Cycling: Bay veteran completes third Around The Mountain Challenge

Albert Schroder toasts his third consecutive Around The Mountain Cycle Challenge in Taranaki. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay cyclist Albert Schroder reckons he has never been as embarrassed as he was the night he attended the Legends Dinner at the end of last year's elite nationals in Napier.

Clive's Schroder and his wife Sue were at the same table as Kiwi legend Julian Dean. It didn't take long for the Tour de France to pop up in conversation.

"Sue told Julian I go to the Tour de France every year ... I sit on my couch and watch it on television and put a bottle of whisky away each tour while we watch. Next thing Julian relayed that story to the function ... my secret was out. I told him you have to have a bit of fire in the belly," Schroder recalled.

A veteran of more than 90,000km on three different bikes since taking up cycling 13 years ago, Schroder, 75, had just enough fire in his belly to complete his third consecutive 148km Around The Mountain Cycle Challenge in Taranaki on Saturday. He was 11th in his 70-plus men's grade and 290th in the 393-strong men's field with a time of 5hrs35m26s.

"It was so much hotter than the previous two years. It was 27C on Saturday and there was a strong crosswind for the final third. I was lucky I was able to get in behind a group and stay there," Schroder said.

"Thirty minutes after the race sweat was still pouring out of me and that's unusual for Taranaki. Sue did a fantastic job at the various fuel stops for me. While the hills aren't as big as you get on the Taupo Challenge there are gradual climbs which go as far as the eye can see."

Last year Schroder was 11th in his age group in 5hr26m and in 2016 he was eighth in 5hrs24m11s. On Saturday he finished an hour behind the winner of his age group.

"I've got to go back again next year. I'd like to crack the top 10 in my age group again," Schroder said.

His cycling CV includes 10 Lake Taupo Cycle challenges and a nine-hour-ride from Tutira to Gisborne in 2010. A regular week's cycling for Schroder consists of at least 300km between Monday and Friday and if the weather is right a 100km ride around the 4hr15m mark at the weekend.

In October Schroder will tackle his 11th 100km race in the annual Tour of the Bay.
"I've only missed two during the last 13 years. One year I had the flu and another year I had a crook knee," Schroder recalled.

"I suppose you could call me a professional cyclist. But unlike the real pros I pay for myself," Schroder joked.

He admitted he gets as much enjoyment out of watching cycling as he does competing.

"I've watched five elite nationals ... three here in the Bay and two in Christchurch. Jack [Bauer] is my favourite rider," Schroder said referring to the Nelson professional.

A wool scourer in Clive for 36 years before retiring, Schroder, did not do any sport for 20 years before taking up cycling. Before that he was involved in tug of war for 23 years.

When he stopped competing in that code in 1984 Schroder had won 23 national titles. The aerobic base from tug of war has served him well during his cycling pursuits.

He was a member of one of Hawke's Bay's most revered tug of war teams, the 1970 Clive United middleweight team that included his brother Lindsay Schroder, Bill McCabe, Doug Hollyman and Robin Greene. Their biggest claim to fame was beating a Star Hotel heavyweight team from Auckland in the Auckland championships despite being heavily outweighed. The Auckland team included former All Black Vic Yates and his brother, Simon, who was a New Zealand Maori rugby league rep.

"It was so convincing we pulled the ball out of the box. The organisers growled at us for wrecking their gear ... we used a sledge hammer and an axe to knock it back together," Schroder recalled.

"You can imagine the reputation the Yates brothers had back then. After beating them, we went on to win the comp with a win against Huntly in the final," Schroder added.

Hawke's Bay elite cyclist Josh Page, who won the challenge last year, finished third overall on Saturday and won the men's 30-34 age group in 3hr46.47s. Aucklander Gordon McCauley, who won the race, was three seconds faster than Page.