The NZCT Women’s Cycle Tour of New Zealand started on Wednesday 27th February with a circuit around Fraser Park in Lower Hutt. The following day, Thursday, riders did Stage Two, 110km from Martinborough to Masterton On Friday the riders took on the most difficult stage in the tour, a 125km race including six major hill climbs and finished with a 12km “Top of the Mountain” climb to the top of Admiral Hill in the Wairarapa. This is the same stage used by the men’s in last month’s Trust House Cycle Classic, one of the hardest stages for any tour in New Zealand. On Saturday stage four took place in the Miramar circuit. A distance of 124km, riders completed 12 laps of the circuit, the stage include a hill climb up Awa Rd each lap.The Five-day tour finished with the Wellington Criterium on Sunday on a complete close circuit at the bottom of Lambton Quay. The field was made up of current Olympic champions, World Champions and national Champions from top European nations and New Zealand. The highest ranked New Zealanders on the list is Joanne Kiesanowski, ranked 21st and she rode the tour as part of her professional Cervelo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team from Switzerland. The field was made up of national teams from Australia, Japan, China, South Africa, Ukraine and New Zealand as well as professional teams from USA, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Italy and Germany.
... One of the youngest NZ riders .. Rachel Mercer (black strip) finished in 22nd place and is now heading off to belgium for training and team competition .. GOOD LUCK Rachel
1 comment:
Sweden's best cyclist Sussane Ljungskog was in the race. She only finished in 60th position. She had been out with some illness the weeks before. And she had a crash on day one.
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