20 August 2025 – The 2025 Negative Split Carbon Tour of Samoa shifted islands on Tuesday and with it came fresh storylines, bold attacks, and a mix of new and familiar winners.
Stages 3 and 4 took the riders from Upolu to Savai’i, offering contrasting tests — a flat sprint-friendly road to the ferry in the morning and a longer coastal stage into Manase in the afternoon. By the end of the day, Cliff Hughes still wore yellow, Lillian Gray remained untouchable in pink, and the race had two new stage winners to celebrate.
Stage 3, a 33-kilometre dash from Apia to Mulifanua, was expected to favour the sprinters. Instead, it was decided by daring aggression.
Auckland’s Malcolm Lochhead launched an early attack, gambling that the bunch would hesitate. It was a bold move — and it paid off. With the chasing pack unable to close the gap, Lochhead powered across the line to take his first ever stage win at the Tour of Samoa. Behind him, veteran Gordon McCauley led the pursuit and claimed second, while Mark Gray rounded out the podium in third.
The women’s race saw a shake-up as well. Pamela McCauley seized her chance in the sprint, outsprinting defending champion Lillian Gray to take her maiden stage victory. Gray, who had dominated the opening days, settled for second, while Vicky Cairns secured third. It was a result that added intrigue to the women’s contest, even as Gray’s overall lead remained unthreatened.
After a quick ferry transfer, Stage 4 began on the island of Savai’i, where the riders tackled a 46-kilometre route from Salelologa to Manase. The terrain was flatter, but the pace was furious, and it was Jason Ward of Auckland who lit up the afternoon with a powerful solo break.
Ward’s strength and commitment earned him a stage victory that he described as “one of the hardest but most rewarding rides I’ve done.” Behind him, former yellow jersey holder David Whyman finished second, with current leader Hughes sprinting in for third to maintain his grip on the overall classification.
In the women’s race, normal service resumed as Lillian Gray powered to another victory, ahead of Pamela McCauley in second and Cairns once again in third. With three stage wins from four days, Gray continues to look untouchable as she defends her title.
The jersey standings were unchanged at the end of Day Two. Hughes remains in yellow as the overall leader, Gray stays in pink, and Samoa’s own Hastings Salanoa continues to wear the red jersey as the top local rider. Salanoa’s consistency has been a source of pride for the home crowd, who cheered loudly as the peloton arrived in Manase to be hosted in traditional style at Tanu Beach Fales.
The riders now prepare for Stage 5, the Tour’s first individual time trial, a 31-kilometre test from Manase to a finish inland of Asau. Against the clock, every weakness is exposed, and with Hughes, Whyman, Ward, and McCauley all within striking distance of each other, Wednesday could mark a turning point in the race for yellow.
