James Oram finished safely in the bunch on the final stage to claim his first Tour of Southland victory on Saturday.
With solid team support through the tour and on the final stages, a time trial and an 87km ride from Winton to Invercargill, the young Aucklander won in a combined time of 21hr 40min 55sec, 28sec clear of second-placed Taylor Gunman.
Oram (Kiwi Velo-Armstrong Prestige) claimed the yellow jersey on Tuesday's climb up Bluff Hill and never looked like relinquishing his grasp through the final five days of the gruelling event.
''It's mentally tough but the boys are amazing,'' Oram said.
''They're definitely the strongest team of the race and definitely the smartest so I couldn't have asked for a better team. I've known all our guys for a couple of years now so we've gelled straight away.
''Winning is certainly a highlight in my New Zealand racing career and it's pretty awesome. It just hasn't sunk in yet.''
Oram also claimed the under-23 title.
Southland's Tom Scully (Ascot Park Hotel Kia Southland) won the sprint title, Grayson Napier (Creation Signs L&M Group Racing) was king of the mountain, and Huon Salmon Genesys Wealth Advisers topped the team classification.
The final stage was claimed by Brenton Jones in a tight bunch race for the finish line. Cameron Karwowski was second and 2012 winner Mike Northey third.
Jones said it was a squeeze down the final straight and he was grateful to be able to hold his line and win the final stage.
''I had a few team-mates with me from the last two laps to go, and halfway round the last lap they were fatigued,'' Jones said.
''They'd done a great job and it was enough for them. Around the last corner there were a number of teams up there and I was maybe 10th wheel. I dived under in the last corner in the wet and in the sprint, there's always argy-bargy, and I found a gap and squeezed past for the win.''
Earlier in the day, Oram had set up his win in the SBS Bank-sponsored tour, finishing third in the penultimate stage, an individual time trial.
New Zealand champion Joe Cooper claimed the stage victory with a blazing 16m 11sec to lift the Tom Tindale Memorial Trophy by 39sec.
Tour manager Bruce Ross could not have been more delighted with the 2013 event.
''It's been a great week ... another very successful Tour of Southland,'' Ross said.
''Going into the tour, it was thought it was going to be one of the more evenly contested races and that absolutely proved to be the case. There's some very good up-and-coming riders and I think it was ...a very even race.''
Ross said having a couple of significant changes to the course, including the tougher climb up Coronet Peak, had also proven positive for the tour.
''That finish up Coronet Peak will live long in the memories. I think some of them might be still suffering from that, but I think it's there to stay. It was very spectacular, there's no doubt about that.''
The Tour of Southland lost long-time major sponsor PowerNet last year but Ross said SBS Bank had been ''excellent'' and he was looking forward to working with the bank in future years.
