Laurika up to Challenge

Wanganui's Laurika Hazelhurst has won three stages in her age group at her first attempt at the Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge. Photo/Stuart Munro

Laurika Hazelhurst has ditched gruelling ironman events this season for perhaps a more daunting week-long challenge.

The 42-year-old is the sole Wanganui competitor in the annual seven-day Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge that rolled into the River City on Tuesday evening ending stage six. She is in the group two section, the second tier division.

Hazelhurst is a member of the Wanganui Cycling Club and a regular competitor in local events. However, her favoured competition is ironman.

The cycle challenge to raise money for multiple sclerosis is a gruelling 13 stage event that takes in areas of outstanding beauty on open roads from Wellington to Auckland, including both flat to rolling terrain and steep hill country.

Hazelhurst has shown her fitness levels are up to scratch for her first attempt at the challenge winning three stages in her 40-49 age group.

"I decided to give ironman a miss this season to concentrate on cycling and this is my first go at the Wellington to Auckland challenge - it's great," she said yesterday morning before heading out on stage seven that ended in Ohakune via the Parapara (SH4) and through Fields Track to the mountain village in the late afternoon.

"I've won three stages in my age group and it was particularly pleasing to win the two heading into Wanganui."

Hill climbs are not her favoured terrain, although she had an advantage on the Hunterville to Wanganui stage on Tuesday.

"It's a course I'm used to when training for ironman, so I knew the country. I have also raced on the Parapara hills, although not through Fields Track to Ohakune, so that will be interesting. I'm not really into hill climbs - they're a bit of a struggle."

But Hazelhurst was feeling fit and fresh for the next stages and would be giving her best throughout the challenge.

Meanwhile, there was little change in the group one (serious competitors) leaders, with Jason Thomason (Taranaki) maintaining a six second lead over Waitara team mate Mel Titter by the time they arrived in Wanganui on Tuesday. Thomason is in the under-30 age group, while Titter is in the 30-39 group.

The top three riders had established a 1m 40s lead over the chase pack, with their move in Tuesday morning's stage looking like the deciding strategy this year.

"It has been a fairly challenging few days with a lot of the Group One riders working against Mel and I as a couple of the stronger two in the race," Thomason said.

"This is great though and presents a great challenge for the both of us. Climbing probably suits Mel and I when it gets a bit tougher, we can maybe get rid of a few of the challengers so we are looking forward to it, we will have to see how it works out tomorrow on the hills."