‘Not many will beat me downhill,’ says oldest rider
With nearly 20 gruelling Le Race starts under his belt, this year’s oldest competitor taking on the Christchurch to Akaroa 100km cycling event, still has a fire to bring home a winning time.
Paul McLachlan, 74, will be one of 600 riders expected to line up at Cathedral Square for the 25th anniversary edition of Golden Homes Le Race tomorrow.
The North Canterbury-based rider aims to take out the over-65 category after cramp ruined his winning chances last year.
McLachlan made a name for himself on the national and international motorcycling circuit in the 1970s and 80s throughout a professional career where he picked up multiple NZ titles. Those skills have transferred well going downhill on a bicycle, he said, knowing when to break and how to take corners at high speed.
“Not many riders will beat me downhill, but uphill my motorcycling experience is no bloody use at all,” he said. The course includes 1800m of climbing.
For the past 35 years McLachlan has rarely missed a Le Race event, and represented New Zealand at the age group world road cycling championships in Scotland last year.
“I was enjoying the ride at the front a bit too much and finished fourth in the sprint, so hope to do better in Denmark this year.”
McLachlan’s target is to finish the course within 3 hours and 20 minutes. He’s never broken the three-hour barrier, having recorded a best time of 3 hours and 9 minutes just over a decade ago.
“For some years, I was not far off breaking that time, so one year I decided to really have a crack at breaking the three-hour barrier. I trained for months and was all ready to go, but then my son decided to get married in Berlin on that exact day, so that ruined that plan,” he said.
The challenging climbs of Dyers Pass, Gebbies Pass, the Hilltop climb and Summit Rd are what make it “one of the most demanding races”, he said.
McLachlan believes if New Zealand were to host another Commonwealth sporting event, the course would be worthy of being included.
Since its inception in 1999, the race has featured some of the biggest names in the sport like national champion Kate McIlroy and Olympic medallists Brian Fowler and Hayden Roulston. But it also featured some of the most eccentric weekend warriors. Race organiser Sheree Stevens said each year features nostalgic and emotional moments.
“Those names are a great reflection of the high regard Le Race is held in cycling circles,” said Stevens. It has been wonderful to see those same young kids we first met at the starting line in Cathedral Square later pop up on the podium in Europe or the US, and of course makes us incredibly proud.”
This year’s field for Le Race will include defending champions Sharlotte Lucas and Jonty Harris, as well as previous two-time winner Daniel Whitehouse and Australian-turned-Kiwi former professional rider Matilda Raynolds.
The event has survived being virtually on life support after a double cancellation in 2020 and 2022 due to the pandemic, “but this is such a special race and we just love our cycling community too much to let this amazing event die a quiet death,” Stevens said. The “big smiles” on riders’ faces while sharing battle stories over a beer in Akaroa, round off the “special” experience.
The 25th anniversary edition of Golden Homes Le Race tomorrow begins at Cathedral Square at 8am.