New Zealand’s cycle-friendly landscapes have attracted a robust international contingent of cyclists for an ambitious eight-day cycling adventure that sets off on 20 April.
Tour of latest Zealand, which travels the length of recent Zealand, is designed to entice cyclists of all abilities – from serious competitors in for the race to social cyclists on a leisurely tour. Participants ride as individuals or in teams.
Director Peter Yarrell says that entries for the 2013 edition include greater than 30 overseas competitors from Australia, Hong Kong, Texas, the united kingdom, Russia and Japan. About 220 cyclists can be at the starting point for Stage One.
Unique cycling event
Inaugurated in 2012, Tour of recent Zealand offers a brand new tackle cycling events because it is more concerning the journey than the race. It passes through a few of New Zealand’s outstanding landscapes and gives contestants the chance to ride at their very own level.
Teams or individuals can opt to ride through either the North or South Island and, at the final day, all of the competitors arrive on the mid-point in Wellington to race in the course of the grounds of latest Zealand’s Parliament Buildings.
The race starts simultaneously at both ends of recent Zealand. North Island cyclists begin at Cape Reinga on the tip of the North Island while South Island cyclists spark off from Bluff following a 700km path to Wellington.
Route highlights
The tour is promoted as “the most visually dramatic, accessible multi-day cycling stage race ever held in New Zealand” and every itinerary offers different highlights and sundry experiences, Yarrell says.
Travelling a few of New Zealand’s best country roads, the tour will go through the South Island’s alpine resorts of Queenstown, Wanaka and Lake Tekapo, and the central North Island’s distinctive Waitomo limestone country, active volcanic and world heritage conservation areas.
Cyclists at the North Island itinerary would begin their journey with a conventional Maori farewell on the famed lighthouse at Cape Reinga – a sacred spot in Maori tradition – while the South Island contingent would receive a send-off from “Invercargill’s inimitable Mayor Tim Shadbolt”.
On Anzac Day (25 April) riders could have the chance to sign up for dawn services commemorating past sacrifices of the NZ Militia – at National Park (North Island) and Hanmer Springs (South Island) – before setting off at the day’s ride.
Riders completing all seven stages will each carry a pebble taken from the southernmost point of recent Zealand to the finish in Wellington, where the pebbles should be combined with sand from the north as a symbolic presentation.
Celebration of recent Zealand
Yarrell sees the tour as “a celebration – not just of cycling, but of all New Zealand has to present.
The routes take riders through a variety of New Zealand scenery, stopping at iconic spots and country towns for off-road diversions.
In the South Island, cyclists will pedal past mountains and farmland, conquer high country passes, glimpsing the iridescent blues of the Southern Lakes inside the daytime and the dark skies above at night. The North Island route swoops through ancient kauri forests, beside northern beaches, around the volcanic heartland, and the Whanganui River via kilometres of remote native bush.
The race timetable permits three to 6 hours cycling each morning with free time within the afternoons and evenings for exploring the destinations, meeting the locals and enjoying the Kiwi hospitality experience.
On the eighth day, the riders will meet for a head-to-head criterium within the grounds of Wellington’s iconic Beehive to make a decision the winners in each category. This final blast across the 1.5km criterium course will start and finish at the steps of Parliament.
Cyclists
The entrants represent a wide range of cyclists, and Yarrell says that the development isn’t just about speed and competition.
Individual participants are just required to do one stage to join the development. They could also choose whether to hurry with the intense racers or dawdle their way finding out “the amazing backdrops.”
Teams must field as much as five cyclists on each stage but substitute riders are permitted at any stage because the goal is to get the team colours to Wellington.
Each day there’ll be $1000-worth of spot prizes distributed.
Participants may have the chance to elevate funds through sponsorship for his or her chosen charities while school teams will raise money for his or her school sports programmes. Charities supported by Tour riders include the guts Foundation, St Johns Ambulance Services, Halberg Disability Trust and the Hikurangi Foundation for the ‘Bikes in School’ programme.
The 2012 tour riders raised NZ$75,000 for charity.
Tour of recent Zealand is now a biennial event. New routes shall be introduced for the 2015 edition.
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