Five Kiwi cyclists were geared up to take on the mountainous seventh stage of the Tour de France early today _ from a Bay of Plenty living room.
Dressed in figure-hugging, brightly coloured Lycra, Boots Ryan, Wayne Sadler, David Norris, Peter Robertshaw and Paul Miller planned to cycle159km on stationary bikes in front of a television set in support of athletes taking part in the 3500km race.
"We just thought it's something we've never done so we thought we'd give it a go," Mr Ryan said from his Otumoetai home, where the friends, aged between 44 and 53, were to gather.
"It's not until you've been on a bike that you really appreciate the pain those guys are going through ... To push your body that far is the ultimate."
The leg from Brioude to Aurillac in the south of France started at midnight. The five Bay men expected the leg would take them four hours to complete _ depending on how their teams went.
Before the stage, each of the Kiwis was to pull a team name from a hat. From beginning to end they planned to mimic what riders from their team did as they watched them on screen.
If the Tour de France cyclists went uphill, the Kiwis were to change to a harder gear. A sprint would result in lots of huffing and puffing.
Unlike the professionals, whose lives revolve around the race, the Bay five didn't intend to take things too seriously. "We'll be drinking along the way," Mr Miller said.
Wine and whisky would be flowing and drinking penalties would be handed out. The riders were to get only four toilet stops during the four-hour stage _ and there were to be penalties for any extras.
The men are all keen cyclists and often head out together on rides. They've all competed in the 160km Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.
The 2008 Tour de France started on July 5 and finishes on July 27.
New Zealand's only rider in the race is Julian Dean of Waihi.
