November 2009 News Articles

Stage 8 - 80km - Te Anau-Lumsden:

After yesterdays 165km race to Te Anau, the BISSELL boys were greeted with blue skies and warmer temperatures. The headwind that the team had fought was now a cross wind and promised a very fast stage.

The team of the GC leader rode a rapid tempo to neutralize any attacks leading into the only climb of the stage. A strong attack ripped the field apart leading into the climb and many groups were spread across the road. A lead group of GC favorites including the GC leader formed and rode strongly towards the finish. Jeremy Vennell, Pete Latham and Omer Kem made the chase group and rode as hard as they could to bring the race back together; however, the lead group maintained a small advantage to the finish line. Cody O'Reilly was not able to finish the stage due to an injury but not all was lost as Pete Latham was able to maintain his 5th overall.

Stage 9 - 65km - Winton-Invercargill:

The last stage of the tour promised to be an exciting battle for the overall win. 5 riders including Pete Latham were within striking distance of winning the race. It would take a strong effort from the remaining 3 riders of the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team.

As the intensity of the wind grew, it made for a very difficult conclusion to the tour. The race split less than 20km into this final stage and the favorites raced towards the finish. Pete Latham and Jeremy Vennell were able to make the selection and not lose any time. Omer Kem finished in the chase group. BISSELL finished with 2 riders in the top 10 GC and was 5th in the team classification showing just how difficult a race this was. The Tour of Southland was a tough conclusion to a great season for the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team. Congratulations to the BISSELL riders and staff for a great race and year.

15 riders broke clear early in the 7th stage of the Tour of Southland from Winton to Te Anau and were able to stay clear 150km to the finish. The chasing teams of BISSELL, Subway, and Share the Road worked hard to chase down the leaders but the gap grew to 4 minutes. Pete Latham and Jeremy Vennell lost over 2 minutes in the general classification but remain focused on the next stages.

The ever-changing and tough conditions of the Tour of Southland invite the vacillating leader board which has already been seen in this year’s tour, and there is surely more to come. The BISSELL Team will be looking to recapture positioning in the GC. The two final stages is the last double day of the tour and will prove to be the pivotal day. The morning’s course is 79km from Te Anau to Lumsden and the afternoon consists of 65km from Winton to Invercargill.

The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team started stage 6 of the Tour of Southland with the intent of taking the GC lead. A hilltop finish in the South Island's Crown Range made for an epic day of racing. The BISSELL boys were happy to see clear skies and moderate winds at the start of the 135km stage. Pete Latham was tasked with getting in the day's breakaway in order to put pressure on the GC leader. This was easier said than done.

After a short neutral start, the attacks began. A small breakaway made it clear from the field. BISSELL Pro Cycling had missed the move, but knew that the wind would soon play to their advantage. The breakaway had a 35 second lead going into the 40km mark. A slight bend into the wind caused a split in the field which neutralized the break and placed 3 BISSELL riders in a group of 25. The flurry of attacks soon led to a break of 7 including Pete Latham. The first step in the team’s plan was achieved.

As the race made it ways to the finish, the gap to the breakaway grew. The final KOM of the day blew the field apart with Jeremy Vennell and Omer Kem making the selection. Pete Latham's breakaway had shrunk to 3 at this point and the gap was falling. A massive chase by 5 different teams gave the breakaway a 2:45 minute advantage going into the final climb. Jeremy Vennell attacked the lead group repeatedly, but couldn’t shake the GC leader. Pete Latham was unable to move into the GC lead, but leaped ahead of Jeremy Vennell to move into 2nd overall. This proved to be better than a win as the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team now sits in 2nd and 3rd overall and is 2nd in the team classification heading into the last 3 stages. The BISSELL boys are ready to attack and will not need to defend the race lead.

Stage 4 - Invercargil-Tuatapere:

It was another hard day at Tour of Southland for the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team. Stage 4 was the first race of the second double day of the tour. The morning consisted of 88 kilometers of racing in gale force winds, but at least it wasn’t raining.

Crosswinds destroyed the field in the opening 20km. All four of the BISSELL boys made the split. The lead group split time after time, and the race weaved its way through the fields of Southland. A group of 6 riders went clear at 30km to go and stuck to the finish. A crash involving Pete Latham with 5km to go made for a hard finale. Omer Kem and Cody O'Reilly rode with the GC leader's team to keep the breakaway in check and made sure that Jeremy Vennell and Pete Latham didn’t lose their GC position. After stage 4, BISSELL had riders sitting in 4th and 9th in the GC and was the 2nd team overall. All the guys finished safely in the main field in Tuatapere and prepared for the afternoon stage from Tuatapere to Winton.

Stage 5 - Tuatapere-Winton:

Stage 5 was a 101km affair down the west coast of the south island of New Zealand. The gale force winds from the morning were still blowing, and a different race direction caused for an extremely fast stage. Crosswinds and tailwinds wreaked havoc on an already tired field.

A split in the field around the 10km mark put Jeremy Vennell and Pete Latham in the front group of 12 riders. BISSELL Pro Cycling Team Director, Glen Mitchell, knew that this split would be decisive in the overall general classification. A strong attack by Pete Latham dropped the GC leader from the front group, and set up an attack by Jeremy Vennell to solo in for 4th place. He was able to gain valuable time on the other GC riders.

While a stage win would have been great, it was more important for Jeremy and Pete to weaken the riders who are also challenging for the GC. This tactic paid off with Vennell moving into 3rd overall and Latham moving to 8th. BISSELL Pro Cycling dropped to 3rd team overall, but everyone is behind Jeremy Vennell for the GC win.

The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team started stage 3 in a somber mood. A family emergency forced Ben Jacques-Maynes to leave the tour. The remaining members of the team vowed to continue fighting for the rest of the week.

The 165km race started with gusty winds and a clear sky. The first 50km flew by with attack after attack from the BISSELL boys. Cody O'Reilly marked a move of 3 other riders and was soon away. With 4 KOM's and 10 sprint lines, it was going to be a long day for everyone.

The breakaway was caught at 25km to go and, again, attack after attack broke the tiring field. A group of 4 riders slipped off the front with BISSELL Pro Cycling not represented. Hard chasing by Omer Kem with the help of several other teams brought the group to within 3 seconds at the finish. Pete Latham took 8th in the sprint after a 1km lead out from Jeremy Vennell. The team was happy with this result considering how badly the day had started.

The Tour of Southland is like no other race in the world. Rain, wind and potential carnage are the ingredients for every stage. The race consists of 9 stages in 6 days. Three days consist of a morning and afternoon stage. Lots of fun when you add in that rain and wind....

Stage 1 - 8km Team Time Trial:

The BISSELL boys for the Tour are Pete Latham, Jeremy Vennell, Ben Jacques-Maynes, Cody O'Reilly and Omer Kem. The first stage of Southland is always a Team Time Trial. Rain and wind at the start made things interesting but clearing conditions helped the team to ride strongly on the square shaped circuit. Two laps were complete to make for 8km of race for the stage.

The team rode well to finish 3rd out of 25 teams. The highest placed BISSELL rider was Jeremy Vennell in 8th place and everyone in the top 15. These results were also for the GC since this was the first stage of the tour. The team was motivated by this result and was looking forward to the stage that afternoon which was an 82km race with a hill top finish.

Stage 2 - 82km Invercargill-Bluff:

Stage 2 of the Tour of Southland was a 82km race consisting of a 60km loop west of Invercargill before heading through town and racing east to Bluff Hill. The BISSELL boys were excited about the lack of rain, but knew that with severe wind the race would be on!

A neutral start got things going followed by a series of sprint lines, a long tail wind section, and a left turn. This turn has proved decisive in past years and the team was ready. The race split but another turn into a headwind brought the race back together. At this point a small breakaway group of 3 riders was established and gained a minute lead. The BISSELL team was always represented in the front and soon a series of lefts and rights put the team back in the tailwind.

This is where things got crazy even for the Tour of Southland. A crash over a small bridge left 80 riders lying in the road. Jeremy Vennell was caught under a pile of bikes and bodies for almost 5 minutes in what has been called "the worst crash in Southland history". The split at the front of the race had brought back the breakaway at this point, but neutralization by the race officials stopped the 4 BISSELL riders in the front group. It took over 30min for the race to be brought back together. Jeremy Vennell was bruised but able to continue.

The race resumed and proceeded back through Invercargill and headed east to Bluff Hill. Severe cross winds caused splits in the peloton. The BISSELL Pro Cycling Team took advantage of the hard conditions to place 3 riders, Jeremy Vennell, Ben Jacques-Maynes and Pete Latham in a group of 18 to start the climb. Jeremy Vennell rode amazingly considering his crash to place 5th! Ben Jacques-Maynes also impressed with a 7th place and Pete Latham finished 15th. These impressive results moved Jeremy Vennell and Ben Jacques-Maynes into 4th and 5th overall with Pete Latham in 10th. BISSELL Pro Cycling also was able to move into the lead in the Team Classification, something that is very important to the team and riders. A hard day ended well for everyone in the team. Tomorrow is a 165km from Invercargill-Gore. Stay tuned for more updates and great results from the BISSELL Pro Cycling Team…