The New Zealand time trial championships have impressively confirmed the dominance of the internationally established professionals. Finn Fisher-Black and Ella Wyllie secured the championship titles in the elite category at the title fights near Cambridge. The 24-year-old Fisher-Black, who rides for Team Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe, successfully defended his title with a considerable lead. With a time of 52:24 minutes on the 44.2 kilometre course, he distanced his closest rival Glenn Haden by 1:11 minutes. In the women's race, 23-year-old Ella Wyllie from Team Liv AlUla Jayco came out on top. She completed the 24.4 kilometres in 37:45 minutes, 29 seconds faster than Mikayla Harvey from Team SD Worx - Protime. The winner will be able to wear the New Zealand national jersey in all UCI WorldTour time trials in the coming season, which is a special honour for them. The title fights took place in challenging conditions, as the riders had to battle with extreme heat.
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Commanding victory for Fisher-Black in the men's competition
Fisher-Black put in a tactically astute performance on the challenging course around the Roto-o-rangi school between Cambridge and Te Awamutu. He was the last to start the race and was already in the lead at the halfway point. He did not relinquish this position until the finish. "It's extra motivation in Europe on the WorldTour to wear this jersey in the time trial, especially in a Grand Tour. You can look down and see the fern and what it represents," Fisher-Black explained after his triumph. "It's very special to represent your country by wearing the Fern on the WorldTour all year round." The performance of runner-up Glenn Haden was remarkable. The 42-year-old amateur from Wanganui left numerous professionals behind him and secured second place with a gap of 1:11 minutes. Third place went to all-rounder Ben Oliver from North Canterbury, 2:02 minutes behind. Oliver, who has enjoyed success in mountain biking as well as on the track and as a criterium specialist, now rides for the new Professional Cycling Team Modern Adventure, which was founded by former Tour rider George Hincapie.
Surprise from triathlete Hayden Wilde
One of the biggest surprises of the day was the strong performance of triathlete Hayden Wilde. The two-time Olympic medallist, who is currently ranked number one in the triathlon world rankings, finished fourth in his first time trial at national championships. Finishing 2:06 minutes behind Fisher-Black, he left established professional cyclists such as Olympic track rider Tom Sexton and WorldTour riders Reuben Thompson and George Bennett in his wake. The 28-year-old Wilde, who won the T100 triathlon world title in December 2025, is currently in his off-season and is using the domestic races for his training. He had already taken part in the road championships in 2020, but had not yet competed in the time trial titles. Wilde also plans to compete in the road race of the championships in Te Awamutu on Saturday.
Wyllie dominates the women's race
Ella Wyllie put in a dominant performance in the women's elite race. She was the last to start the race and set the fastest split time at the halfway point. She extended this lead to the finish and won by 29 seconds ahead of Mikayla Harvey, who rides for the SD Worx - Protime team. "I was here to show my best performance, which meant perfecting my processes," said Wyllie after her victory. Third place went to Olympic track rider Bryony Botha, who competed for the organisers Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club. She was 1:01 minutes behind the winner and 13 seconds faster than the former U23 winner Henrietta Christie, who is also active in the WorldTour.
Outlook for the road races
After his time trial victory, Fisher-Black has already set his sights on Saturday's road race, where he wants to win the title for the first time in his professional career and return to his team as a double champion if possible. "The road race will be demanding. There's always chaos and it's a race that anyone can win, and that's the beauty of it. As well as the Tour pros, there's a lot of talent here that hasn't gone to the WorldTour yet," Fisher-Black explained. "I made some mistakes last year, so hopefully this time I'll be ready for the attacks from the many top national riders." Wyllie will also take part in the road race, where she and Harvey are considered favourites. "It's always special to come home and do what I do for a living thousands of kilometres away on the other side of the world," she said. "There's a bit of pressure, but I think the pressure is a privilege because I'm doing what I love." Both WorldTour pros have the chance to establish themselves as double champion and double champion there.
Leon Weidner
Working student
