Bevin, Cheatley Winners In Perry Foundation REV Classic

Taupo teenager Patrick Bevin upset his more fancied rivals to take out the Perry Foundation REV Classic race in Hamilton today.

The New Zealand under-19 cyclist of the year managed to edge the defending champion and race record-holder Gordon McCauley in a sprint finish of the 120km Classic, which doubled as the second round of the RaboPlus Nationals Point Series.

Beijing Olympian Cath Cheatley controlled the sprint finish over series champion Serena Sheridan to claim the women's honours.

More than 60 elite riders entered the Classic among more than a 1000 participants in the Perry Foundation REV Cycle Festival, which included six different events from 18km to the 120km Classic.

Bevin (Team Bici Vida), McCauley (Subway Avanti) and Tour of Wellington winner Michael Torckler (New Plymouth) broke clear of the peloton in the later stages of the race that travelled from Hamilton to Cambridge, over French Pass to Karapiro, passing near Matamata, Kiwitahi and back to Hamilton.

Torckler was dropped in the final few kilometres with Bevin able to hold off the more experienced McCauley, the national time trial champion in 3:14.37.

Bevin will head to the United States next month to ride professionally for Rubicon Orbea Team with his Bica Vida teammates Roman van Uden and Mike Northey, who was fifth today.

Cheatley pushed clear midway through the women's race with Sheridan (Hawkes Bay), the first round winner in Taranaki, managing to hold on. However the Wanganui cyclist had too many guns in the final sprint to claim the title in 3:36.45 from Sheridan with national road champion Rushlee Buchanan third more than seven minutes behind.

Sheridan will maintain her lead in the RaboPlus National Points Series.

The next race in the RaboPlus National Point Series is the Forrest Graperide in Marlborough on March 27.

Results: Perry Foundation REV Classic, 120km

Men

Women