Source: Radio New Zealand
Marshall Erwood is presented with the Southland tour leader’s orange jersey. supplied
World team pursuit medallist Marshall Erwood has an early lead in cycling’s Tour of Southland after the opening stages.
The Cambridge-based Southlander capped a day of competitive racing on the first day of the rescheduled 2025 tour, featuring a field of nearly 100 riders.
Erwood’s Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project team enjoyed a successful day, after they won the team time trial prologue on a new 4.2km circuit in north Invercargill, before the U23 rider finished second in the 42km stage one street race on the same course to take the overall lead in the general classification.
“I would have loved to have put the arms in the air and pulled [the stage win] off, but second is leaving me wanting something more for the tour,” Erwood said.
Receiving the leader’s orange jersey was a big moment for the 20-year-old rider, who also won bronze as a member of New Zealand men’s pursuit team at the 2025 UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Santiago.
“It was pretty special,” he said. “Nick Kergozou has been in the jersey, Josh Burnett has been in the jersey… to be among some world class Southlanders is pretty special.”
Hamilton’s Zakk Patterson, left, sprints to the line on stage one of the Tour of Southland. supplied
Hamilton’s Zakk Patterson (Quality Foods Southland-Gough Brothers) produced a classy sprint at the front of the 96-strong peloton to win the opening stage from Erwood and PowerNet’s Kiaan Watts. Earlier in the stage, he also took sprint points for an early lead in the Sprint Ace classification.
Victory was a great reward for a rider who had twice won the Te Anau stage in Southland, but was in doubt to even make it to the start-line this year, due to a recent throat infection.
“I had no expectations coming into this,” Patterson said. “I was pretty sick a few weeks ago and didn’t even know if I’d be able to race.
“I came good the week before the tour, and had a couple of rides and a club race. With one lap to go, I was in a good position and the legs were feeling good.”
Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project lead the teams classification, with Ben Dyball the leading over-35 rider.
Erwood leads by four seconds overall from a group of six riders, including Watts. Defending champion Josh Burnett (PowerNet) featured at the front of the street race at times and finished day one safely, six seconds behind.
Erwood relished the chance to be the rider everyone was watching before tomorrow’s 151km stage from Invercargill to Gore.
“It’s going to be hard,” he said. “There’s a pretty classy field and to be going head to head with them is pretty special.”
– RNZ
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand