On Saturday the 26th November a fewe of us entered the Largest Cycle Race in Australasia, 160km round New Zealands largest lake.
Tony Melton and Peter Bier attempted the SOLO race (160km)
and one team of Bruce Hall (40km), Kirsten Henderson (40km)and Danny Peters (80km)
The unicycles satarted at 6am on an overcast day in taupo,
All was going great until 400meters before the halfway point when Tony Melton was hit from Behiund by a cyclcist and had a big crash which resulted with a nasty scrape on his elbow and his knee, this put him out the the race,
Kirsten henderson who rode the second leg set a (still to be confirmed)New Zealand Record for female over 40km, finishing in 2hours 31minutes. Myself (Danny Peters) and Peter Bier left the halfway point at around 1230. Hitting the hills fresh was brilliant and on the first set of hills (11km long) i passed about 100 cyclists, such a brilliant feeling, just before the hills started we passed the famous ‘Ken Looi’ pie shop (for those who read his reprt from last year). The unicycle relay team ‘3 wheels’ finished at aprox 515 in a total time of 11hours 27minutes and 50seconds, with myself finishing 80km in 5hours 6 mins, Peter Bier finished his 100miles (160km) in 11hours 46minutes, what an effort!!! huge congratulations to him.
Overall a great day and a great race (apart form Tony’s crash)
Hope some of you internationals can come over for next years race
website www.cyclechallenge.co.nz
photos coming soon on www.supersportimages.com and there will be some in a gallery on unicyclist.com soon
Danny Peters
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