Southland’s Tom Sexton Claims Oceania Time Trial Championship Honours in Brisbane

Experienced Southland rider Tom Sexton have won the elite time trial honours at the Oceania Road Cycling Championships near Brisbane.

Sexton was equally emphatic in his performance, winning in 27:21 with Australian Jordan Villani runner-up 334 seconds adrift.

The Southlander, who enjoyed a successful Oceania Track Championship campaign for the New Zealand team, turned his attention to the road where he was second in this event last year behind teammate Aaron Gate,

The Bolton Equities Black Spoke professional is also a former junior world champion on the track and won gold in the team pursuit in the Commonwealth Games last year, and claimed silver in the individual pursuit.

He was the only New Zealander in the elite field.

His track teammate Keegan Hornblow from Nelson was the best of the kiwis in the under-23 time trial in fifth place in 28.34 which was 55 sec behind the winner.

Otago rider James Gardner, who enjoyed a successful campaign on the track this week, was eighth in 30:28, the only other New Zealand rider in the top-10.

Best of the under-19 women was Auckland’s Maia Barclay, the runner-up at the national; junior road race, who finished sixth in 35:09, with fellow kiwis Kirsty Watts (Canterbury) and national time trail champion Muireann Green (Wanaka) ninth in 35:59 among the top-10 finishes.

The title was won by Australian junior champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden in 32:15, to be 1:15 clear of runner-up.

Attention now turns to the road championships around a challenging circuit in Mount Crosby west of Brisbane on Saturday with the elite and U23 men (140km) from 7am; junior men (84km) from 7.15am; elite and U23 women (84km) from 11.30am; junior women (56km) from 11.45am and Paracyclists from 2pm.