New Zealand’s most prestigious stage race has attracted many fine overseas riders in its 61-year history, but it has proven a hard event to crack with its tough conditions and a general reluctance by the Kiwis to allow the trophy to head offshore.
Few could argue Piccoli did not deserve the victory, however, after a stage win on Bluff Hill and a strong ride to bridge a 1min gap on the way to Gore on Friday, along with some great team support by his Kia Motors-Ascot Park Hotel cohort.
Piccoli’s results this year include top-10 finishes at the Tour of Alberta and the Tour of Utah. But victory in Southland ranks right up there, he said.
"It’s a pretty cool win. I’ve got to say that the Tour of Southland has been an amazing experience, from the team and the atmosphere, the fans on the road and the coverage has been amazing," Piccoli said.
"I heard that the Tour of Southland was a super unpredictable race and it could be won or lost at any moment, and that’s what makes it exciting. It came down to the wire."
Piccoli started the final 77km stage from Winton to Invercargill with a 35sec lead over Michael Vink, with Michael Torckler still a faint hope at 1min 10sec.
Vink had pulled back 3sec on Piccoli when he won the 13km individual time trial stage in Winton during the morning to set up a nervous final beat to the Gala St finish.
"I have to admit that everyone threw everything they had at me," Piccoli said.
"It felt like the whole peloton was trying to crack me but I had the support of all of Kia Motors-Ascot Park Hotel."
Team-mate Taylor Gunman, who won the second stage from Riverton to Te Anau, proved a brilliant road captain for Kia Motors-Ascot Park Hotel, which also claimed the team classification.
"This is a guy who won a stage and is capable of winning the whole tour, so to have him riding just for me is super humbling and it’s super nice to take home the win for him especially," Piccoli, who also claimed the king of the mountains classification, said.
The final stage came down to a photo finish, with German Raphael Freienstein just edging out Dunedin’s Brad Evans on the line and Alex Ray finishing third.
Piccoli finished in the trailing bunch to win by 35sec overall from Vink, with Michael Torckler third at 1min 10sec.
Alex West was the leading under-23 rider, finishing sixth overall, while Paul Odlin, who was third in the morning time trial, was the fastest-over 35 rider, finishing 11th.
Ray produced an aggressive final stage to take over the sprint ace classification, nudging Alexandra’s James Williamson into second place.
Evans won the Tour of Southland in 2015 but had to settle for fifth this year.
