Canterbury’s Michael Vink has produced a blistering individual time trial in Winton to set himself up for a third win in four years at the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.

Vink (Transport Engineering Southland-Talley’s) completed the 13km stage around the central Southland township in a record time of 15min 31sec, the only rider to go under 16min.

Vink’s ride smashed Hamish Bond’s time of 15min 51sec set in 2018.

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Logan Currie (Bolton Equities Black Spoke Pro Cycling) rode his way into the lead in the under 23 classification with a 16min 17sec lap to be second on the stage, with leading over 35 rider Glenn Haden (Team Couplands) third in 16min 18sec.

Vink now has just a 77km stage from Invercargill to Winton standing between him and a third Southland crown. He would join Tino Tabak, Warwick Dalton, Brian Fowler and Hayden Roulston as riders who have won New Zealand’s most prestigious bike race three or more times.

This afternoon’s final stage starts at 1.30pm and is scheduled to finish in Invercargill’s Gala St at 3pm.

Nathan Burton

SBS Bank Tour of Southland