The Pioneer is the first race of its kind. It covers over 500km of trails, with participants set to climb over 15,000m during the seven-day stage event.
Raced in teams of two, the course takes is riders through New Zealand's Southern Alps using farm tracks, NZ cycle trails, double- and singletrack. Racers will pass through soaring mountain peaks, skirt crystal clear lakes and traverse golden backcountry. All in all, it looks like being awe-inspiring, challenging and truly epic.
Professional cyclist Matt Page is well versed in endurance events and is known as being one of the best all round riders in the UK. He joins forces with his team mate Sam Gardner riding as Team EpicCymru.com and will be bringing us daily updates from the inaugural race. Read on for his first instalment…
ADVERTISEMENT
Stage 1 (Prologue)
The inaugural edition of The Pioneer New Zealand started on Sunday in Christchurch with more than 300 riders from all around the world and all kinds of backgrounds, from the pro riders, including Team Danton – consisting of U23 world XC champion and Commonwealth gold medallist Anton Cooper, who's teamed up with Australian champion and World Cup winner Dan McConnell – to the hundreds of riders who are here to get a taste of New Zealand's South Island, with its stunning scenery.
Stage 1, the prologue started from within Christchurch Centre, a neutral start taking riders out to the foothills of the surrounding mountains for a 25km time trial, with riders set off at 20 second intervals. First to head off were Cooper and McConnell, who set a blistering time of 57 minutes around the fun, mixed terrain course.
Stage 2
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1o2e9gx
No comments:
Post a Comment