Commonwealth Games gold medallist Aaron Gate has won his first-ever national road race title in Timaru this afternoon.
The 33-year-old pipped Corbin Strong and Laurence Pithie in a wet sprint finish.
Gate said that it took a lot of tactics to win the “super challenging” race.
“It's the one race in NZ that I've never won, so stoked to tick that off. I said to the young guys you have a few more years and thanks for letting the old bastard get it today."
It was a stacked elite men’s field in Timaru, with Gate facing off against World Tour riders, Tour de France riders, and rising young talent.
Fellow Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tom Sexton did not make it to the finish after a bolt fell out of his bike.
Today’s victory continues a winning run for Gate, who won the NZ Cycle Classic last month and Madison win in the UCI Nations Cup last week.
The Elite Road National Championships is New Zealand’s premier road cycling event.
Riders had to complete eight laps of the back blocks of Timaru — totalling 196km.
Gate will line up at the Oceania Track Champs in Cambridge next week.
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