Yunca Tour Champions Crowned

The 39th Yunca Junior Tour of Southland took place over the weekend, with close to 140 of the country’s top junior cyclists taking to the roads around Invercargill and Bluff over three days and six stages.In the U13 girls race, Kendra Gray proved untouchable, taking out the yellow jersey, the Road Safety Southland Queen of the Mountains jersey, and the Amalgamated Builders Limited Sprint Ace jersey,  while Carter Paine achieved the same feat in the U13 boys race, with a dominant performance in the Flying Mullet Stage 4 hill climb time trial up Bluff Hill.In the U15 girls race Poppy McIvor claimed a narrow victory that came down to the Kieran O’Neill Orthodontics final stage, also claiming the Queen of the Mountains jersey, while the Sprint Ace jersey went to Olivia Ewing.In the U15 boys, Riley Crampton took out the yellow, and also the King of the Mountain jersey, with Oliver Clark taking out the Sprint Ace jersey.The U17 girls saw Kirsty Watts taking both yellow and Queen of the Mountain, while the Sprint Ace jersey went to Meg Baker.In the U17 boys race Noah Hollamby prevailed in the battle for yellow. Magnus Jamieson claimed the Sprint Ace jersey, while Lucas Bhimy claimed the King of the Mountain jersey.The U19 women saw Bonnie Rattray claimed the yellow jersey and the Queen of the Mountains jersey. The Sprint Ace jersey went to Muireann Green, who cemented that title with a win in the Wensley’s Cycles Stage 5 criterium.The U19 men delivered some very exciting racing throughout the six stages, with James Gardner taking multiple stage wins, but being undone by a bold solo ride by Oliver Watson-Palmer in the Creation Signs Stage 2 which was enough to take the yellow jersey at the end of the tour.  Watson-Palmer also took the Sprint Ace jersey, while Finn Wilson claimed the King of the Mountain jersey.