NZ Bike 80 by MJ Media

Issue 80 JUNE 2015

ing Bike Bl

SHOESES V & GLO

NZCT

CYCLE CLASSIC

TRACK

WORLD CHAMPS

ROTORUA

BIKE FESTIVAL

VINCENZO NIBALI EXCLUSIVE PROFILE 02

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NEWS

EDITOR Matt Tuck

A WORD FROM THE

EDITOR

EDITORIAL TEAM

Sarah Loader | info@mjmedia.co.nz

Graphic Design

Jeremy Town | design@mjmedia.co.nz

ADVERTISING Season's Greetings to all of you out there in NZ Bike Land. But which Season is it? The Indian Summer went on into April and it seemed like it would last forever.

Tania Tuck | tania@mjmedia.co.nz Phone: +64 21 488443

NEWS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

But which Season is it? The Indian Summer went on into April and it seemed like it would last forever. Crankworx came and went and still the summer days rolled on and then without any warning, the Tour of New Zealand competitors found themselves riding through snow on the Lindis Pass! The weekend that started out looking a bit windy but warm ended with sub-zero temperatures and snow down to 200 metres. So now we find ourselves setting up the bikes (and indoor trainers in many cases) for another seasonal change and some cold and dreary days as winter gets stuck in. While Autumn in Auckland is one the best times of the year for riding - with calm, clear mornings and consistent weather that sticks around all day, down here in the deep south riding hours are skewed to later in the day when things are less frozen and you've had a chance to warm up! Unless of course you are one of those hardy souls who enjoy a bit of MTB action in the dark, when the temperature at 6pm is below freezing and by the time you come out of the forest at 9pm it's a couple of degrees below. I have to say that there is something about being in the forest at night, and climbing up single track at a slow-but-steady pace certainly doesn't feel like it does when you're rolling down the open road at 30km/h. In this issue of NZ Bike we are stoked to be able to bring you our feature story on Tour de France Champion Vincenzo Nibali. A real insight into what makes the man tick, and some amusing and inspiring parts to the story as well. Next issue will be full of the latest goingson, plus it's our 2015 Tour de France Special with all of the action, stage profiles, TV times in stage-by-stage, page-by-page breakdown. Also make sure you check out the fee App on Google Play and iTunes to download this magazine. We are offering a 50 page version for free every issue and the full magazine version downloaded to your device for not much more. More details later in the magazine. For those of you out there in 'roadie' land, as always, take extra care out there on the

roads as you mix it with drivers in towns, cities and out on the open road in conditions far less favourable than in the summer months. For those looking for some training options other than the indoor trainer, why not consider a cyclo-cross bike for a bit of a change. There are plenty of great, well-priced options on the market these days - while it may be your mantra not to ride anything unless it is running Dura Ace - an alloy frame with carbon fork and Shimano 105 is all you need to get into the sport, and apart from a bit of running in mud, you'll get a lot of satisfaction from a bit of 'cross' action. If it's good enough for many Grand Tour Pros, it's good enough for you! For those of you permanently into a bit of dirt action, why not give cyclo cross a crack as well. It's one of Belgium's most loved winter sports, where they will pack a stadium with plenty more paying punters than you will see at a Blues game at Eden Park, all of whom have come to watch a couple of hours of cycling madness in the mud. It can't be all bad. Enjoy the ride.

Matt Tuck Editor

Graham Simpson, Andrew Dewhurst, Nick Scott, Silas Cullen, Aaron Strong. Patrick Harvey, Jorge Sandoval, Saint Kentigern College, Jesper Storgaard Jensen, Matt Tuck, Sarah Loader, Queenstown MTC, Lisa Horlor, Cycling NZ.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Stephen Barker Photography, Mead Norton Photography, Craig Dutton, Clinton Tudor, Wayne Jones/Nevrilk, Alick Saunders, Jesper Storgaard Jensen, Florent Carreyron, Guy Swarbrick, Dianne Manson, Cezary Kasprzyk, Nick Scott, Victoria Hill, Brooke McDonald, Saint, Kentigerns College, Black Magic Women Cycling, Cycling NZ, Bikeaholics, Scottie T Photography.

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Phone: +64 3 443 6296 Postal: PO Box 98, Albert Town, Wanaka 9344 Email: subscriptions@mjmedia.co.nz Web: www.nzbikemag.co.nz NZ BIKE is published five times each year. We reserve the right to reject advertising, editorial or photographic contributions at our discretion without explanation. The contents of NZ BIKE Magazine are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. No liability is assumed by NZ BIKE Magazine for information provided by third parties. Any opinions or thoughts expressed by contributors are those of the contributor and NZ BIKE Magazine does not necessarily hold these same opinion or thoughts. This text does not provide medical advice. Specific medical advice should be sought from a licensed health-care practitioner.

COVER

Rider: Vincenzo Nibali Image: Jesper Storgaard Jensen

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NEWS

OBSERVATIONS OF THE

SUPERCOACH

NEWS

Summer is the season of the funride here in New Zealand. Having had a summer of opting out of elite racing and riding with the masses I thought it apt to reflect on some of my experiences over the last few months and ask the question, “Are funrides really FUN?”

The lines between funride and race are quite blurred it seems. It often depends on the size of the event and definitely depends upon the calibre of the field that lines up. Regardless, there is one inescapable truth, when someone pins a number on they are going to race. You often hear the cry “it’s not the World Champs, it’s just a funride” but seriously, for most weekend warriors and non-elite cyclists, this is their World champs and many take it quite seriously indeed. The racing style in a funride can differ from a “real race” but that too depends a bit. In my recent experience there is very little difference between Group 1 in a funride to what you would experience in a race. There are attacks, breakaways, sneaky tactics, bludgers, workaholics, dodgy bunch etiquette and a lot of guts and determination on display. No real differences to a real race. I had the honour at Taupo last year of helping out a group of guys in support of the Melanoma Foundation trying to get around under a certain time. We started out in 1F. Away from the front end of the funride it was interesting to see how the rest of the field operates and what is typical of the behaviour back there. Through this insight and feedback from the athletes I coach it would seem that there is far more coordination at this level than in a real race. They all have a common goal, which is to arrive at the finish line in the quickest TIME possible. When I explain to them that this is not the case in an actual race I often draw blank stares. Aye? Why? Well, in a race the idea is to get to the finish in the lead. How fast you get there is totally irrelevant and if you’re a pure sprinter it would be preferable if you actually got there a bit slower. Just recently I participated in The Rev in the funride category. This event has recently been granted a UCI 1.2 licence for the elite race which prevented me from competing in that race for the first time in about a decade. My form wasn’t really up to it anyway so it was a good push back to the funride. So as I lined up I could be excused for expecting

an easier time in the funride. I just did a quick power file analysis of the Elite 2014 race and the Funride 2015 event for me and it was quite surprising. This event always lights up at the start with the early climb of French Pass. Last year I got in the break of the elite race for the first 100km. My peak 5min up French Pass was only 6W less this year and I was only 10th over the top. My 60min normalised power was only 8W less this year. Even taking into account my less than peak fitness I can’t see that the elite race was any harder for me than the funride. Of course there was one major difference. The Elite race was another 40km longer, but still, I would have expected the differences to be greater. It did appear that the field of the funride was stacked a bit deeper this year with many strong riders not being part of teams or like me, eligible to take part in the UCI race, so maybe this was an unusual year

There are attacks, breakaways, sneaky tactics, bludgers, workaholics, dodgy bunch etiquette and a lot of guts and determination on display Aaron Strong

but the front end of all funrides are often as hard as any race. So I think the term funride can be a bit misleading in some cases. What the funride does do is cater for all levels and all tastes and most of its participants are doing it to get the best out of themselves. Numbers at events seem to be strong from what I’ve seen and some new events are popping up. The social atmosphere afterwards seems to be where the real fun starts. Once the pain is fading from the legs most can reminisce and agree that yes, that was FUN!

Aaron Strong (aka supercoach)

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CONTENTS

NZCT Cycle Classic

NEWS

Rotorua Bike Festival

Issue #80 June 2015

Introduction 12 Newsbytes 16 Bike Talk

Features Skoda Elite & U19 Track Nationals

20 Bike Store Profile – Bikeaholic 22 Rotorua Bike Festival 26 NZ Cycling Coach - Tim Carswell

Track 28 NZ Elite Nationals 30 UCI World Track Championships

Road 32 NZ Cycle Classic 36 The Rev 38 Black Magic Women Cycling 40 Trust House Women’s Tour of NZ 42 Sweet Ride - Fuji 44 Pro Team Profile – Bora Argon 46 North Harbour Cycling Club

UCI World Track Championships

NZBIKEMAG.CO.NZ

Bike Store Profile

Black Magic Women Cycling

NEWS

NEWSBYTES Grooming for the Modern Man

Suomy Gun Wind

Men’s styling comes down to three things: quick solutions, easy use, and effective performance. Schwarzkopf Professional’s new [3D]MEN range meets this demand and then some, offering the perfect products for styling and hair care any man could ask for. Newly launched in an sleek black design, the latest [3D]MEN range consists of four care and three styling products. The care selection focuses on three fundamental benefits: activating the roots, refreshing the scalp and strengthening the hair. It also caters for all hair types, so whether you’re dandruff or oil prone, rest assured the range of shampoos and serums have you covered. For those who want to take things a step further, make the [3D]MEN styling range your go-to. The wax, texture clay and gel are big on results, ticking off the key styling dimensions of hold, texture and definition. 100% engineered for men and powered by scientifically proven active ingredients, Schwarzkopf Professional’s [3D]MEN is the ultimate toolkit for modern male grooming.

Italian helmet company Suomy has 18 World Championship titles in motorsport and has now entered the cycling market for 2015. Suomy has drawn on its wind-tunnel experience from motorsport, and the helmet's brow area looks reasonably closed to ventilation, but has smooth edges for reduced resistance. Large vents are otherwise spread across the brightly-coloured helmet. GUN WIND is the same name used for the construction of the first and fabulous multi-winner motorcycle helmet, made by Italian company Suomy Spa. GUN WIND is the name proposed once again for the first, fabulous racing helmet made by Suomy Spa for cycling; a good cabalistic prediction that makes this helmet, already a winner with the guys of Lampre Merida Team. 2015 identifies the entry of Suomy Spa in the world of Action Sports, after a 2014 year entirely dedicated to the design. After a long search for the right partners, Suomy Spa has committed the young company SAKARTDESIGN from Tuscany for the study of the product The collaboration of Suomy with the cyclists of Lampre Merida Team suggested the guide lines, and the result is a product of high technological level, available in stores from the first week of April. Technically GUN WIND offers some of the best technological solutions. Made with "in-molding" technique, the helmet has the outer shell made of polycarbonate, inside and outside the polystyrene there is a reinforcement made of thermoplastic resin composite which makes the product more rigid and safe, and the use of a low density polystyrene gives a greater lightness and comfort .Comfort is also obtained thanks to the SMC study. This particular research allows the realization of a natural interspace between the helmet and the head for an amazing inner ventilation. The accurate use of adjustments, very comfortable materials, removable and easily washable inner linings, make this product an extremely effective racing helmet , but also very suitable to the general public for its “easy to use” versatility.

RRP $28.90 We have one pack to giveaway. Enter online at www.endurancesport.co.nz

Giveaw

NEWS

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PowerTap reasserts its position as market leader with the addition of two new power meters to their portfolio with the P1 pedal and C1 chainring. Through years of observations, testing, development and hard work, PowerTap is committed to providing power measurement products with the accuracy that cyclists deserve. With the introduction of these new products, PowerTap will lead the industry by becoming the first and only cycling power meter company with a complete portfolio of power meter products for multiple locations on the bike. The P1 pedal is a simple, intelligent and uncompromising design that provides the same proven PowerTap accuracy and reliability. The simple one-piece design easily mounts to any crank and does not require calibration nor installation angle setting for a true â&#x20AC;&#x153;plug-and-playâ&#x20AC;? experience. The P1 also features dual band ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART for compatibility with a multitude of head units and smart devices. Plus, the independent measurement opens the possibility for a new set of pedaling metrics previously unavailable. The C1 chainring is a full featured, crank-based power meter that features dual-sided measurement. Available in multiple chanring tooth options for 5 bolt, 110 BCD cranks, the C1 mounts to existing hardware on the bike. Additionally, dual band ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART connectivity make the C1 an obvious choice for riders looking for more features and better value.

About PowerTap PowerTap is a cycling company committed to giving their customers the edge. Whether their customers are training or racing, PowerTap has everything cyclists need to measure power accurately. The PowerTap product line includes hubs, wheelsets, software, apps, computers, and all the accessories to put them to work. Learn more at powertap.com.

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NEWS

NEWSBYTES World Class 7-Day Mountain Bike Event Launched In NZ

NEWS

The Pioneer is an audacious seven-day mountain bike stage race for elites and amateurs alike that takes riders (in teams of two) through the best of New Zealand’s spectacular landscape along trails that few ever get to enjoy, following in the footsteps of New Zealand’s early explorers. Taking place from Sunday 31 January to Saturday 6 February 2016, The Pioneer takes riders through outstanding terrain, with great climbs and descents on New Zealand Cycle Trails, farm tracks, DOC trails and along world class single tracks between Christchurch and Queenstown, traversing the stunning Southern Alps. “The Pioneer will become an iconic ‘brand New Zealand’ event that will feature the best of our beautiful country across a variety of amazing terrain including our stunning new bike trails, well graded tracks, single track and ‘off the beaten track’ trails through New Zealand’s back country, many that have never been ridden before,” explains event organiser, Dave Beeche. Demand is expected to be high for what will be a truly world class event in some of the most amazing settings anywhere in the world, and with entries capped at 1000 in year one, places in The Pioneer will be treasured by those who commit to this amazing challenge. By design, The Pioneer will be within reach for those with a moderate level of mountain bike riding ability, but will not be for the ‘faint hearted’; it will be a tough and demanding race that will push competitors to their limits; both mentally and physically in teams of two. It will be a full service race, with everything taken care of from the start - all riders need to think about is riding and recovering each night in the daily camps that will be set up ahead of the arrival of participants. The Pioneer will be ‘book-ended’ with one day mass participation races in Christchurch and Queenstown that will be targeted more specifically to the more social riders, families and children and to celebrate those taking part in The Pioneer. The Christchurch event on Sunday 31 January 2016 will be an achievable prologue event that features riding through the central city, taking in iconic sites and showcasing many new developments through to the mountain bike trails in the Port Hills and back into town. This promises to be an exciting journey

through and around the city. Pioneer riders will then be transited to Geraldine to start day two of the seven-day epic ride through the Southern Alps. Day seven will feature a big finish and party in Queenstown, again with a mass participation ride to end an amazing week. One of the features of The Pioneer is the setting up of a race village each night in the host towns, with riders staying in Christchurch, Geraldine, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Lake Ohau, Hawea, Snow Farm and Queenstown. Riders will find everything in readiness for them, as they experience the legendary hospitality of the South. The Pioneer enjoys the support of New Zealand Major Events, Christchurch City Council and Queenstown Lakes District Council. More information is available at www.thepioneer.co.nz

Silberhorn Sir Bob Charles SportsVel & AntiFlam Pluss Silberhorn, Sir Bob Charles SportsVel contains trace elements, minerals, amino acids and IGF1; the proven building blocks to repair, regenerate, rejuvenate our bodies and naturally slow the aging process. SportsVel supports recovery from exercise, strength, mobility & is widely used by active adults of all ages to support supple healthy joints. AntiFlam Pluss is a natural anti-inflammatory and pain relief supplement. Silberhorn SportsVel (RRP $54.00) & AntiFlam Pluss (RRP $22.50). For more information visit www.silberhorn.co.nz. We have both to give away. To enter go to www.endurancesport.co.nz

Giveaw

keep up with the latest cycling news from nz and abroad

NEWS

BIKE TALK

World cycling news

NEWS

image:

image: GRAHAM WATSON

Cadel Evans’ January send-off didn’t quite go to plan. He had hoped to go out on a high at the national road champs, but was thwarted by Australia’s ever-increasing standards. With a decisive climb on each lap, the 187k national champs was meant to be a matchup between Richie Porte (SKY) and Evans (BMC). But a strong sevenman breakaway went clear after just 40k and managed to stay away all day. Rising all-rounder and first year pro, Caleb Ewan (Orica), was favoured for the finale, especially after Australian/German Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) lost contact on the last climb. But Haussler, a former Tour de France stage winner, rode himself back up to the bunch and then used his experience to out-sprint Ewan for an emotional win after 4hrs 47min of racing. Evans was handy throughout, but rolled in 11th at the front of the chase bunch 52secs off the pace.

CAdel evans

George Brannigan retained his downhill national title IN ROTORUA

The Tour Downunder continues to be the biggest cycling event “Downunder”. The Adelaide event continued to draw huge crowds, with German sprint king Marcel Kittell a comfortable winner of the opening People’s Choice Criterium. Kiwi Greg Henderson (Lotto-Soudal) tried an early sprint but Kittell just muscled his way to the front 100m out

while Henderson got swamped for 10th. The first two proper stages over Adelaide’s rolling back country roads saw all-rounders coming to the fore, with Australian track standout Jock Bobridge (UniSA) beating Dutchman Lieuwe Westra (Astana) on Stage One to take the overall lead. Stage Two’s long gradual incline to finish saw Spaniard Juan

Jose Lobato held off South African Daryl Impey (Orica) and compatriot and teammate Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Movistar), with Cadel Evans fifth and Bobridge holding on to the overall. But with a true climb to finish the 144k Stage Three, the GC contenders all came to the fore. Team Sky closed down an early breakaway for home-boy Richie Port,

image:

but it was Team BMC who sparked things up with 1k to go when Australian Rohan Dennis attacked to take the pressure off teammate Cadel Evans. Other GC contenders all waited for someone else to take the initiative, so Evans also attacked and the two BMC riders were first and second across the line with Dutch all-rounder Tom Dumoulin (GiantAlpecin) third, which was also the order on GC, with Richie Porte fourth at nine seconds. The following day was very much a transition stage in regard to the GC. Astana’s Luis Leon Sanchez took a flyer with 9k to go and was joined by Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Movistar), but Orica GreenEdge weren’t having any of it and shut down the move with 3k to go. Orica still controlled proceedings into the final 1k, but with 300m to go too many rider kicked hard at the same time and half the field were suddenly on the ground or blocked while Aussie convert Steele von Hoff (UniSA) found himself in a good spot and whipped around Orica’s Daryl Impey for the win. Stage Five was always going to decide the Tour Downunder. Greg Henderson got in the day’s major break, chasing sprint points while Jack Bobridge chased King of the Mountain points. Bobridge became GC leader on the road, but

the peloton were waiting for the final double ascent of Wilunga Hill. Bobridge led the first time up, but was quickly reeled in as Team Astana engineered a break for new signing Luis Leon Sanchez. Team SKY bought things back together but it was Orica who drove it hard into the final climb, only to have Richie Porte (SKY) kick past them with 1k to ride. Only Tom Dumoulin and Rohan Dennis were able to stay close, but at the line Porte had nine seconds over Dennis. Dennis, however, held on to the GC by two seconds and with the next day’s final stage mostly for the sprinters, only a disaster would have taken away the win. Cadel Evans showed his class on that final stage by guiding Dennis throughout, staying close to second placed Richie Porte (SKY) while the rest of BMC thwarted any sprint bonus attempts by Porte. Evans even guided Dennis past a crash in the finale that split the peloton and cost several contenders a top-10 GC placing. Dutch sprinter Wouter Wippert (Drapac) edged out Australian road champion Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) for the stage win, but the Australian Day stage was all about the locals as Dennis, Porte and Evans took the top three spots overall. Evans, the retiring Tour de France champion

supporting Dennis, who following world titles on the track and road as he rose through the ranks, is now hinting at great things to come of his own. Dennis confirmed his class a few weeks later when he became the latest rider to rewrite the iconic One Hour world record. The 60min track time trial has enjoyed a comeback with several attempts in recent months. It started with Jens Voight setting a new standard of 51.11k at age 43 in his last outing of a career that included 57 pro wins, two of them at the Tour de France where he also wore the Yellow Jersey. Voight’s was the first record under new regulations that allow the same aerodynamic features as bikes used in standard track pursuiting. But his record lasted only a month when Austrian Matthias Brändle added another 400m with 51.582k in Switzerland. Then in January Australian Jack Bobridge tried but failed, admitting he underestimated how hard the so-called “unforgiving hour” really was. That made Rohan Dennis’ achievement a week later even more impressive as the Tour Downunder winner added more than 600m to set a new record of 52.491k. Staying on the track, Kiwi teenager Zach

NZBIKEMAG.CO.NZ

Greg Henderson with a win in Victoria’s Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic

NEWS

Williams was a surprise winner of Australia’s iconic Austral Wheel Race. Established in 1887, the Austral Wheel Race is a 2000m handicap event bringing the fast men and the endurance men together, with heats determining the handicap. Racing in front of more than 4000 fans at the Hisense Arena in central Melbourne, Williams rolled cycling stars such Australian world champions Jack Bobridge and Glenn O’Shea and Kiwi Olympic medallist Simon van Velthooven in a five man sprint finish that also saw Invercargill’s Jeremy Presbury finish fourth. Greg Henderson illustrated his undoubted class with a win in Victoria’s Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic. Henderson led a Cycling New Zealand team in the 25th anniversary of the four-stage criterium series. Rising Australian star, Caleb Ewan (Orica GreenEdge), dominated the overall tour with wins in the first three stages. But Henderson (Lotto-Soudal) set-up a five-man break in the final race and won the sprint to claim second place in the overall series. Australian Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Honda) won the women’s tour, with Kiwi pro Emily Collins (Suvelo Racing) 10th. Argentina’s Tour de San Luis is the other traditional season opener for the pro scene. Despite being something of a climbers race, the seven day tour was notable this year for the emergence of a new sprint sensation in Fernando Garviria. The 21 year old Colombian twice got the better of Mark Cavendish with long attacks from 300m out that the Englishman simply couldn’t overhaul. On stage one Cavendish underestimated the Colombian and left his sprint too late. On stage three Gaviria’s Colombian National Track Team simply powered past Cavendish’s Etixx-Quikstep team in the final kilometre and deposited Gaviria several lengths ahead a frustrated Cavendish at the line. The GC, however, was dominated by 2013 San Luis winner, Daniel Diaz. The local star won stage two after he and Colombian Rodlfo Torres broke clear of a select bunch that included Pro Tour stars Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Dani Moreno (Katusha). Quintana tried to put the locals in their place on Stage Four, but Diaz counter

image:

TOUR DOWN UNDER 2015

kate fluker ESTABLISHING HERSELF AS NZ'S NUMBER ONE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKER

attacked to win the stage by a massive 52secs. The following days 17k time trial was expected to shake things up, But Diaz surprised with 10th fastest time, 42secs behind stage winner Adriano Malori from Italy (Movistar). Stage six found Quintana wanting yet again as Diaz followed team mate and stage winner Kleber Ramos and Torres across the line to seal his second Tour de San Luis title. The final stage was for the sprinters, with Mark Cavendish finally getting the drop on Fernando Garvira to take his first win of the year.

Cavendish went from San Luis to the Tour of Dubai where he won the overall. Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) took the 145k Stage One with a long sprint that saw him hold out a late charge from Italians Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Elia Viviani (SKY). Viviani hit his straps on the 185k Stage Two, showing perfect timing to follow Guardini’s early sprint before coming around both him and Cavendish in the final 100m. Stage Three’s 205k with several climbs tested Cavendish to the max, with his teammates having to

Henderson (Lotto-Soudal) set-up a five-man break in the final race and won the sprint to claim second place in the overall series

bring him back to the peloton several times before a 1k long, 17 percent climb up to the Hatta Dam finish line. Cavendish couldn’t contend, but limited his losses while German strong-man John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) held off Movistar teammates Alejandro Valverde and Juan Jose Lobato. The win gave Degenkolb a five second overall lead ahead of Cavendish, Valverde and Lobato. The final stage, however, had a 10sec time bonus attached to the win and Cavendish’s Team Etixx-Quickstep delivered the Manxman to the finale by going so fast that no one could come around them and finishing in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, Cavendish hit the front with 250m to go to win both the sprint and the overall. The Tour of Qatar saw Belgian Tom Boonen and his Team Etixx-QuickStep getting some Classic’s training in the famously windy race. Bradley Wiggins (SKY) also turned up for Paris-Roubaix training, but Boonen and co. gave him a lesson when they ripped the race apart to bring back a strong break led by Astana’s Dutchmen, Lars Boom and Lieuwe Westra. In a messy finale, Movistars Jose Joaquin Rojas weaved his way through the ruck to outwit Boonen on the line. Rojas, however, missed the front group on Stage Two as Etixx-QuickStep once again split the race, although Boonen was beaten again in a 15-man sprint by Norway’s Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), who also took the overall lead. The race changed markedly

on Stage three when Etixx-QuickStep’s Niki Terstra won the 10k time trial ahead of Fabian Cancellara (Trek) and Wiggins. Stage four saw strong head winds and an unmotivated peloton, which essentially gifted Alexander Kristoff another stage win. Stage five again saw cross winds almost upset the race for overall honours as Niki Terpstra lost contact inside the final 10k before being bought back by his team just in time to see Alexander Kristoff win another stage, this time ahead of Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo). Going into the final stage, Kristoff had an outside chance of winning the overall via time bonuses if he could win an intermediate sprint and the stage. And he put the cat among the pigeons by duly winning the intermediate, but then got blocked in a long range and messy finale as Irishman Sam Bennett (Bora Argon 18) took a surprise flyer to beat established sprint stars Andrea Guardini (Astna), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidas) and Sagan, while Terpstra was a popular winner overall. Anton Cooper cemented his standing as New Zealand’s number one mountain biker by winning the national title race in Rotorua. Cooper might have won the Commonwealth title in 2014, but earlier in the year he had lost the national title in a sprint finish with Rotorua’s Sam Gaze. Gaze claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games after Cooper caught him napping in another sprint finish, so their growing rivalry was much anticipated at the 2015 national championships in February. Both riders cleared out from the field early

and headed into the last lap side-by-side until Gaze over-cooked a tricky section and caught his wheel on a tree. Cooper wasted no time in capitalising on Gaze’s mistake and romped away to win 70secs clear of Gaze, while Rotorua’s Dirk Peter’s was best of the rest in third. Kate Fluker is fast establishing herself as New Zealand’s number one among women. The 27 year-old Queenstown rider once again got the measure of London Olympian Karen Hanlen, who fell on the first lap but rode herself back to second place, four minutes behind Fluker but three minutes clear of third placed Amber Johnston (Rotorua). George Brannigan retained his downhill national title. Racing at Rotorua’s Skyline Gravity Park, the Trek World Racing professional was the only rider to break the three minute mark, beating teammate Brook MacDonald and world number five Sam Blenkinsop. In the women’s race Queenstown’s Alanna Columb improved on her silver medal of a year ago to beat defending champion Sarah Atkin from Lower Hutt. It is official: the Devil has retired. Didi Senft, the 62-year old German famous for donning a red devil suit complete with trident and colourful antics on the roads of almost every iconic European cycling event for the past 20 years, is hanging it all up. Bad health and a drop in sponsorship opportunities were reportedly behind his retirement, although one suspects he’ll be seen at the odd race, jumping up and down just for the hell of it.•

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Didi Senft, the 62-year old German Devil has OFFICIALLY retired

FEATURE

Bikeaholic

Dedicated, Passionate, Rider Owned Bikeaholic is situated in Queenstown New Zealand. Quickly establishing itself as the Mountain Biking capital of the Southern Hemisphere, they felt a real need for a shift away from the department store model and to provide a dedicated bike shop, owned and operated by riders, for riders. They incorporate the personality and customer service of a small store with prices you'd expect from a department store. Whether its local trail info, your next custom build, or renting a bike, Bikeaholics pride themselves in offering friendly advice and the attention that you and your bike need to ensure you get the most from your riding.

NZB: How long have you been in business? B: Bikeaholic has operated for just 4 months, both Mat and myself have worked in Queenstown within the bike industry since 2008

FEATURE

NZB: What type of bikes do you stock?

B: We are a dedicated MTB store, if its got Knobby Tyres we are pretty much into it. We stock Lapierre, Merida and Kona. If a customer wants anything that is not a stocked item we will talk through options and order it in, (ie Road bikes, BMX etc)

NZB: What is your favourite local ride? B: 'Corotown' We are based on the Gorge Rd and the gateway to the Coronet Peak area, mostly known as a ski area this spot is quickly being recognised as a key MTB region, trails like, 'Rude Rock', 'Skippers', 'Coro XC', 'Zoo't and the new 'Slip Saddle' (Corotown) trail have really put this place on the map

NZB: What is unique about your store? What key services do you offer? B: Our store is locally owned and operated by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, we are proudly 100% MTB, it is our passion. We wanted to stay true to what we love and not create a 'broad' appeal but focus on the needs of the Mountain Biker specifically.

We will be wanting to offer a 'Grass Roots' kind of sponsorship to one or two of Queenstown’s up and coming locals NZB: How many staff do you have?

because of your passion with cycling?

B: 4 Both Justin and Mat are owners and Jake Hood is our mechanic, Skye is our Huntaway 'Shop Dog'

B: Yup! I often think you could make more money selling 'floor coverings' for example but I’m not passionate about carpet (or tiles for that matter) its the passion that drives you and makes what you do everyday so rad. From my first rigid 10 SPD mountain bike bought for $90 in 1986, I kind of knew someday I'd end up in this position.

B: Matt is on a Kona Process 111 29er, seriously it’s like he put a wish list in for his personal needs to Kona and they listened, this bike is Matt all over! Jake is on pimped out Kona 153 and I am on a Lapierre Zesty 527, trying to make up for some extra kgs by going carbon ;)

NZB: Do you mainly cater to Locals, Tourists or both? B: Without much advertising we have seen a huge amount of support from locals. We are off the main tourist circuit in Queenstown and on a road that is used as a daily Queenstowner commute by many. This coupled with a small community wanting to support a real 'LBS' (local bike shop), and the power of 'word of mouth' referrals has helped us in our infancy. In fact as we are out of town and a type of 'destination' store most of our customers are here for a reason and we are not kept busy with "just browsing" tourists. In turn we have more time to spend personally with each rider.

NZB: Has being involved in the bike industry come about

NZB: How is your cycle shop involved in the local cycling community? B: Well we are just 4 months young but we are supporters and members of the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club, and we have just sponsored the 4th round of the local DH round at Rude Rock and are now putting together a Dual Slalom race for the Queenstown Bike Festival. We have some ideas in the pipe line and next year will be wanting to offer a 'Grass Roots' kind of sponsorship to one or two of Queenstown’s up and coming locals.

NZB: Who do you cater for most? B: Trail Riders. People who ride for fun and 'get it' We really cater for all and specifically get a buzz from a 1st MTB purchase. Another one 'hooked' ;) You can find the Bikeaholics team on Gorge Road in Queenstown, or find them online at www.bikeaholic.co.nz.•

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NZB: What bikes are you currently riding?

FEATURE

Bikes, bikes & more bikes

ROTORUA

BIKE FESTIVAL Words: Graeme Simpson

From the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha to the heart of the city, around the lake, on the magnificent trails in the Whakarewarewa Forest, to the shores of the Blue Lake/Tikitapu, the 3rd Rotorua Bike Festival in midFebruary was a huge success.

It also demonstrated the robust good health and strength of the entire Rotorua biking community with around 5000 entries over 30 events and ten days of glorious summer weather, with a light sprinkling of rain on the final day to cool things down. The Festival started with the unique opportunity to ride the Rotorua Airport runway on the opening evening, Friday, February 13. 1400 people participated in the golden glow of a summer’s evening with families, roadies, mountain bikers, tandem pilots and stokers and BMXer’s all loving it. It set the tone for a festival where everyone on any type of bike is welcome. The Festival will return, even stronger, in 2016.

THE unofficial 16” Dual Slalom Worlds at the new Dodzy Skills Park IMAGE: ALICK SAUNDERS

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www.facebook.com/RotoruaBikeFestival

FEATURE

Bike Speedway at Government Gardens

IMAGE: ALICK SAUNDERS

THE RUNWAY PROJECT on day one

No pedalling, just momentum at the Redwoods Coast IMAGE: ALICK SAUNDERS

FEATURE

Bike the Lake on the final Sunday

24 IMAGE: ALAN OFOSKI

IMAGE: ALICK SAUNDERS

IMAGE: MEAD NORTON

New Zealand Mountain Bike Downhill Nationals

FEATURE

Mens Endurance Coach

Tim Carswell Men’s Endurance Coach, Tim Carswell, who coached New Zealand track teams at the Beijing and London Olympics, has returned to New Zealand for a tilt at Rio in 2016. Tim was working in a coaching role with the sport's ruling body, the UCI, based in Switzerland, before being appointed as Men’s Endurance Coach in 2014 for the NZ Track Cycling Team. He has recently returned from Paris from the UCI World Track Championships where NZ finished up with 1 gold, 2 silver and a bronze medal. NZ Bike caught up with Tim to gain an insight into the life of a professional cycling coach.

NZB: Where do you live?

added a bit of inspiration to take up the sport.

NZB: What has been your greatest success to date? TC: Coaching NZ athletes to 3 Olympic medals at the last two Olympic Games

TC: Christchurch

NZB: What sports did you do as child? TC: Every sport that I could possibly do. Athletics, swimming, cricket, rugby, cross country, softball, volleyball, soccer and bullrush.

NZB: When did you first get into cycling? TC: When I started High School at 13.

NZB: Did you have any athletes who inspired you? TC: Craig Adair was the Canterbury hometown hero for us after winning the 1982 Commonwealth Games kilo title and so also

TC: All the people that are involved in it.

NZB: Is coaching a 365 day a year job? TC: Yes. I never stop thinking about it.

TC: I’m yet to have one that I would consider “great”. There’s always a lot of small challenges though.

NZB: What are you interests outside of cycling?

NZB: What made you decide to come back to NZ? TC: We decided it was a good time for our family to come home as we wanted to have our kids back in the NZ schooling system after a couple of years of French only

NZB: You have attended events all over the world, What is your favourite event? TC: The London Olympics was an incredible event. Very well run and the Velodrome competiton and atmosphere was amazing.

NZB: Who was your influence in cycling? TC: My grandfather and his three brothers were all champion cyclists so when I went to High School and road cycling was a sport that you could do I took it up straight away.

NZB: What do you love about this sport?

NZB: What has been your greatest challenge to date?

TC: Cambridge

NZB: Where did you grow up?

around 10 years (1990-2000) and I took up coaching almost immediately after this.

NZB: What have been your proudest coaching achievements so far? TC: 3 Olympic and 11 World Championship medals would have to be the main achievements that I’m pretty happy with. Still more to go though.

NZB: What was your profession before coaching professionally?

TC: I have a few collections. Retro racing bikes, Belgian beer glasses, art and red wine.

NZB: Where do you want to take this sport / see the sport progress to? TC: When I first started as a coach of New Zealand my goal was to see us become one of the top 5 nations in the World. We are definitely there now. I think there is no reason why we cannot now target the top spot.

NZB: Goals for 2015? TC: I see 2015 as a stepping stone to 2016 so a lot of what we do will be based around the objectives of winning Gold in Rio

NZB: How do you see NZ's medal chances in the 2016 Olympic Games? TC: Bloody good.

NZB: Goals for the future in the sport? TC: Multiple World Championship titles plus Olympic and Commonwealth Games Gold. Not too much to ask is it?•

TC: I was an international rider myself for

I have a few collections. Retro racing bikes, Belgian beer glasses, art and red wine FEATURE

Tim Carswell

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TRACK

Skoda Elite & U19

Track NATIONALS TRACK

Images: Dianne Manson

The final night saw the Auckland combination of Webster, Williams and Ethan Mitchell claim the men’s team sprint from last year’s winners Southland in a tight battle.

The women’s honours remained with Southland with Steph Mckenzie, completing a clean sweep of four national titles, teaming with Natasha Hansen to dominate the team sprint over Otago. Southland produced a classy display to claim the men’s 4000m team pursuit honours, prevailing over the youthful East Coast North Island unit. Only fractions separated the pair in qualifying and it looked close again today until the strength of key international Piet Bulling and omnium rider Cam Karwowski gave the southerners the advantage. They lost a rider late but managed to hold off the opposition to win in 4:05.58. Waikato Bay of Plenty were too classy in the women’s team pursuit with the combination of Rushlee Buchanan, Racquel Sheath, Jaime Nielsen and Pip Sutton overtaking Auckland two laps from the finish of the 3000m battle. In under-19 honours, Podmore continued her winning ways in the team sprint with Canterbury teammate Rose Marshall-Lee while Southland’s Hamish Beadle, Tom Sexton, Bradley Knipe prevailed in the junior men. In Para-Cycling, Wellington’s Kate Horan broke her own national record in the C4 3000m individual pursuit in 4:12.737, more than three seconds inside the previous mark. Auckland’s Byron Raubenheimer followed suit when he pipped his own record in the C4-5 4000m individual pursuit in 5:09.745, a second under his previous record.•

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TRACK

UCI World

TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS Images: Guy Swarbrick

TRACK

New Zealand's track cycling team believe they are on target for next year's Olympics in Rio after finishing equal fifth at the UCI World Championships.

New Zealand finished equal fifth at the world championships in France with four medals. They also showed they were at the head of the field in their two targeted events - the men's team pursuit and the men's team sprint. The New Zealand men’s team sprint trio had a dominant victory heartbreakingly over-turned on the first day of the UCI track world championships. The trio of Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins looked to have prevailed in the final over the hosts France, but were relegated back to the silver medal for a technical infringement in the changeover. Earlier in the team sprint, defending the rainbow jersey they won in Cali last year, topped qualifiers in 42.892s, which was 0.2 seconds ahead of hosts France with Australia sixth and Olympic champions Great Britain a distant eighth. They improved on that in the final to lead from go-to-whoa, backing up with a 42.808s, which was brought home by a stunning 12.999s final lap from Dawkins. The French were 0.3s behind and well beaten,

until the commissaries noted that Webster had overlapped Mitchell’s rear wheel by a few centimetres in the changeover zone. Southland sprinter Eddie Dawkins gained some compensation for the team sprint relegation, claiming a silver medal in the final of the keirin behind five-time world champion Francois Pervis. Sprinter Matt Archibald claimed his first world championship medal on the third day of racing in Paris. The southlander won the bronze medal in the men’s 1000m time trial, to match the bronze he won at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He broke the New Zealand record on the way to clocking 1:00.470, with French hero Francois Pervis taking the gold medal in 1:00.207. The fresh face of youth also grabbed a slice of history for Cycling New Zealand with a gold medal in the men’s 4000m team pursuit. It is the first time in their history that New Zealand won the team pursuit gold medal, edging out Great Britain in a thrilling final by half a second. The previous

best were bronze medals in 2009, 2010, 2012 and last year. With double Olympian Marc Ryan carrying a niggling back injury, endurance coach Tim Carswell opted to bring in 18 year old rookie Regan Gough for the gold medal ride, with the winning quartet sporting an average age of just 20 years. The women’s team pursuit, who returned to the high performance programme late last year, set best times in each of their three rides, finishing fourth overall, while Otago’s Katie Schofield bagged a personal best to finish 12th in the 500m time trial. New Zealand weren't able to add to their haul on the final day of competition, with Sam Webster, another of the team sprinters, finishing sixth in the individual sprint. Webster made it into the quarter-finals, where he lost to Russian Denis Dmitriev 2-0. While the team are taking time to pat themselves on the back, head coach Dayle Cheatley said riders, coaches and support staff are firmly focussed on the improvements they need to make to achieve their major goals at Rio 2016.•

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Tim Carswell opted to bring in 18 year old rookie Regan Gough for the gold medal ride, with the winning quartet sporting an average age of just 20 years

ROAD

NZCT CYCLE CLASSIC Celebrates 28 Years Words: Ashley Cassin Images: Mark Sowry Peloton Pictures

ROAD CYCLING

This year the NZCT Cycle Classic celebrated its twenty eighth anniversary and it has been twenty eight years of evolution from a two day event, run as the Angus Inn Cycle Classic in 1988 to the major international event it is today.

The Tour is a major international race and generates significant economic impact and media exposure to all sponsors and the towns involved. The NZCT Cycle Classic has developed a rich history. The race has grown to become one of the most important races on the Oceania calendar, with riders from all round the world competing then continuing on to join the professional ranks. In the past few years riders such as Robbie McEwen, (three times winner of the points jersey as well as stages in the Tour of France), Matthew Lloyd, Matthew White, Richie Porte, as well as New Zealander’s Chris Jenner, Julian Dean, Hayden Roulston, Greg Henderson among others have given New Zealand and the event great credibility and interest globally. This year, over the five days of racing a total of 587km was covered by the peloton and with no defending champion returning to Manawatu in 2015, Michael Vink left the jersey open to a new winner. The race kicked off with Joseph Cooper of Avanti putting in an impressive performance on the road for day one of the Classic. Holding an average of 50.6km/h for the 3.5km Time Trial, Cooper finished in a time of 4.09, ten seconds clear of his next closest competitor. The U23 Jersey would be worn the following day by Coopers Avanti team mate Fraser Gough who finished in second place overall only 10 seconds down on Coopers time in 4.19. The podium was rounded out by Subaru Albion’s Morgan Smith also on 4.19, only 10/100th of a

second behind Gough. The following days Stage One sees the 76 riders undertake a 132.7km road race, with two King of the Mountain climbs and two Sprints. Avanti will be defending both Yellow and White it would be a day for other teams to show their intentions.The days racing got underway with several failed attempts at establishing a break until 14 riders got away which slowly whittled down as did the peloton, before both eventually blew to pieces with many groups along the road. The gap maxed out at just under four minutes, but slowly closed as the winning group finished 1.11 clear of the first chasing bunch. Stage Two would see the remaining 72 riders undertake 139km starting in Palmerston North and finishing in Fielding. The stage has two sprints at 15km and 100km, as well as one hill climb at 52km. With 450 km of the tour still to go the jerseys are still anyone’s for the taking. This stage would be won by Scody Down Under’s Craig Evers with an average speed of 39.7km/h in a time of 3.30.00 ahead of Jason Christie from Avanti in second place and Dion Smith of the New Zealand National Squad in third place all with the same time. The peoples champion Gordon McCauley grinded the front to establish the first break that stuck. This bunch of ten stayed away for a fair portion of the days stage before being reeled in only for another break to get away again. Day 3 sees the remaining field of 68 riders undertake 127km of racing culminating in the Category One climb up Valley Road to finish after

THE BUNCH ON STAGE 2

James Oram win top of the mountain stage 3

CRAIG EVERS WIN STAGE 2

ROAD

ROAD CYCLING

Up Pahiatua track final day

five laps of an 18km circuit. This stage had three sprints and three KOM climbs, and definitely plays a part in the hunt for all four jerseys. Day 4 sees James Oram riding for the NZCT National Squad win atop Valley Road in a time of 3.13.48, 44 seconds clear of Nick Bain in second and Taylor Gunman in third a further 27 seconds back. This stage also makes Avanti’s Taylor Gunman the first rider to retain Yellow in the 2015 New Zealand Cycle Classic. Day 5 is the biggest stage of the tour with two climbs over the Pahiatua, one at the start and one at the end. The finale sees the remaining 68 riders undertake 164.2km from Palmerston North via Wairarapa and back to Palmerston North. This stage incorporates two KOM climbs both atop the Pahiatuia Hill and the final intermediate sprint of the tour. The stage would give Nine riders a DNF’ after multiple crashes and a high speed race over rolling terrain. The Tour Leader going into the final stage was Taylor Gunman, and after another team effort the Yellow Jersey stays on his shoulders. The U23 White Jersey was again on the back of Dion Smith riding for the New Zealand National Squad, 3.57 clear of team mate James Oram in second.

Scody Downunder’s Rhys Gillet maintained his hold King of the Mountain category. The Green Jersey for the Sprint Classification stayed with Data#3’s Craig Evers who held off team mate Scott Thomas by one point. Race Director of this event for the last 28 years Jorge Sandoval was happy with the event and how things evolved. “We had a fantastic event; riders rode hard in extremely hot conditions for the first four days and on a wet day in the final stage. The tour as always being a NZ/Australia tussle and this time was won by a kiwi rider, Taylor Gunman. I spoke to many riders and team managers after the tour, every one complemented the tour organization and how much they enjoyed the race” The unfortunate side is that despite the event being in the UCI calendar for months, BikeNZ does not recognise or give this, the only 2.2 UCI tour in Oceania any credit. Jorge is really looking forward to the 30th version of the event in the next couple of years, planning to do something bigger and is hoping BikeNZ can sort out their calendar so kiwi riders will get the opportunity to participate and can avoid a clash of dates with other major events in New Zealand.•

Tour winner Taylor Gunman

2015 MODELS COMING SOON BIKE BARN ALBANY 61C Paul Matthews Road, Albany BIKE BARN TAKAPUNA 81 Barry’s Point Road, Takapuna VELO BOUTIQUE 70C Sale Street, Freemans Bay BIKE BARN NEW LYNN 3119 Gt North Road, New Lynn BIKE BARN CENTRAL Cnr Symonds St & Khyber Pass Road, Grafton BIKE BARN MT WELLINGTON 50 Mt Wellington Hwy, Mt Wellington BIKE BARN BOTANY 287 Botany Road, Botany Downs BIKE BARN MANUKAU 9 Ronwood Ave, Manukau CYCLE CITY 40 Cavendish Dr, Manukau GAS PAUANUI 25 Sheppard Avenue, Pauanui EVOLUTION CYCLES 6 Albert Street, Cambridge 8 Brady Street, Te Awamutu 97 Kent Street, Hamilton BIKE BARN HAMILTON Cnr Ulster and Liverpool St, Hamilton

ROCKET BIKES TAURANGA 633 Cameron Road, Tauranga South BIKE BARN MT MAUNGANUI 12A Kereiti Street, Mt Maunganui BIKE BARN ROTORUA 1275 Fenton Street, Rotorua HONDA FIRST 35 Hakiaha Street, Taumaranui TCB SKI BOARD & BIKE 29 Ayr Street, Ohakune BIKE BARN NAPIER 102 Taradale Road, Napier BIKE BARN TARANAKI 181 Gill Street, New Plymouth REVOLUTION BIKES 8 Donnelly Street, Havelock North BIKE & MOW 57 Ruataniwha Street, Waipawa PEDAL PUSHERS Cnr Ferguson & Oxford Streets, Palmerston North HAPPY VALLEY CYCLES 8 Church Street, Masterton MUD CYCLES 421 Karori Road, Karori, Wellington BIKE BARN WELLINGTON 65 Dixon Street, Te Aro BIKE BARN LYALL BAY Cnr George Bolt & Cochrane Sts, Lyall Bay

BIKE BARN NELSON 114 Har KELVIN’S CYCLES NELSON 109 Rutherfo BIKEFIT MARLBOROUGH 24 Market KNUDSENS SPORTS & TOYWORLD 170 Palmerston BIKE BARN CHRISTCHURCH 245 Moorhouse A BIKE BARN HORNBY 6 Chappie Place, Ho PAPANUI CYCLES 468 Papanui Rd, Pap BIKE BARN TIMARU 57 S BIKE LOUNGE WANAKA Unit 9, 12 Fred BIKE LOUNGE QUEENSTOWN 109 Gorge Ro BIKE BARN DUNEDIN 499 Princes INVERCARGILL CYCLE SURGERY 21 Tay S DEALER ENQUIRIES TO BIKES INTERNATIONAL

MERIDA 2015 REACTO 7000 FRAME REACTO CF3 FORK Reacto Carbon pro-direct DERAILLEURS Shimano Ultegra 11 Speed SS SHIFTERS Shimano Ultegra WHEELS Fulcrum Quattro 35 TIRES Continental Grand Sport Race 25 folding

AVAILABLE NOW AT A MERIDA DEALER NEAR YOU BIKE BARN ALBANY BIKE BARN TAKAPUNA V BIKE BIKE BARN NEW LYNN BIKE BARN BRITOMART BIKE BARN CENTRAL BIKE BARN MT WELLINGTON BIKE BARN BOTANY BIKE BARN MANUKAU GAS PAUANUI BIKE BARN HAMILTON BIKE BARN MT MAUNGANUI BIKE BARN WHAKATANE ROCKET BIKES TAURANGA BIKE BARN ROTORUA

61C Paul Matthews Road, Albany 81 Barry’s Point Road, Takapuna 23A Westhaven Drive, Auckland 3119 Gt North Road, New Lynn 88 Quay Street, Britomart, Auckland Cnr Symonds St & Khyber Pass Road, Grafton 50 Mt Wellington Hwy, Mt Wellington 287 Botany Road, Botany Downs 40 Cavendish Dr, Manukau 25 Sheppard Avenue, Pauanui Cnr Ulster and Liverpool St, Hamilton 12A Kereiti Street, Mt Maunganui 13-15 Commerce Street, Whakatane 633 Cameron Road, Tauranga South 1275 Fenton Street, Rotorua

HONDA FIRST BIKE BARN TAUPO TCB SKI BOARD & BIKE BIKE BARN NAPIER BIKE BARN TARANAKI BIKE & MOW PEDAL PUSHERS HAPPY VALLEY CYCLES BIKE BARN KAPITI MUD CYCLES BIKE BARN WELLINGTON BIKE BARN LYALL BAY BIKE BARN NELSON

MERIDA.com 35 Hakiaha Street, Taumaranui 47 Horomatangi Street, Taupo 29 Ayr Street, Ohakune 102 Taradale Road, Napier 181 Gill Street, New Plymouth 57 Ruataniwha Street, Waipawa CNR Ferguson & Oxford Streets, Palmerston North 8 Church Street, Masterton 9 Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast 421 Karori Road, Karori, Wellington 65 Dixon Street, Te Aro Cnr George Bolt & Cochrane Sts, Lyall Bay 114 Hardy Street, Nelson

BIKE BARN RICHMOND KELVIN’S CYCLES NELSON BIKEFIT MARLBOROUGH KNUDSEN’S SPORTS & TOYWORLD BIKE BARN CHRISTCHURCH BIKE BARN HORNBY PAPANUI CYCLES BIKE BARN TIMARU BIKE BARN DUNEDIN INVERCARGILL CYCLE SURGERY DEALER ENQUIRIES TO BIKES INTERNATIONAL

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IMAGE: Stephen Barker Photography.

L to R- Sam Lindsay keeps pace on at the head of race on Buckland Rd, w James Oram 2nd place, winner Patrick Bevin AND Sean Finning

Avanti racing team wins

REV Cycle Race

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Team Avanti Racing showcased its skills against a quality field of local and international riders at the REV Cycle Race in Cambridge. Patrick Bevin from Team Avanti Racing took out the win in a new course record, besting his efforts from last year.

Already established New Zealand’s premier one day road race and supported by Cycling New Zealand, the REV Cycle Race has evolved from an individual to a team challenge. The Rev Cycle Race introduced its newly awarded UCI 1.2 status for its elite category, the Radio Sport REV Classic, this year. It’s a first in Australasia and proved to be popular for both spectators and cyclists competing in other race categories at the event. The REV Classic established an eight man breakaway on French Pass within 20 minutes, the lead extended to 1.20mins before the leaders were reeled in by the peloton. At the 88km mark, the peloton was together again with Avanti looking good before heading into the final climb of the day.

At the top of the Mangakawa climb three riders; Patrick Bevin, James Oram and Michael Torkler representing Team Avanti, NZ and Budget Forklifts respectively, had broken away from the bunch and extended their lead to 45secs. The three riders maintained their distance from the chasing bunch to hold on for a sprint finish with Bevin claiming top honours; Oram and Torkler behind him. Patrick said he enjoyed the event and was pleased to back up last year’s performance. “It’s nice to have back to back wins in different situations. It’s an awesome event and I had a great time. It’s a great course with hard loops and climbs but it’s still fast afterwards. This time around there was a lot of team strategy and tactics at play, you just don’t want to play into another team’s

advantage.” Runner up and current U23 Time Trial National Champion James Oram said he was happy with his performance today. “I hit it early, went hard and just waited to see what happened. I’m a sprinter and I knew I could outsprint at the end”. Budget Forklifts’ Michael Tockler said the strategy for the team was to get out front early which is “fairly typical of NZ racing… At the end I knew I’d lose to Paddy in a sprint so I made sure he did the work up front. I’m really happy and feel that I’m racing really well at the moment.” The top eight riders left with valuable UCI points which count towards their individual rankings: 40 – 30 – 16 – 12 – 10 – 8 – 6 – 3. The Women’s elite 100km race saw three

It’s nice to have back to back wins in different situations. It’s an awesome event and I had a great time Patrick Bevin

months, in 1.33.54. The REV Intro was won by Nic Dallas, closely followed by his father Graham in 34.10. The popular REV Mini kids’ event had a great atmosphere once again with youngsters enjoying fun on the bouncy castle and learning new bike skills from Sport Waikato’s Project Energise after their race. Every year 1500 keen riders tackle Cambridge’s infamous cycling terrain. Race categories satisfy young children right through to the world’s elite riders. The REV has something for everyone and showcases the true spirit of cycling. Date: Saturday 28th February 2015 Location: Tom Voyle Park, Cambridge | 8am-5pm Results, visit: www.therev.co.nz and www.facebook.com/therevcyclerace Elite Teams for The REV Cycle Race’s Radio Sport REV Classic UCI 1.2:

1. Avanti Racing Team

(AU/NZ Continental)

2. Budget Forklifts

(AU Continental)

3. NZ National Team

(NZ National)

4. Nature Valley Avanti Cycling Team

(NZ Trade Team)

5. L&M Group Ricoh

(NZ Trade Team)

6. Breads of Europe All About Plumbing

(NZ Trade Team)

7. Blindz Direct

(NZ Trade Team)

8. Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club

(NZ Club)

9. Livingston Building Racing Team

(NZ Club Composite team)

10. Race Director’s Team

(NZ Club Composite team)

NZBIKEMAG.CO.NZ

cyclists new to the event on the podium; Joanne Kiesanowski, Hannah Gumbley (both from (Auckland) and Hannah van Kampen (Hastings). Starting in the REV100 group, the women rode with a fast bunch of 20 male cyclists who assisted them througout the race and warned them of upcoming climbs. Winner, Joanne Kiesanowski said she had an enjoyable ride. “There were great conditions today and such beautiful countryside here but there was no time to look because I was working the pedals. The last climb over Scotsman Valley hurt the legs and over the final 5km there were a few attacks but I’m really pleased with how my ride went today”. The popular REV100 was won by Gordon McCauley in 2.32.03, swiftly followed by U20 national rider Sam Dobbs and Nature Valley’s Brad Tilby. The REV Midi was won by ONeil Sinclair from Tokoroa who has been riding for just six

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BLACK MAGIC Women Cycling

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Black Magic Women Cycling is looking to establish itself as the best women’s team in NZ over the coming season and lay the groundwork in Australia for a serious assault on the Subaru National Road Series in 2016.

Black Magic Women Cycling is an elite women's cycling team focused on providing a pathway and experience for young NZ women cyclists. They achieve this by selecting a team of riders with the ability, commitment and passion for cycling and provide racing experience in NZ and Australia alongside education in all aspects of professional riding. The team has some of the very best U19 and U23 riders in NZ joining the team and are excited to launch their team for the 2015 season with the very best sponsors, cyclists

and management team. Team Director Patrick Harvey said, “When we first sent out expressions of interest for riders we couldn't believe the response and could not believe the quality of riders who wanted to be part of our new team. With the excitement and passion shown by these riders it was clear we needed to do everything we could to make our idea a reality and now here we are with some of the most talented and committed riders we could hope for.” The number of national titles and podiums

between the riders on the road and track in nearly all disciplines and distances has been quite amazing. More importantly though, was the desire from all the girls to be part of something bigger than just themselves. The team wanted riders who would reach higher and perform even better when riding as part of a team. They wanted a team that was larger than the sum of its parts - and Black Magic think these riders have what it takes to deliver this. Black Magic Women Cycling riders are

University so are away at their Universities during most of the racing calendar – which is something Black Magic are all about – mixing academic studies with cycling so they have a long term view to their cycling career. Quite a bit of what they do goes into organising the logistics of racing and working carefully with sponsors and partners to keep the costs down for the riders. They aim to minimise the expense for the riders in what is already a very expensive sport. Riders are then expected to give value back to the team’s partners and sponsors which is something we actively help them with. One of the big strengths as a team is having on board experienced riders who can mentor the younger riders as they adapt to this new style of riding. In the future the team would like to each year build on this by adding new U19 riders as the previous year’s riders gain experience. The team are set for a great season of riding in 2015/2016. Watch out for the Black Magic Women Cyclist girls in races throughout NZ and Australia this year! www.bmwcycling.com•

BLACK MAGIC: TEAM RIDERS

• Georgia Vessey (U23) • Phoebe Treseder (U23) • Tessa Jenkins (U23) • Cassandra Harvey (U23) • Amanda Jamieson (2nd Year U19) • Sophie Pulford (2nd Year U19) • Ione Johnson (2nd Year U19) • Mikayla Harvey (1st Year U19) • Michaela Drummond (1st Year U19) • Michaela Kerr (1st Year U19) • (U23 riders Sophie Williamson and Pip Sutton will join the team later in the year

NZBIKEMAG.CO.NZ

spread throughout NZ. One of the challenges with cycling in NZ is that the riders are spread throughout the country with some of the very best riders coming from the smaller towns / areas such as the Hawkes Bay in the North Island and Central Otago in the South Island. Black Magic’s role as a team is not to coach the riders but to bring them together to race as a team and guide the strategy, tactics and skills necessary in teams racing as part of the racing weekends and periodic camps throughout the year. Even more interesting is the diverse background of the girls with most having experience in other competitive sports such as swimming, rowing, running, gymnastics, mountain biking and triathlon. Most of the riders will train on most days with around 10 – 18 hours a week combining road, wind trainer, track, conditioning and stretching into their daily routines – quite an achievement for young teenagers / adults. All the athletes have a dedicated coach that looks after their daily, weekly and monthly training schedule. To make things even more interesting is that most of the U23 riders are attending

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A perfect opportunity for local female riders to participate and race against some of the world's best riders, right here in New Zealand

2015 Trust House Women’s

Tour of New Zealand Some of the world’s top female road cyclists descended on the Wairarapa in February 2015, with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) granting international status to the 2015 Trust House Women’s Tour of New Zealand.

Team Tibco-SBV - USA DNA Cycling - USA Pepper Palace - USA HI 5 - Australia Holden Cycling Team - Australia And National teams from: USA Japan New Zealand Australia On day one, riders faced the 15km Teams

Time Trial starting and finishing outside the Masterton Swimming Pool. Days two and three saw riders completing stages around the Martinborough vineyards on Thursday and the Carrington circuit in Carterton on Friday. Day four was the “Queen Stage” of the 2015 Trust House Women’s Tour of New Zealand. On this day riders climbed four major hills in a relatively short but tough stage, two of them the hardest and longest of the tour. First on the menu is the short but steep Millars Road hill where the strongest riders in the bunch made their first move from there, and after 50km of racing, riders faced the 6km hill climb up Te Wharau hill. Twenty km later they faced the tough Limeworks hill near Masterton before heading to the finish at the top of Admiral hill, a 14km hill climb, which tested riders to their maximum. There were three domestic teams in the race, two made up of New Zealand riders and another team, the Fagan Motors composite team made up of international riders from The Netherlands, USA and Australia. In front of a very large crowd, Lauren Hall from USA national team won the final stage, her second in the tour after a perfect lead out by her team into the middle of Masterton city centre. It was a great finale for a great tour and Team USA show why they are the best in the world, they won four of the five stages, lead the tour from start to finish and never seemed to be in any danger of losing the yellow jersey and they took the first three places in the final overall results. Tayler Wiles retained her lead she gained

through the previous stages and won the 2015 version of Oceania’s only women’s international cycle race. In the final stage, other teams make it difficult for the USDA team, team Tibco – SVB as well as the Australian national team and DNA Cycling went on the attack right from the start, team USA control the race and make sure that no one was more than 30-40 seconds up the road at any time They dictated the final 15kms of race and set a perfect lead put for Lauren Hall. A fantastic end to a fantastic tour, most of the overseas riders are already talking to come back in 2016.•

Results: 1

WILES, Tayler

USA