Johnson up for challenging seven day tour again

As he ramps up his training to defend the title he won last year, Whangarei cyclist Lee Johnstone is confident he will wear the leaders jersey again throughout the 2011 Lion Foundation Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge.
"I'm confident I can repeat the win again - I'm feeling stronger than I did last year ... I hope that's not a bad omen," Johnstone said ahead of the seven-day cycle tour, which covers around 800km and starts in two weeks' time.
The 41-year-old admitted hill climbing was not his strongest point, but he has spent the summer giving it extra attention while racking up some 500-600km on the bike per week over the past month or so.
"I was doing plenty of kilometres before that as well, but I've ramped it up a bit over the last few weeks ... I've been doing plenty of hills, and I've dropped a couple of kilograms which doesn't sound that much, but it makes a big difference getting over the top of hills," he said.
The My Bike Whangarei sponsored cyclist has not raced since the Criterium Championships in Auckland in December and November's Fred Ogle Road Race - which Johnstone placed second in - but he is on track to peak for the 13 stage tour he won last year.
"The tour has been my goal along with the National Road Champs in May down in Wanganui, where I'll be trying to defend my Masters 2 Road Race title."
While riders compete in their age group during the tour, there is also an overall tour winner - which is the title Johnstone claimed last year after winning seven stages out of 13.
This year, he hopes to better that result but it won't be easy with the likes of Waikato's Rod Carpenter and former South African representative Michael Jones, along with Dargaville's Barry Ruddell all lining up in the My Bike kit, racing for podium honours.
"We are all riding as a team for My Bike and after the first three days we will assess who is looking strongest and support them over the next few days to help them win the tour," he said.
The Wellington to Auckland tour was first run in 2009, with 95 riders taking part. Last year's event attracted 125 while this year 143 riders have already entered.
"It is a pretty cool tour - similarly run to the Tour Of Northland, but longer obviously. and there's a better camaraderie with the whole race crew. There's two stages a day except for day six where there's just one, and they have a prizegiving every night where the leader's jersey is presented and so on," Johnstone explained.
Also in the tour is up and comer Matthew Markby, who was third in the Fred Ogle Road Race along with Mangawhai's Tom Andrews and Whangarei's Kevin Scott.
The seven day event organised by Dynamo Events, starts at Trentham Race Course on February 13, and climbs its way from Upper Hutt through the Wairarapa to Palmerston North, meandering through Wanganui to Ohakune, hitting the Waikato before finishing in Pukekohe, Auckland.
CYCLE CHALLENGE
2011 Lion Foundation Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge:
Stage 1, Feb 13: 17km Trentham Race Course to Top of Rimutaka Hill
Stage 2, Feb 13: 64km Featherston to Masterton
Stage 3, Feb 14: 73km Masterton to Pahiatua
Stage 4, Feb 14: 30km Pahiatua to Palmerston North
Stage 5, Feb 15: 63km Palmerston North to Hunterville
Stage 6, Feb 15: 57km Hunterville to Wanganui
Stage 7, Feb 16: 45 Wanganui to Kakatahi
Stage 8, Feb 16: 51km Kakatahi to Ohakune
Stage 9, Feb 17: 82km Ohakune to Turangi
Stage 10. Feb 17: 48km Turangi to Taupo
Stage 11, Feb 18: 90km Tokoroa to Hamilton
Stage 12, Feb 19: 76km Hamilton to Glen Murray
Stage 13, Feb 19: 38km Glen Murray to Pukekohe