WELCOME to: New Zealand's longest one-day cycle challenge! ...the Gisborne to Wairoa Loop!

2009 - Race Day - news...

Eventual Winners: MEN.... Ben Jacque-Maynes USA (on the left) of Jeremy Vennell Hawkes Bay who was the overall winner. Photo taken on the third stage... towards Tiniroto...

Below: Ladies Winner... Candice Hammond from Cambridge still working hard as she crosses the Finish Line... 

On the day - updates were posted here LIVE...

From the race circuit: Gisborne to Nuhaka to Wairoa

Then on to Tiniroto and back to Gisborne...

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Starting at 7am 24 October 2009 -

START: Outside the Showgrounds Main Entrance... and they are racing - this morning in beautiful fine weather... the lead group is now on the bruntons road circuit and the Team racers are also on their way...

A large contingent of supporters left behind at the start and prep is under way for the MiniLoop...starting at 9am ...

 

One lone rider breaks away and leads towards Manutuke...and still leads at Muriwai... Peter Renner  leads as part of a team.. approaching the Wharerata lookout...

Renner wins 1st Prime... followed by Team Bissell   followed by Stephen Sheldrakem Craig Hoskin and another from Wellington...

Same order remains at Nuhaka   end of Stage One....  

Beautiful weather continues...

 

Meanwhile a large group of supporters in their vehicles are following the cyclists.. led by TMS 1 ... ( the lead vehicle with Race Director Terry Sheldrake)...

 

To Clarify the order...WAIROA.... first Team Bissell 138  Jeremy Vennell and 137 Ben Jacque -Maynes USA... then 109 Peter Renner... follwed by Stephen Sheldrake Craig Hoskin then Daniel Coombes...

 

Having left Wairoa in their wake... the leading Team Bissel soon extended their lead as they faced Stage Three.... this time with Stephen Sheldrake & Kevin Strongman in hot pursuit...

Stage Three was claimed by Team Bissell ... followed by Kevin Strongman the first local to reach the 3rd Prime.... with Stephen Sheldrake following...

 

The riders are now well spread out as they leave Wairoa... initally a large group together ... but the hills that led to Tiniroto took their toll and the two Gisborne men kept chasing hard after Team Bissell...

 

Race is Won by Jeremy Vennell from Hawkes Bay NZ with his compatriot Team Bissell rider Ben Jacque-Maynes of USA about 1 metre behind him...in second place... the third rider home was Kevin Strongman as the first Team (with Craig Hoskin) to complete the event... Stephen Sheldrake finishing in 3rd Place overall in the Individual event.... came across the line about 1 metre behind Kevin