Cycling carnival a caffeine hit

Bay Espresso owner Chris Jarvis will be awarding the Bay Espresso Criterium ride winner their bodyweight in coffee beans. Photo / Duncan Brown

Coffee-lovers get on that bike, there's a bodyweight worth of coffee up for grabs for the winner of the Bay Espresso Criterium race next Wednesday, January 13.

This is just one race in a line-up of 11 that will span the 10-day Summer Cycling Carnival, which begins today.

Cyclists could already be seen testing out the routes and the managers' meeting would mark the official opening tonight.

Napier City Council event manager Kevin Murphy said there was a mixture of elite, semi-elite and family events to enjoy with time trials first up tomorrow .

A number of bikes would be awarded throughout the week as well as prizemoney.

Ramblers Cycling Club chairman Gavin Bush said the prize of coffee was fitting.

"I think it's fair to say that coffee and cycling go hand in hand.

"Espresso coffee or stopping at a cafe is absolutely part of cycling."

He said cyclists would often factor in a cafe to finish their ride or most certainly make sure there was one along the way.

Bay Espresso owner Chris Jarvis, who was responsible for the quirky prize, said it was "not uncommon" to stray from the norm in the world of cycling.

"It just makes it fun really."

While Mr Jarvis owned a bike and was a member of Ramblers Cycling Club, he said he liked the "aesthetics of cycling".

"I've been interested in it for a while and with the elites coming to Hawke's Bay for the first time we like to get behind that."

The coffee roaster said he had not quite worked out the logistics of awarding the prize, but planned to work something out with the lucky winner.

"I don't know if I will give them a kilogram a month for the rest of their lives or what I will do."

Many of the Ramblers were expected to be vying for the prize because they usually got a "pat on the head and couple of pints", Mr Bush said.

The high-speed race was set to be full of excitement with racers screaming past spectators during the sprint laps which would occur every 10 minutes.

The 1.1km circuit would run along Napier's Marine Parade where the crowd could watch from just metres away.

Mr Bush said: "It's really exciting because people can sit on the road and see the races unfold before them."

Food and coffee would be on offer at the designated spectator zones at the Botanical Gardens and Marine Parade throughout the carnival.

Mr Murphy said the events "showcased" the Hawke's Bay landscape, covering ground along the coast and inland from Napier to Havelock North.

Spectators were welcome roadside to experience the hype firsthand, but, for those who preferred to experience the action from home, live streaming would be available.

Races can be watched online at www.dreamlive.nz.

There would also be screens around the course broadcasting the action as it unfolded.

-More information about the races can be found at summercyclingcarnival.co.nz, or follow the event on facebook.com/summercyclingcarnival.