Theft victims won't let it taint event

MISSING BIKE: Veteran Rotorua IronMaori contestant Sarah Wiwarena, 70, on her distinctive Specialized- branded bike on Saturday. Just hours later it was one of three bikes stolen from her group's vehicle outside a Westshore motel.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Four visiting competitors in Napier for Saturday's IronMaori Quarter Ironman in Napier had to return home without their bikes which were stolen from their vehicles.

The bikes and other stolen competitors gear is valued together at more than $12,000.

However, the competitors weren't letting the theft take away from a great event.

One was taken from a vehicle parked on Thames St, Pandora, on Saturday afternoon, while hundreds of competitors were at their prizegiving ceremony.

The other three were stolen from a Meeanee Quay motel early yesterday morning, while three women, one of whom is aged 70, slept before heading home to Rotorua.

Stunning all the victims, the thefts really shocked IronMaori founder and organiser Heather Skipworth, who said they were the first at IronMaori since it was first held in 2009.

People are being asked to look out for the bikes, but Ms Skipworth was worried they might have been quickly gotten rid of, possibly for a fraction of the real value.

Sonia Te Whare and Sarah Wiwarena were down from Rotorua with friend Louise Rickard when their bikes were stolen and told Hawke's Bay Today the thieves must have been "looking around" for bikes to steal, and it was likely to have happened only an hour or two before they awoke about 5am for an early start on the trip home.

"Louise was just going out the door and I was right behind her ... and she looked, and I looked. The vehicle was backed right up to the door, but the bikes had been stolen."

They'd been secured the night before with rubber and straps inter-locking the bikes, one of which had been stowed with one of its wheels removed. Recovering from the shock, they contacted the police and headed home, not letting it ruin their views of the event, nor IronMaori.

"We arrived on Friday and we've had such a fantastic weekend," she said. While all disappointed, they were particularly disappointed for Louise Rickard, who is leaving on a trip to Australia today, worried about a missing bike and other belongings together worth more than $4000 and needed for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge on November 29, a week before the IronMaori half Ironman in Napier.

Taken were a yellow/grey/black Scott with Aero bars, a distinctive white Specialized-branded bike, and a blue and silver Genius. Also taken were Louise Rickard's sticker-covered pink transition box with her cleats, wetsuit, and goggles and other items.

The bike taken from Thames St on Saturday is a black and white Avanti Corsa with green wheels.

The big winners on Saturday were IronMaori podium regular Kevin Nicholson who claimed the men's title in 2h 11m 33s, and Ngarama Milner-Olsen, who finished in 2h 28m 54s. Both live in Wellington but have Ngati Kahungunu links.

Nicholson beat rugby league referee and former rugby and rugby league player Faryn Ngawaka (Ngati Porou) by nine minutes, and third in the men's category was Bruce Richardson(Ngati Kahungunu).

Second and third in the women's event were Kate O'Malley and Brodie Smith, each with European and Pakeha connections.

The winning male team was Stag, a Ngati Kahungunu trio who beat Milky Bar Bros by seven minutes. The winning women's team was Te Aitanga A Mahaki, just two minutes ahead of Apanui Wahine, while winning mixed team was Fast and Curious, from Wairoa, who held out police team Iron Pirihimana, also by two minutes.

The competitors included 674 who contested the 56.5km individual event, which comprised of a 1km swim, a 45km cycle ride and 10.5km of waking or running. About 500 more were in the teams event, doing a leg each.

Many are preparing for the IronMaori Half on December 6, but Ms Skipworth said there seemed to be many new faces "maybe testing the water" for something more adventurous.