
— APL
