Rising cycling star Carter Guichard (16) has edged out Tour of Southland veteran Matt Zenovich to become the overall winner of this year's Milford Mountain Classic (MMC), held on Saturday (February 18).

The 120km scenic cycle race from Milford Sound to Te Anau saw MMC first-timer Carter beat Matt by just two seconds, finishing in a time of 3:13:33.

“I wasn’t really expecting to win because Matt is a really strong guy and he has won a couple of Tour of Southland stages,” Carter said. 

“When I was coming into the line I wasn’t sure how the sprint was going to go, so I tried not to underestimate myself and gave it a good shot and it turned out pretty well.”

Race director Matt Sillars said Carter was amazing.

"He's the first New Zealand cyclist to get a Junior World Tour contract with [prestigious French cycling team] AG2R Citroen."

Carter’s selection to the AG2R under 19 team follows an impressive 2022 season where he recorded ten wins in his grade including the national road series CHB tour in Hawkes Bay and stage wins at the Tasman Tour. 

He also recorded wins and placings in highly competitive races in France during the European summer.

The next event for Carter, a student at Mount Aspiring College, is the Oceania Continental Championships at the end of March before he heads to Europe for five months with the AG2R U19 development team.

PHOTO: Monique Kelly