🚴 Hayden Wilde will never die wondering. And he’ll definitely be stronger for trying.
The PTO world No.1 might have finished Saturday’s 188km road race at the Cycling NZ Elite Road Nationals in Te Awamutu well off the pace and with an utterly empty tank, but his efforts haven’t been in vein.
“Super happy with where I’m at a month into the NZL [training] block,” the Whakatane 28-year-old said as he counts down to his double-edged assault on the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series and T100 World Triathlon Tour titles.
After finishing an eye-catching 4th in Thursday’s elite time trial, his main target for the week, the road race in a field of UCI World Tour and continental pros was always going to be a steep learning curve.
Typically, the racer within Wilde didn’t allow him to merely roll around the hilly Te Awamutu circuit course and call it a training ride.
“Big day in the saddle at the @cyclingnewzealand nationals. Pulling and cov[er]ing attacks in the first few hrs isn’t the smartest. But just wanted to get out there and test myself and see where the body was at,” Wilde wrote on social media.
“160km the lights went out[.] Last 2 laps was a good warm down 😅 Massive respect for these lads and what they do. Nice to be a part of it 😎.”
For the record, Wilde finished 43rd at 10:29 seconds down on winner George Bennett.
Curiously, the reigning T100 champion posted photos of his race helmet minus some paint and sporting cracks but didn’t allude to any fall. Excuses? Not for public consumption, in words at least. The result was the result and he put his hand up to admit it was an eye-opening experience with lessons banked.
Merely lining up to sharpen his riding skills/racing nouse is the win and the experience is likely to mean more pain for his pals in the triathlon peloton.
Bennett (4:09:45) launched an audacious solo break with three of the 20 laps remaining, escaping from the race’s defining breakaway of six riders. The Nelson 35-year-old bravely held on to claim his second NZ Road Race title by 41sec from freshly minted Tour of Southland champ Josh Burnett with Aucklander Matthew Wilson third a further four seconds adrift.
Wilde now continues his prep for the opening round of the WTCS in Abu Dhabi on March 29-30. That will include racing the Oceania Sprint & Mixed Relay Championships in Napier/Hastings on March 1-2.
Auckland’s Neve McKenzie, who won the senior girls NZ Schools Triathlon Championship near Wanaka last March, claimed silver in the women’s U19 road race after her golden effort in Thursday’s TT.
