The third annual Cape to Kaitaia Cycle Challenge on Saturday attracted several season cyclists from as far away as Cambridge who were all vying for line honours.
It was a crisp but fine day with a stiff southerly blowing straight into the face of the assembled riders, which meant conditions were against anyone trying to better last year's record of 3hr 2min set by a rider from Kerikeri Stryders.
As the race started, the group of 65 cyclists stayed largely together, mainly because the first 4km were down hill, where speeds of up to 80km/h were reached.
The action started when the peloton hit the first hill. By the time the leaders reached the top, it had split into four distinct groups with the lead group comprising the likes of seasoned racers Johnathan and Ruth Jarman (Marsden Wheelers, Whangarei) riding a tandem bike, Ryno Botha (Gordon McCauley Coaching, Auckland) and Matt Andrews (Mybike, Whangarei).
The three chasing packs worked hard to try to close the gap but it was to no avail as the group increased its lead during the next 100km.
All riders were battling strong winds and finding a group to latch on to became increasingly difficult.
With 25km to go, the Jarmans put down the hammer and slowly, one-by-one, they dropped their riding companions.
With 10km to go, they had a two-minute gap on the next rider, Matt Andrew, and were able to hold the advantage to the finish at Beta Body Health and Fitness.
The Jarman's finished in 3hr 40m, followed two minutes later by Matt Andrew, with Ryno Botha further back in third.
As the riders slowly arrived at the finish, they looked absolutely shattered, all commenting on the battering they got from the wind.
Philip Gibbs and Philip Mellsop were the first of the local riders - representing the hosting Far North Flash Cycle and Triathlon Club - to finish about 40 minutes later.
Both commented on how hard the ride had been and that the wind had made a huge difference to their individual times.
They were also appreciative of having the support of some seasoned riders from Mybike (Whangarei), who were able to work well as a group to helping them reach the finish.
Although all entrants completed the event and achieved some personal milestones, none could have summed up what the ride meant more than it did to the last rider to arrive.
Carol Williams arrived as the sun was setting. Battered and bruised, she fell off her bike into the arms of her fellow Far North Flash team-mates shedding tears of relief that her pain was finally over.
Many times she felt like giving up but struggled on until the end. She left everything on the road ...
But a great event was had by all on the day and all who participated expressed the desire to return, hopefully to a tail wind, to smash this year's times.
The organisers thanked all who supported the event and looked forward to the event growing to become one of New Zealand's premier events, much like Taupo and the K2. Philip Gibbs
More from the Cape to Kaitaia Cycle Challenge, along with an upcoming article on the FNFCTC, will feature in the near future.