Southland cyclist Pieter Bulling finished on the podium for the under-23 category when the Tour of Ireland finished north of Dublin overnight.
Part of the BikeNZ-Pure Black Racing under-23 team, Bulling finished third overall in the under-23 class after the eighth and final stage over 139km of lumpy terrain to Skerries.
He finished in the peloton with a large bunch of 70 riders fighting out a sprint finish, won by last year's overall champion Gediminas Bagdonas. Frenchman Nicholas Baldo also finished in the bunch to become the winner of the 60th edition of the famous race.
Bulling got some excellent help in his quest for the podium from teammate Taylor Gunman, who went with a chasing group to reel in the break by Irishman Sean Downey who was a potential threat to the under-23 hierarchy.
The lead stretched to two minutes over the first two climbs but, as Gunman and the others dropped off, the peloton reeled in them all on the closing two laps of the 14km circuit to ensure a sprint finish.
There is little time to relax for the Kiwi team, who now head to the United States where they will be based in Pennsylvania for some further road and track racing and training.
Results from the Tour of Ireland
Stage 8, 140km: Gediminas Bagdonas (LTU) 3:15.56, 1; Sam Bennett (IRL) ST, 2; Marcin Bialoblocki (POL) ST, 3. Also: Cameron Karwowski (NZ) ST, 12, Piet Bulling (NZ) ST, 22; Scott Creighton (NZ) ST, 50; Taylor Gunman at 2:11, 82.
Overall: Nicolas Baldo (FRA) 26:55.57, 1; Thomas Rostollan (FRA) at 13 sec, 2; Martin Hunal (CZE) at 17 sec, 3. Also: Bulling (NZ) at 5:23, 25; Gunman (NZ) at 12:07, 38; Creighton (NZ) at 21:37, 50; Karwowski (NZ) at 21:45, 51.
Under-23: Richard Handley (GBR) 26:56.15, 1; Lasse Hansen (DEN) at 4:18, 2; Bulling (NZ) at 5:08, 3.
