KEY POINTS:
One of the greatest eras in New Zealand road cycling is to be revisited.
The brainchild of race director Stephen Cox, the Lion Foundation 7-Day Cycle Challenge aims to relive the glory days of the Dulux-sponsored race which attracted New Zealand's best - and many international stars -
from the early 1960s through, under various guises, to the 1990s.
Initially the focus is on quantity rather than quality with Cox - who is heading the venture on behalf of the Waka-Roc Sports Club, responsible for many races in the Waikato and elsewhere in recent years - determined the race should be accessible to the cycling fraternity as a whole.
"We want cyclists of all abilities to be able to meet the challenge," said Cox. "The longest stage is only 82km. Any rider who does not finish one stage will still be able to ride the next. The day's racing is deliberately quite short. On most days there are two stages."
There will, Cox expects, be a number of New Zealand's elite cyclists who will want to race but he does not see this, initially at least, as the emphasis.
"Until the entries are in [they close in mid-December] we will not know how many will line-up but if we get to around 30 we will look to bring in a commissaire [race referee] and make it a full-on race. In reality, that might not happen for the first couple of years.
"This first race is more about giving the average cyclist the chance to experience tour racing."
Cox, the 1979 Dulux winner and one of the best road riders of the era, said he expected former winners Jack and Stephen Swart and English-born Dave Mann to be in the field.
"I really don't know how many riders who rode the Dulux and other North Island tours will ride but there has been a lot of interest," said Cox. "It will not have all the bells and whistles of those races but it promises to be a race to remember."
There will be the usual yellow [tour leaders] jersey, king of the mountain and sprint ace categories with special emphasis on the masters grades. There will also be a women's grade.
"It is entirely up to the individual whether they race or ride," said Cox. "If a rider wants the yellow jersey there will be plenty of others who will not want you to have it."
While he could not put a price on the venture, Cox admitted his budget was "over $100,000" but he was being prudent in his spending.
"By finishing on the edge of towns rather than going into the centre of big towns and cities, we have probably cut the traffic management costs in half," said Cox. "There is a lot of racing on back roads but we will still go over parts of the old Dulux races including the Rimutakas and Vinegar Hill."
For three-time Dulux winner Jack Swart, the stage from Wanganui up the Paraparas will bring back special memories.
After an only average start to the 1986 race, Swart unleashed one of the great rides to unload Czech professional Omar Palov on the climb from National Park to The Chateau to win the stage. He repeated the effort the following day on the stage from The Chateau to Taupo.
Cox said he had already fielded more than 200 phone calls and emails from potential starters.
"Initially I thought 100 would be tops but now I feel we are likely to have closer to 200," said Cox. "There is no limit. I can see it evolving much like the round Taupo race. That began as a fun ride and quickly developed into an elite race with the country's best turning up."
Asked why he had opted to race from Wellington to Auckland rather than following the traditional race route to the Capital, Hamilton-based Cox said simply, "Auckland is closer to home when we finish."
7 Day Challenge:
*February 15-21
*From Wellington to Auckland - 694km
Stages:
One: Te Maru to summit Rimutaka Hill, 13km.
Two: Featherston to Masterton, 65km.
Three: Masterton to Pahiatua, 73km.
Four: Pahiatua to Palmerston North, 35km.
Five: Palmerston North to Hunterville, 60km.
Six: Hunterville to Wanganui, 56km.
Seven: Wanganui to Kakatahi, 45km.
Eight: Kakatahi to Ohakune (via Fields Track), 45km.
Nine: Ohakune to Turangi, 82km.
10: Tihoi to Mangakino, 35km.
11: Mangakino to Kihikihi, 65km.
12: Hamilton to Naike, 65km.
13: Naike to Pukekohe (finish), 55km.
