Round Taupo - Huka XL

Katies Instagram photo Pre race bike clean

Round Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge has been and gone for another year, with 8,500 entries in the many events. The day dawned perfect and wasn’t as cold as previous years but warming up wasn’t very successful. I treated this race like a national champ’s race as there was a lot of prize money and I really needed as much as I could, the money draws in top elite riders from all round the country so it was all on.


I started at the back of the XL pack as I got to the line later than everyone but after a few mins I was in the lead pack. For the first 25km there was a group of 8 or 10 of us just rolling along barely even puffing, after the good hour of warm up pace I decided to jump on the front and start to push the pace, every so often I would give it a bit more and have a look who was struggling but let them come back to the bunch.

Photo Helen Brumby

At about 35km I really hit one of the main hills hard with only Eventual winner Sam Shaw, Dirk Peters and Sam Gaze keeping up we rode together for the next 25km, this whole time I was on the front thinking I was stressing these 3 behind me, turns out I wasn't when Sam Shaw attacked very hard and got away with the other 2 chasing him leaving me on struggle street on my own. The pace they took off at was very high but we still had a good hour to go so I had my Suspicion’s that Sam Gaze a young fella would blow and hoped the other 2 would also. I eventually saw Sam Gaze pop and I went past him in pursuit of Dirk and Sam. After passing Sam and getting some of the Enervit that I was holding onto (and not dropping on the ground) down the hatch I started getting very strong and feeling good again and took off, with about 3 or 4km to go I was flying and all of a sudden I saw Dirk, he didn't look blown but I was coming up on him fast, he didn't no I was coming so as I got close I really gave every thing I had left and went past him a good few kmph faster not allowing him to hold my wheel, I was still giving chase on Sam.

Photo Cyclezone 

It wasn’t to be though Sam finished 2mins in front of me and claimed the $1300 we were after, 2nd for me and 1min back from me was Dirk in 3rd. Rotorua domination

Carl