Local boy Tom Scully proved to be a popular winner of the Bannockburn Gutbuster on Saturday.
The Cromwell native, who has been officially adopted as a Southlander, took out the open male section by just under a minute from Mathew Lees.
Invercargill's Logan Havenaar was third.
Scully is a World Cup gold medallist on the track and spent the latter part of this season as a stagiare, or apprentice rider, for World Tour team Garmin.
However, he proved his talents don't belong solely on skinny tyres as he impressed with his downhill skills over the final section of the 80km race from the Garston pub through the Nevis Valley to Bannockburn.
The race was staged in ideal conditions with an overcast sky providing welcome relief to a field of more than 200 as they battled the two major climbs which make this event so difficult.
Invercargill's Lee Moreton continued from his impressive showing in his debut Tour of Southland to take out the veteran male section by 2sec from Simon Callaghan to finish fourth overall.
Top Dunedin rider Erin Greene was a comfortable winner in the open female section.
Teenage sisters Sam and Shannon Hope were second and third.
The Gutbuster is part of the Cromwell summer series, with the next event being the Bannockburn mountainbike classic on December 30.
Results:
Open male: Tom Scully 3:01:58 1; Mathew Lees 3:02:54 2; Logan Havenaar 3:06:27 3.
Open female: Erin Greene 3:25:12 1; Sam Hope 3:34:54 2; Shannon Hope 3:51:35 3.
Senior male: Brendan Akeroyd 3:16:23 1; Blair Coupe 3:20:20 2; Chris Hankin 3:22:34
3.
Senior female: Floortje Draisma 3:37:09 1.
Veteran male: Lee Moreton 3:08:26 1; Simon Callaghan 3:08:28 2; Ray Hope 3:11:33 3.
Veteran female: Linda Hope 4:00:05 1; Tracey Bransgrove 4:08:09 2; Chrissy Wickes 4:11:09 3.
Masters male: Brian Weedon 3:13:00 1; Gary Ferguson 3:19:18 2; Scott McLachlan 3:27:30 3.
Masters female: Barbara Buchanan 4:09:12 1; Josephine King 4:42:33 2; Jo Wilson 5:27:31 3.
Article courtest of Nathan Burdon, The Southland Times