More than 60 riders from as far south as Napier took part in the fourth annual Cape to Kaitaia Cycle Challenge on Saturday which started at Cape Reinga and finishing at 103 Gym Central in downtown Kaitaia.
Dawn broke to reveal a slightly overcast day. With a mild north-easterly, riding conditions were almost perfect although some strong gusts at the Cape led to some hairy moments as the riders came off the hill and descended into the valley.
The bulk of the riders stayed together until the first assent where a group of four broke away to a handy lead.
They stayed together until the second assent where, toward the top, Matt Andrew and Shaun Williams distanced themselves from their two companions.
This was the decisive break from which the eventual winners would come.
The two worked well together with each taking equal responsibility to ensure their breakaway succeeded.
They were hotly pursued by a group of three, which included Mike Page and John Shepherd from NZ Cyclist of Auckland, but the gap eventually went out to an unassailable five minutes.
As the end approached, the two leading riders agreed to a truce and decided to share line honours and the glory of the day.
Their winning time for the 112km was 3 hours and 3 minutes, matching the best time set by a Kerikeri rider in the challenge's second year.
The first local rider to finish was Phill Mellsop in 3 hours 21 minutes and the first woman home was Ally Boggs, from the Hibiscus Coast. The other participants were spread out over the course with the last rider finishing in 6 hours 21 minutes.
The event was hosted by the Far North Flash Kaitaia, a local organisation dedicated to promoting cycling and multi-sport events in the district.
Cape to Kaitaia Challenge spokesman Phil Gibbs noted it turned out to be an awesome day for the iconic ride.
"All who entered expressed their appreciation and satisfaction to the organiser and their support staff for the quality of the ride."
Tour NZ thanks youIn other cycling news, organisers of the Tour of New Zealand, which enjoyed synchronised starts in Cape Reinga and The Bluff on April 20 as cyclists travelled either of the North Island or South Islands over the following eight days, have advised the event raised more than $50,000 for various charities including St John and the Heart Foundation among others.
Event spokesperson Peter Yarrell, in particular, wanted to thank all those involved in the endeavour, either for taking part or for working behind the scenes to ensure the tour's success this year.
"Your part in the complex planning of this major operation is so appreciated," said Yarrell before providing an overview of the 2013 tour by noting 300-plus riders from six countries competed on all or part of the two routes. Five fallers required minor first aid help and/or a brief visit to a hospital.
Yarrell noted Tourism New Zealand supported the event with several overseas journalists following the tour. They reported extensively on the event and "our beautiful country", and he estimated thousands of dollars were spent nationwide by the competitors and their support crews as they visited various regions on their tour.
A 13-minute DVD featuring tour highlights and compelling stories from competitors was available for $20 from the Tour of New Zealand website.
Yarrell said the next tour is planned for April, 2015 when it will again roll through the North Island and South Island on the way to each leg's respective denouement at the Beehive in Wellington when the final showdown criterium is decided.
Entries were being accepted with discount incentives for early birds - $85 for entering this month (June) and increasing each month until November where the full fee of $100pp will be payable - as well as various other "great goals" encouraging competitors to start getting fit and healthy, a full 20 months in advance.