Johnstone all class in 'tough' race

After coming second in last year's Lion Foundation Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge, Whangarei cyclist Lee Johnstone had only one goal this year - to finish at the top of the podium.
Eight hundred kilometres, 13 stages and seven days later, the Fat Dog Cycles team rider was up there, having won the toughest event he has ridden in, he said.

"Riding 800km over a week, with two stages a day is pretty tough. You have to recover after the morning stage then get back on your bike," he said.
Winning the event came as a surprise as he was up against a classy field with international riders from Spain and the US, and while many of the competitors were competing under the masters umbrella, there were quite a few elite riders taking part, Johnstone said.
The race started on February 14 and weaved its way up the North Island over 13 stages, including a couple of mean hill climbs.
"The stage from Wanganui to Ohakune was the hilliest and the toughest for me," he said.
Having sat in fourth for most of the week, Johnstone broke away early with fifth placed Mike Henton in Friday's 95km stage from Tokoroa to Hamilton and won the stage, beating the bunch home by five minutes.
The stage win meant he took over the lead, which he maintained through Saturday's final stage, to win overall.
Fellow Whangarei rider Charles Afford also had a successful Wellington to Auckland campaign, finishing fifth overall and second in the King of the Mountains competition, while Dargaville rider Barry Ruddell won stage one but finished mid-field overall due to mechanical issues.
There was  a sprint race during each stage and Johnstone also claimed the overall sprint race title, topping off a great week of racing.
Johnstone has had a stellar season, having only returned
to racing full time two-and-a-half-years ago. In October, he won the gold medal for his age group at the National Club Cycling Championships and he was the sixth elite rider home in the Round Taranaki 155km road race last month.
The Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge was part of his build up to this year's nationals, which have been brought forward and will be held in May, at Hastings, while his next event will be the BDO Twin Coast Cycle Challenge in Northland, from March 18-21.