Changes in the wind for tour
Tour de Lakes race director Allan Dunn says a debrief is in store for the cycling race but is certain it is future isn’t in Central Otago.
The annual Easter four-day event wrapped up yesterday with Matt Zenovich hanging on to take out the A-grade title.
For 22 years Dunn, as a volunteer, has organised the race around parts of Central Otago and also into Te Anau and Manapouri.
After the race Dunn said the roads heading to Queenstown, and in surrounding areas, had gone ‘nuts’ in regard to the massive number of cars now in the region at this time of the year.
He said the safety of the riders was paramount and it had become more and more stressful to ensure the race went off without any problems.
‘‘Where to now? I’m not too sure. At the moment if you said, ‘the same course, same time of the year’, I would definitely say ‘no’.’’
Dunn indicated if he was to continue to organise the event, shifting more of the race into Southland would be the likely option.
As highlighted in the lead up to the race Dunn also reaffirmed after the event that the time commitment was out growing the volunteer resources they had.
While the organisation proved challenging, Dunn said the racing was again exciting.
Zenovich went into the final day with a 26sec lead and after the final two stages claimed the overall title by 21sec over North Otago’s Tim Rush.
Kris Rush finished third overall and Southland’s Josh Haggerty fourth.
Zenovich also claimed the sprint jersey while Jordan Gilmore was the king of the mountain.
Reuben Thomson produced the most impressive effort on the final day by winning stage five which was a race up Coronet Peak.
The 16-year-old Queenstown rider powered up the mountain to claim the stage win well clear of the rest of the field.
In the final stage, which was a 42km ride from Glenorchy to Moke Lake, it was Kris Rush who took out the stage honours.
He completed the stage in 1hr 13min 42sec which was 36sec clear of second placed Joe Swale, with Jordan Gilmore third.
In B-grade Andrew Bidwell produced an impressive final day of the tour to claim the overall B-grade honours.
He finished 5min 44sec clear of Patrick Harvey who was second and Michael White who was third.
In C-grade, Neil Sutherland took out the final stage and also the overall honours.
Laurent Pasquelins was 53sec behind in second, Ross Avis third, and Wayne Miller fourth.
In the women’s grade, Jeannie Blakemore was the leader over night and retained that lead to claim the overall honours.
She won the final stage and finished 3min 46sec ahead of Rachel Thow and Sarah Boys in the overall standings.