Haden second in Taupo Cycle Challenge

Whanganui's Glenn Haden (left), XL Huka mountain bike race winner Sam Shaw and third placegetter Henry Jaine pop the champers after the gruelling 85km event in Taupo at the weekend.

Whanganui riders put age and rival skill sets aside to post commanding performances at the annual Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge at the weekend.

Glenn Haden showed his class with perhaps the best performance by a Whanganui rider finishing a close second in the XL Huka 85km mountain bike race to Rotorua's Sam Shaw.

Haden clocked 3.46.26 compered to Shaw's 3.45.01 with Henry Jaine from Nelson third in 3.46.27. Shaw blitzed his own time in the event shaving 11 minutes off his 2016 third place ride.

Brent Bismark rode the Huka XL finishing 11th, before riding back to compete in the Heart Kids ride with his pre-school son.

Whanganui's Tony Sinclair won his 50-59 year age group Huka Challenge in a creditable 4.43.11, while Stephen Snell was first Whanganui club member home in the 60-69 age group race in fourth place in 4.16.37 and 119th overall.

Snell, from Ashhurst but riding out of the Whanganui club, posted as exceptional time given the younger Bevan Cheatley's 4.17.53 and overall 142nd placing.
Laurence Sunde, the oldest at 74, clocked 5.30.23.

Johnny Black, posting the most rides in the event by a Whanganui rider with 25 now under his belt, became a Diamond Cadence member giving him free entry forever. He covered the course in 4.58.14 for third in the 70+ age group.

Brian Scott had one of the rides of the day. Getting better with age the longtime competitor stopped the clock at 4.45.42 in 60-69 age group. Scott is in training for 2018 Ironman.

Hunter Gibson finished third in U18 on the quarter Lake course, while Whanganui prison officer Marsh Tangaroa did the Enduro (2 laps) in 15.52.13.

Thirty of the 6000 riders hailed from Whanganui.