New Zealand cyclists have grabbed success across the United States this week.
Beijing Olympian Cath Cheatley has continued her outstanding form to take the overall lead after the first stage of the BMC Cascade Cycling Classic in Oregon.
After finishing fourth in the prologue, Cheatley (Colavita Baci) powered to victory in the 119km stage with a mountain top finish at Three Creeks Show Park. She kicked clear of US road champion Mara Abbott after the pair broke away from the field on the final climb.
Fellow Kiwi and US teammate Rushlee Buchanan, the national road champion, was the best of the peloton to finish third, two minutes behind Cheatley to move to third overall in general classification.
Cheatley was delighted with her effort but wanted to push for time ahead of tomorrow's time trial.
"I was out front longer than I was hoping," Cheatley said. "Mara sat on me the whole way up the last climb but I wanted to gain as much time as possible going into tomorrow. I was waiting for her to attack me in the last couple of kilometres but she didn't."
World pursuit silver medallist Jesse Sergent also flew the New Zealand flag in the same event when he won the prologue yesterday, with a superb 3:35.8 effort for the opening 3.2km stage for his Trek Livestrong team with fellow New Zealander Jeremy Vennell (Team Bissell) 11th.
"I didn't know there was a time trial prologue here until about a week ago. It was definitely something I wanted to go well in. I wanted to get another one for the team being my last year as an Under-23 rider with the team. It was important for me."
Cheatley was the best of an impressive New Zealand showing among the women in the prologue in fourth with Jo Kiesanowski (Team Tibco) sixth, Alison Shanks (BikeNZ) seventh and Buchanan 10th.
Meanwhile Cambridge rider Jaime Nielsen broke clear to win the 150km Hincape Sportwear Lakefront Classic on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee today.
Nielsen led a superb effort from the BikeNZ track team, training in the US in preparation for the Commonwealth Games. She was too strong in the sprint to claim the overall honours after the New Zealanders broke clear with teammates Kaytee Boyd third, Lauren Ellis fourth and Gemma Dudley 12th.
Series leader and defending champion Nichole Wangsgard said the New Zealanders were impressive today.
"The Kiwis schooled us today. Part of me wishes I had gotten on top of that second break, but I stayed with the pack, stayed safe and took ninth. But they were really impressive."
