Paul Odlin from the SUBWAY® Pro Cycling Team won the elite race at today’s Forrest Estate 101 kilometre Graperide in Marlborough.
 Paul Odlin crossing the finish line(Photo: Bruce Wilson; click to enlarge) |
An aggressive display of teamwork saw Odlin win his second Graperide title from his SUBWAY® Pro Cycling team mate Sam Horgan in a time of two hours and twenty six minutes. SUBWAY® Pro Cycling riders also filled the fourth spot with Jason Allen and seventh with Dillion Bennett.
"We worked really well as a team," Odlin said. "The team plan was to race in two pairs and to make the race. To do that we had to go hard and had to be aggressive."
Horgan was first to make an impression in the race getting away with a small group of riders in the first 40 kilometre stretch from Blenheim to Picton. Odlin broke from the chasing bunch to bridge the gap and then worked hard on whittling the group down.
"Once we were over the climbs out of Picton I was very keen to get the break down to three or four riders," Odlin said. "We managed to do that and in the last 20 kilometres there was only Sam, me and Tom (Ashley, Tasman Glass).
In the last 20 kilometres Horgan attacked in a bid for line honours while Odlin sat back with Ashley watching the gap grow until the Tasman Glass rider put his head down and worked hard to get back on to Horgan's wheel.
"I had told Sam I was keen to see him take the win," Odlin said. "But once Tom got back on I knew I had to take my chance so hit it with about four kilometres left."
Odlin rode away solo over the closing kilometres to comfortably win by 30 seconds.
"It was great to win again but it would have been good to see Sam win. He worked hard and deserved a win but in the end it just didn't quite work out. The team really had to win today and it's important for us to have a good hit out as we build for the Tour of Korea later in the month."
