Sam Gaze

Sam Gaze
	Gaze at the National Championships in 2015 in Rotorua
Personal information
Full name	Samuel William Gaze
Born	12 December 1995 (age 28); Tokoroa, New Zealand
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	78 kg (172 lb)
Team information
Current team	Alpecin–Deceuninck
Disciplines	Mountain biking; Road;
Role	Rider
Rider type	Cross-country
Professional teams
2015–2019	Specialized Racing (MTB)
2019	Deceuninck–Quick-Step (road; stagiaire)
2020	Alpecin–Fenix
2021	Alpecin–Fenix Development Team
2022–	Alpecin–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
Commonwealth Games

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.

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 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]

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 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

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 Guéret

2nd Marseille–Luminy

Shimano Super Cup

1st La Nucia

XCC French Cup

1st Guéret

UCI XCC World Cup

2nd Nové Město

2024

UCI XCC World Cup

1st Mairiporã

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
Giro d'Italia	—
Tour de France	—
Vuelta a España	DNF

References

^ "Samuel Gaze". Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
^ ^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.
^ "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.

External links

Sam Gaze at UCI
Sam Gaze at Cycling Archives (archived)
Sam Gaze at ProCyclingStats
Sam Gaze at CycleBase
Sam Gaze at MTB Data

[Glasgow2014-1] "Samuel Gaze". Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 30 July 2014.

[Alpecin-2] "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] "Alpecin–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.

[Press_Glasgow-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 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.

[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 – 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.

[13] "43 Māori athletes to head to Rio Olympics". Te Karere. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]