GOLDEN MILESTONE: Competing in the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge for the 20th time earned Gisborne bike mechanic Norm Graham his number on a gold background. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell
GOLDEN MILESTONE: Competing in the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge for the 20th time earned Gisborne bike mechanic Norm Graham his number on a gold background. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell
A cross-section of distances and race times were achieved by 24 Gisborne cyclists at the 41st Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge last weekend.
Fifteen completed the iconic 160-kilometre lap of the lake, the keynote road ride in the country’s biggest cycling event. The others were spread across a half-lap ride andthree offroad mountain bike events.
Three Gisborne riders broke five hours on the road. Marvin Malia was 164th in the 35-44 age group in 4:46. Nick Whittingham was 256th in the 45-54 group in 4:49. Dmitrey Carruthers finished in 4:58 to cross 29th in the under-18s.
Just missing the five-hour mark, Hadfield Kutia was 330th in the 45-54 bracket in 5:05, Noel Holden 82nd in the 60-69 group in 5:12, Ihaia Wiremu 126th in the same group in 5:36, Anthony Pahina and son Shaun were 492nd in 45-54 and 206th in 19-34 group respectively in 5:45, Ian Wedderburn 145th in 60-69 in 5:47, Ian Chatfield 202nd in 60-69 in 6:19, Ewan Atherton 604th in 45-54 in 6:26, and in the 60-69 group Ollie Whitewood was 244th in 6:46 and Norm Graham 334th in 9:25.
Two Gisborne women completed the lake circuit. Joanne McHardy was 116th in the 45-54 group in 9:07 and Kristine Twigley 123rd in 12:07.
In the half-lake ride, Kimberley Cranston and Kim Hedley were 14th woman and 32nd man in the 19-34 age group while Sue and Andy Cranston were 24th woman and 106th man in the 60-69 group.
Two Gisborne women tackled the 85km mountain bike, the longest of the off-road distances. Rose Candy was fourthth in the 35-44 group in 6:29, while Steferl Gordon was eighth in the 45-54 group in 6:50.
Peter Hancock flew over the course in 4:29 to finish 11th overall in a 200-plus field and fifth in the men’s 35-44 group. Mark Richards was 17th in the 19-34 group in the 60km off-road event in 4:02, while Kate Muir was 14th in 19-34 in the 35km off-roader in 2:22.
Weather conditions were excellent for 6000-plus cyclists across 14 events from elite races to family rides, and 1000 of them went off-road on to the mountain bike trails this year.
