Every sport has its ultimate test - and for three Tauranga cyclists that challenge is the Tour of Southland.
The 900km tour is New Zealand's most prestigious cycling event and draws in riders from throughout the world.
This year, it has also drawn Tauranga men Lucas Finucane, Simon Binney and Steve Wright, who have teamed up with Hamilton riders Henry Bardoul and Gary Carleton with Rotorua rider Simon Finucane. Greg Taylor from Tauranga road cycling club is the team's manager.
The mostly Tauranga team are fundraising to help them reach their goal, and it was the first time in recent years a locally based team had competed in a tour of such a high level, team mechanic Richard Bates said.
"We have a good mix of primarily young and up-and-coming cyclists who should acquit themselves well in this year's tour."
The tour starts on October 30 and runs for seven days. It takes in immortal climbs like the Bluff Hill and the Crown Range, with the weather often playing a major part on the results, Bates said.
The team have been riding competitively for three to four years. They have been building up to the Tour of Southland by cycling up to 650km a week over winter.
In the closest finish in tour history last year, Calder Stewart-Bike rider Hayden Roulston claimed the title, just two seconds ahead of Share the Road's Jack Bauer.
Rider Steve Wright said team members were competitive by nature and the chance to rank in the Tour of Southland offered plenty of motivation to train for it.
"The weather can be nasty and makes training very uncomfortable at times but races are held in all kinds of extreme weather conditions so training in those conditions is necessary for good preparation," Wright said.
The team's entry was made possible by sponsorship primarily from the Southland Institute of Technology, which have helped cover costs for meals and transportation to Invercargill.
Bethlehem's Somerset Cottage have offered to run a raffle to help raise money for the team, hosting a prize of dinner for eight. People can support the team by buying raffle tickets from Somerset Cottage, Bethlehem Rd, Tauranga, before October 7.
If anyone would like to help the team through different means, they can contact team manager Greg Taylor on 027 494 9911.
Tour of Southland course summary