Michael Vink

Michael Vink (born 22 November 1991) is a New Zealand professional road cyclist, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates. In 2023, he was signed by UAE Team Emirates XRG on the strength of his results in the virtual cycling platform ‘MyWhoosh’.^[8]

Michael Vink

Vink in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Michael Vink
Nickname	Vinkinator[1][2]
Born	(1991-11-22) 22 November 1991 (age 33) Christchurch, New Zealand
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	74 kg (163 lb)
Team information
Disciplines	Road Track
Role	Rider
Amateur teams
2009–2010	Subway-Avanti Cycling Team
2010	Isorex Cycling Team[3]
2011	Trek–Livestrong[4]
2011–2012	Mico–Protrain Cycling Team
2012	VL Technics–Abutriek Cycling Team
2012–2014	Scotty Browns–Vision Systems
2014	Breads of Europe–All About Plumbing Cycling Team
2016–2017	Sojasun Espoir ACNC
Professional teams
2013–2014	Team Budget Forklifts
2015	CCT p/b Champion System
2018	Brisbane Continental Cycling Team
2019–2021	St George Continental Cycling Team[5][6]
2022	Bolton Equities Black Spoke Pro Cycling[7]
2023–2024	UAE Team Emirates[8]
Major wins
Memorial Van Coningsloo (2013) Tour of Southland (2018, 2019, 2021) New Zealand Cycle Classic (2014) National Road Race Championships (2012) National Time Trial Championships (2015) Under-23 National Road Race Championships      (2011, 2012) Under-23 National Time Trial Championships      (2010, 2012, 2013)

Vink has won the Tour of Southland three times (2018, 2019, 2021), a feat only achieved by four other riders. He said of his third win “I think we were the hot favourites from day one and to finish it off for me and for all the boys and the sponsors, it’s the best way to repay them, by taking the win,”^[9] He has also won Le Race (Christchurch to Akaroa) three times (2010, 2013 and 2021) and holds the course record.^[10] He said of his 2021 victory “Conditions were pretty good, and the record was on the cards, so I really pushed hard to get the record,”^[10]

Vink, said of joining UAE Team Emirates, at the age of 31 “I’m a guy who just loves riding my bike. I would wake up, check the weather forecast, see how I felt, and then do what I wanted. I was working on and off, a few different things all cycling-related, including in shops. I’ve got too much experience in the cycling industry to do something different.”^[11]

Major results

Source:^[12]

2008

1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships

1st Overall Yunca Junior Tour of Southland^[13]

3rd Team pursuit, UCI Juniors World Championships

2009

1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships

National Junior Track Championships

1st Individual pursuit (national record)

1st Team pursuit (national record)

1st Overall Yunca Junior Tour of Southland

1st Graperide

1st French Under 19 selection race

1st Time trial, Te Awamutu Junior Tour

1st Time trial, Rotorua Junior Tour

Most aggressive rider, Grand prix Leclerc de Lune à Cholet

2nd Overall Vendée les 3 Rivières

1st Junior rider classification

3rd Team pursuit, Australian Youth Olympic Festival

9th Overall Tour of Southland

2010

1st Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships

1st Overall Main Divide Cycle Race

1st Mountains classification

1st Overall Monmort Chouilly Beaunay

1st Le Race (course record)^[14]

1st Ottergem Kermesse

1st Christchurch to Hanmer (course record)

1st Christchurch Time Trial Association 16 km (course record)^[15]

2nd Gore–Invercargill

3rd Amateur race, Zierikzee

3rd Long Bays Classic

2011

National Under-23 Road Championships

1st Road race

2nd Time trial

1st Overall Tour de Taieri^[16]

3rd Le Race

2012

National Road Championships

1st Road race^[17]

1st Under-23 road race^[18] (1st overall and course record)

1st Under-23 time trial

1st Overall Tour de Vineyards

1st Young rider classification

1st Stage 2

1st Meulebeke Kermesse

1st Mountains classification Triptyque Ardennais

2nd Overall Tour de Côte-d'Or^[19]

1st Young rider classification

1st Stage 2 (TTT)

2nd Road race, Christchurch Festival of Cycling^[20]

3rd Overall Tour of Southland^[21]

1st Young rider classification

1st Stage 7 (ITT)

5th Overall New Zealand Cycle Classic

2013

National Under-23 Road Championships

1st Road race

2nd Time trial

1st Memorial Van Coningsloo

1st Main Divide Cycle Race

1st Le Race (course record)^[22]

National Track Championships

2nd Individual pursuit

3rd Team pursuit

3rd Scratch

4th Overall Tour of the Murray River

5th Overall Thüringen Rundfahrt der U23

2014

1st Overall New Zealand Cycle Classic

1st Stage 1 (ITT)

1st Graperide

1st Benchmark Homes Elite Cycling Series^[23]

2015

1st Time trial, National Road Championships

2016

2nd Overall Tour of Southland

1st Prologue (TTT), Stages 4 & 6 (ITT)

2nd La Route Bretonne

7th Overall New Zealand Cycle Classic

2017

1st Ronde du Porhoët

2nd Overall Tour of Southland

1st Stage 6 (ITT)^[24]

2018

1st Overall Tour of Southland

1st Stage 3^[25]

1st Overall The Pioneer MTB Stage Race (with Tim Rush)^[26]

1st Prologue, Stages 2, 3, 4 & 5

1st Graperide

2nd Time trial, National Road Championships

2nd Overall Tour of Tasmania

1st Stage 2

4th Overall New Zealand Cycle Classic

2019

1st Overall Tour of Southland

1st Prologue (TTT)

1st Overall The Pioneer MTB Stage Race (with Tim Rush)^[27]

1st Stages 1, 3, 4 & 5

2nd Overall Tour de Ijen

3rd Overall PRUride Philippines

5th Overall Tour of Taihu Lake

5th Overall Tour of Fuzhou

8th Overall Tour de Kumano

2020

2nd Overall Tour of Southland

2021

1st Overall Tour of Southland

1st Stages 2 & 7 (ITT, course record)

1st Le Race (course record)

National Road Championships

3rd Time trial

4th Road race

6th Overall New Zealand Cycle Classic

2022

2nd Time trial, National Road Championships

References

1. "Vinkinator obliterates the U23 field". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
2. "Vinkinator strikes again to win Le Race". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
3. "Top junior cyclists off to Belgium". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
4. "Trek-Livestrong announces three more 2011 roster additions". Treklivestrongu23.com. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
5. "St George Continental Cycling Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
6. "St George Continental Cycling Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
7. "Michael Vink et Mark Stewart chez Black Spoke en 2022". velo-club.net. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
8. "MyWhoosh champion Vink set to step-up with UAE Team Emirates". Retrieved 31 October 2022.
9. Burdon, Nathan (6 November 2021). "Michael Vink wins his third Tour of Southland". Stuff. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
10. "Vink Sets Course Record To Claims Le Race Trifecta | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
11. Chris Marshall-Bell (18 February 2023). "Self-coached part-time worker Michael Vink on turning pro with UAE-Team Emirates aged 31: 'It's a big step up'". cyclingweekly.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
12. "Cycling Archives – Michael Vink". Cyclingarchives.com. 22 November 1991. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
13. "Saturday effort got Michael Vink to lead in cycling tour". The Southland Times. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
14. "Hall of Fame". Le Race. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
15. "Vink smashes long standing time trial record". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
16. "Cycling: Vink beats high-class opponents on Taieri". Otago Daily Times. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
17. "Vink shapes like a star in the making". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
18. "Michael Vink takes all the glory at NZ Champs". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
19. "Michael Vink shares win with teammate". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
20. "British rider continues winning streak at Festival of Cycling". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
21. "Cycling: Northey wins Tour of Southland". The New Zealand Herald. 3 November 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
22. "Vink wins Coffee Culture Le Race in impressive-fashion". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
23. "Vink takes surprise Benchmark Series win". Roadcycling.co.nz. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
24. "Vink claims consecutive time trial victories=Roadcycling.co.nz". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
25. "Michael Vink holds off Hamish Bond for Tour of Southland victory". Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
26. "Vink victorious in The Pioneer". Retrieved 1 December 2018.
27. "Kiwi riders sweep top Pioneer categories". Retrieved 7 December 2019.

External links

• Michael Vink at UCI
• Michael Vink at Cycling Archives (archived)
• Michael Vink at ProCyclingStats
• Michael Vink at Cycling Quotient
• Michael Vink at CycleBase