Sam_Gaze
Sam Gaze
New Zealand mountain bike racer
Samuel William Gaze (born 12 December 1995) is a New Zealand cross-country and road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Alpecin–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.
 Gaze at the National Championships in 2015 in Rotorua | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Samuel William Gaze | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-12-12) 12 December 1995 (age 28) Tokoroa, New Zealand[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Alpecin–Deceuninck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines |
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| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Cross-country | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Specialized Racing (MTB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Deceuninck–Quick-Step (road; stagiaire) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Alpecin–Fenix[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Alpecin–Fenix Development Team[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Alpecin–Deceuninck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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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 Deceuninck–Quick-Step as a stagiaire for the second half of the season.[12] For 2020, Gaze joined the Alpecin–Fenix team to contest road and mountain biking events.[2]
Of Māori descent, Gaze affiliates to the Te Āti Awa iwi.[13]
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 Nové 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
- 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
- 1st
- XCO French Cup
- 1st Guéret
- 2nd Marseille–Luminy
- Super Cup Massi
- 1st La Nucia
- XCC French Cup
- 1st Guéret
- UCI XCC World Cup
- 2nd Nové Město
- 2024
- UCI XCC World Cup
- 1st Mairiporã
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 |
|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia |
— |
 Tour de France |
— |
 Vuelta a España |
DNF |
- "Samuel Gaze". Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- "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.
- "Alpecin-Fenix Development Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "Alpecin–Fenix". UCI. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- "Gold and silver for NZ mountain bikers". Radio NZ. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- Richens, Matt (30 July 2014). "Anton Cooper wins with mountainbike gold". The Press. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- "Rio Olympics 2016: Sam Gaze finishes lap down in men's mountain biking". The New Zealand Herald. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- "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.
- "Kiwi 1–2: Gaze and Cooper claim gold and silver in Commonwealth Games mountain biking". The New Zealand Herald. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- "Kiwi mountainbiker Sam Gaze fined for flipping the bird at team-mate". Stuff. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- 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.
- "Deceuninck – Quick-Step sign Steimle and Gaze as stagiaires". Deceuninck–Quick-Step. Decolef Lux SARL. 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
