Sam Gaze

Sam Gaze
Gaze at the National Championships in 2015 in Rotorua
Personal information
Full nameSamuel William Gaze
Born (1995-12-12) 12 December 1995 (age 28)
Tokoroa, New Zealand[1]
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Team information
Current teamAlpecinā€“Deceuninck
Disciplines
RoleRider
Rider typeCross-country
Professional teams
2015ā€“2019Specialized Racing (MTB)
2019Deceuninckā€“Quick-Step (road; stagiaire)
2020Alpecinā€“Fenix[2]
2021Alpecinā€“Fenix Development Team[3]
2022ā€“Alpecinā€“Deceuninck
Major wins
Mountain bike
World Marathon Championships (2022)
XC World Cup
1 individual win (2018)
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
Men's cycle racing
World Championships
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2023 Glasgow Short track cross country
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2022 Haderslev Mountain bike marathon
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2022 Les Gets Short track cross-country
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2017 Cairns Under 23 cross-country
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2016 NovĆ© Město Under 23 cross-country
Silver medal ā€“ second place 2023 Glasgow Cross country olympic
Silver medal ā€“ second place 2015 Vallnord Cross-country eliminator
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2018 Gold Coast Cross-country
Gold medal ā€“ first place 2022 Birmingham Cross-country
Silver medal ā€“ second place 2014 Glasgow Cross-country

Samuel William Gaze (born 12 December 1995) is a New Zealand cross-country and road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Alpecinā€“Deceuninck.[4] He won the under-23 Cross-Country at the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships and the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. He also competes on occasion in road racing events, winning the National Criterium Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Career

At the Men's cross-country event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Gaze won the silver medal behind fellow New Zealand rider Anton Cooper.[5][6] Gaze was selected ahead of Cooper, who had medical conditions during 2016, to represent New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He had two punctures in the Olympic race and his gears failed, and he pulled out when he got lapped.[7]

In March 2018, Gaze became the first New Zealander to win an elite UCI Mountain Bike World Cup title, when he claimed the cross country event in the first round of the season in Stellenbosch, South Africa.[8] In April 2018, Gaze won the gold medal in the cross country event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[9] Despite his win, Gaze came under significant media attention for his perceived unsportsmanlike behaviour towards his compatriot and silver place winner Cooper. Gaze was fined CHF200 by the International Cycling Union for showing Cooper the finger during the race.[10][11]

In August 2019, Gaze joined UCI WorldTeam Deceuninckā€“Quick-Step as a stagiaire for the second half of the season.[12] For 2020, Gaze joined the Alpecinā€“Fenix team to contest road and mountain biking events.[2]

Personal life

Of Māori descent, Gaze affiliates to the Te Āti Awa iwi.[13]

Major results

Mountain bike

2014
2nd Cross-country, Commonwealth Games
2015
2nd Eliminator, UCI Urban World Championships
2016
1st Cross-country, National Championships
1st Cross-country, UCI World Under-23 Championships
UCI Under-23 XCO World Cup
1st Cairns
1st Albstadt
3rd La Bresse
3rd Lenzerheide
2017
1st Cross-country, UCI World Under-23 Championships
2018
1st Cross-country, Commonwealth Games
UCI XCO World Cup
1st Stellenbosch
UCI XCC World Cup
1st NovĆ© Město
1st Mont-Sainte-Anne
2nd Albstadt
Copa Catalana Internacional
1st Girona
2nd Cross-country, Oceania Championships
2021
Swiss Bike Cup
1st Basel
Copa Catalana Internacional
1st Girona
1st Sittard
2022
UCI World Championships
1st Marathon
1st Short track
1st Cross-country, Commonwealth Games
UCI XCC World Cup
1st Albstadt
1st Wijster
Copa Catalana Internacional
2nd Vallnord
2023
UCI World Championships
1st Short track
2nd Cross-country
XCO French Cup
1st GuƩret
2nd Marseilleā€“Luminy
Shimano Super Cup
1st La Nucia
XCC French Cup
1st GuƩret
UCI XCC World Cup
2nd NovĆ© Město
2024
UCI XCC World Cup
1st MairiporĆ£
1st Val di Sole
3rd Les Gets

Road

2017
1st National Criterium Championships
4th Time trial, National Under-23 Championships
2018
1st National Criterium Championships
10th Road race, Commonwealth Games

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour 2023
A pink jersey Giro d'Italia ā€”
A yellow jersey Tour de France ā€”
A red jersey Vuelta a EspaƱa DNF

References

  1. ^ "Samuel Gaze". Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "De nieuwe speelkameraadjes van MVDP: "Er zal meer naar ons gekeken worden"" [The new playmates for MVDP: "We will be looked at more"]. Sporza (in Dutch). Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Alpecin-Fenix Development Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Alpecinā€“Fenix". UCI. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Gold and silver for NZ mountain bikers". Radio NZ. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  6. ^ Richens, Matt (30 July 2014). "Anton Cooper wins with mountainbike gold". The Press. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Rio Olympics 2016: Sam Gaze finishes lap down in men's mountain biking". The New Zealand Herald. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Kiwi Sam Gaze stuns to win opening round of UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season". Stuff.co.nz. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Kiwi 1ā€“2: Gaze and Cooper claim gold and silver in Commonwealth Games mountain biking". The New Zealand Herald. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Kiwi mountainbiker Sam Gaze fined for flipping the bird at team-mate". Stuff. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  11. ^ Alderson, Andrew (12 April 2018). "Comment: Sam Gaze becomes one of NZ's most ungracious victors with spiteful aftermath". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Deceuninck ā€“ Quick-Step sign Steimle and Gaze as stagiaires". Deceuninckā€“Quick-Step. Decolef Lux SARL. 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  13. ^ "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.