# Sam Gaze

Samuel William Gaze (born 12 December 1995) is a New Zealand cross-country and road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Alpecin–Deceuninck. 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. 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.
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. In April 2018, Gaze won the gold medal in the cross country event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 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.
In August 2019, Gaze joined UCI WorldTeam Deceuninck–Quick-Step as a stagiaire for the second half of the season. For 2020, Gaze joined the Alpecin–Fenix team to contest road and mountain biking events.

## Personal life

Of Māori descent, Gaze affiliates to the Te Āti Awa iwi.

## 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 |