Racing with a fractured bone in one hand and a damaged shoulder was not what budding elite cyclist and Southern Institute of Technology student, Marshall Erwood had in mind when he started the SBS Tour of Southland in late 2024, but for better or for worse, he still crossed the finish line seven days later.
The first-year sports student (19) competed in one of the top performing teams, Creation Signs – MITOQ – NZ Cycling Project, which finished 2nd out of the 18 teams, and included the overall Tour winner, Josh Burnett.
Marshall’s injury occurred on the Bluff Hill Day, (stage 5); “30 minutes into the race, I looked over my shoulder to check the position of the peloton and my teammates, and seconds later I’d hit a parked truck at 55km an hour.” Severely damaging his shoulder, Marshall managed to keep riding on a spare bike and finish the stage. After the tour finished, he found out he’d also fractured a bone in his hand.
Philosophical about the injury, “It was a win and a loss”; Marshall explained because he persevered and finished the tour, team manager, James Canny “wanted to do something special”, and had worked through the night to put a new replacement bike together, presenting it to Marshall to ride on the last day. “I was very grateful” he said, acknowledging his manager’s dedication.
After the tour, Marshall took some time to let his body recover. There were “multiple physio sessions and just taking it easy on the bike… I don’t want to have any long-standing issues from injuries.”
In his first taste of juggling tertiary studies with his cycling commitments, Marshall studied the New Zealand Diploma in Sport, Recreation and Exercise (Multi-sector) Level 5 in 2024. Admitting it was quite a struggle to fit in both, he completed three papers. “I went to America earlier in the year (mid-May to early August). It was difficult to do the study as I was so focused on the trip.” With four to five hours each day spent training on the bike, “it is hard to get motivated” afterwards.
Despite the challenges, Marshall’s US season was successful. “I won a handful of crits (criteriums) in circuit races.” He was on the winning team in the most prestigious, long-standing race in North America - the Tour de Beauce in Quebec, Canada - where he also helped a team-mate to win the individual title. Then he finished the season back in the US with another couple of wins and more crits. And there was only one crash on the trip, “…in my first-ever street race. I crashed in the last 10 minutes”. Describing it as being thrown into the deep end, “…it was what I needed”, he added.
The early months of 2024 saw Marshall compete in the National Road and Velodrome Championships, and Oceania Track Championships. “I won the under-23 national road champs, then track Oceania’s, I got three thirds and a second, and track nationals - two golds and a silver.”
Marshall’s first year in the elite category and first time competing overseas “…has been a big step up and the team has placed a lot of trust in me.” Normally cyclists must work their way up the ranks within the team, he explained. “I’ve climbed quite quickly … to be considered one of the top guys, it’s super special.”
Now that he’s experienced the routine, Marshall will be “working a bit harder and studying a bit more” this year. “I have a good support team. SIT, Duncan (McKenzie) and the team are really nice and understanding.”
And as for hitting trucks, he says knowingly, “I’ve learnt my lesson; I don’t want to crash this new bike. My team manager gave me a new rule: Pay attention while riding your new bike!”