Cycling: Cyclist joins 7000 for big event

Rotorua's Sam Phipps is competing in the men's elite race on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Fresh off the Tour of Southland, Rotorua rider Sam Phipps will join some of the best cyclists in the country to contest the Contact Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.

About 7000 riders will take part in the big event on Saturday. There are plenty of distances and categories on offer but the main event is a 160km solo race around Lake Taupo. The elite men's race, called the Holden Men's Classic, has attracted a strong field this year with Olympic medallist Aaron Gate among the entries.

Phipps, 19, will be competing in the elite race on Saturday, plus the criterium on Friday night, and said he was aiming for a top-10 finish.

"Last year I went all right and I feel I could go for a top-10 or even a top-five this year," he said. "It is one of the strongest fields you will race in New Zealand. With the prize money up for grabs it attracts plenty of top riders."

Phipps has had a big season on the bike this year, spending plenty of time in France with the La Pomme Marseille Espoir team, a development team to the professional La Pomme Marseille team.

"I've had a good season and learned so much," he said. "The racing is next level over there in Europe ... I've improved as a rider a lot and become more versatile, and feel like I'm more of an all-round rider. I feel like I can handle tougher races now."

He also took part in the Tour of Southland earlier this month with Team Skoda Racing. Phipps helped his team finish fifth overall during the tour, and first among the all-Kiwi teams.

Phipps said he was eyeing up racing in Australia next year, after spending the New Zealand summer riding with the newly established Rotorua Racing team.

Olympic track cycling bronze medallist Gate said the Taupo event was his first major race when he was younger.

"The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge was the first big event of my cycling career when I completed it in 4:45 on my 15th birthday, back in 2005. It's now an event that I always look forward to being able to line up in."

Defending her 2014 Women's Road Race title will be Ruby Livingstone, who has been riding in Europe with the BePink La Classica racing team based out of Italy.

The winner of the Holden Men's Classic will receive $5000, while the winner of the Women's Road Race will collect $2000.