New Zealand's Ben Oliver was lining up for his very first professional race in Europe on Thursday and by the end of the day he had already stepped up to the podium for new team, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling.
Oliver had already given some indication of the speed he was carrying into the season for his first year as a dedicated road professional. With more than a decade of racing mountain bikes internationally, the 29-year-old took third in the time trial at the New Zealand National Championships. Then in the road race he was the first rider from the main peloton over the line, although that left him with sixth given the early break survived.
