CYCLING

Large Field To Contest North Island's Men's Road Cycling Series

By NZ Cycle Classic

The opening round of the Trust House North Island Team Series, being staged in the Wairarapa, has attracted a who’s who of New Zealand’s top male road cyclists.

The first race of the five-race series this on Sunday, 17th September and features a 12km team time trial (TTT) as well as a 120 km road race. It has attracted 22 teams and 210 riders from around the country including former Olympian Gary Anderson, who will be racing in the master’s grade, and Wellington road champion David Rowlands, who recently won the Saint-Montrond Les Bains race in France.

Race director Jorge Sandoval is looking forward to staging the series in the Wairarapa again and paid tribute to the generous support from sponsors Trust House. He also predicts some exciting racing for spectators.

“Being a team series, it makes sense to have a TTT to give riders the opportunity to compete against other teams to see who fares best over the flat, 12km course, which given its spring, has the potential to be windy,” said Jorge.

“In the same tradition as the teams’ time trials in the Tour de France, teams in the Trust House Series will start with eight riders each at one minute intervals completing a 12km circuit in the Gladstone area. Following this, riders will contest the road race with elite riders completing four laps of a 30km circuit and master riders doing three laps. The circuit features a small hill each lap that should test all riders.”

Jorge said the course is located on the rolling, rural roads around Gladstone, on the outskirts of Carterton, the same route where riders contesting the Vantage Age Group Road National Championships will be held in April 2018.

Allan Pollard, Trust House’s Chief Executive is excited about being a major supporter of this event, which brings highly competitive road cycling to the Wairarapa.

“This series offers an opportunity to show off the Wairarapa and arguably some of the finest road cycling courses in New Zealand,” says Mr Pollard.

With five races being held across the Wairarapa between September and December, riders of all abilities will get a taste of high level competitive ‘teams’ racing.

DETAILS:
The 2017 Trust House North Island Team Series:
Race One: Sunday 17 September 2017
Race Two: Sunday 15 October 2017
Race Three: Sunday 29 October 2017
Race Four: Saturday 11 November 2017
Race Five: Sunday 3 December 2017
Sunday’s TTT begins at 10.00am from Gladstone. Sunday’s road race begins at 11.00am from the Gladstone Sports Complex.