Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge

After nearly a years training Elaine and I went up to Lake Taupo for me to take part in the Taupo Cycle Challenge on the 29th November. The Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is New Zealand’s premier cycling event. Set in the picturesque Central North Island, the event offers riders the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of individual and team challenges based around a 160 km circumnavigation of Lake Taupo. Riders can choose solo, endurance or relay challenges. While the event is largely non competitive and caters for every level of rider it does offer three race options for elite cyclists.

The event regularly attracts in excess of ten thousand riders and in 2006 was admitted to the prestigious UCI Golden Bike Series, thus gaining recognition as being one of the world’s top nine rides.Seven are in Europe and the other is the Argus in South Africa.

We stayed with the parents of a friend in their new house with a most magnificent setting. I did manage to finish the challenge which was harder than I thought it would be but this was offset by the fact that I coped much better than I thought I would. My inspiration was Wally Haywood who ran Comrades, the eighty seven K. ultra marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, at eighty years of age.OK I'm not eighty yet,just a few months short.I cycled next to Wally as he ran up Drummond Hill on his way to winning back in 1954.
Post script.
It took me more than a week to recover. I felt very tired and hungry and was only able to get back on the bike the following Saturday.My main problem is that I have a low red blood cell count which limits the amount of oxygen that I can get from my lungs to my legs. This was only discovered a year ago. The solution of course is blood doping or injections of EPO. There is a zillion to one chance that I will be tested and disqualified for two years.Now where can I find crooked doctor?

On reflection I realise that I needed to train for the longer distance. My training was adequate for 100Ks. I suffered after that. I also need some lower gears for the last two long hills. I walked the last one of three ks. There were two 80 year olds that were ahead of me. I am certain that they had others riding with them to pace and encourage them.

Just click the picture to see Lake Taupo in all its glory