Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge days away

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With New Zealand's largest cycling event - the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge - just days away, cyclists from around the world are in final preparations for the event's 40th anniversary.

Confirmed riders for the popular elite races this Saturday include the likes of recent Tour of Southland winner Aaron Gate, who placed second in Taupo's Holden Men's Classic last year, along with Tour of Southland stage winner Alex Frame. Sixth place getter on the Tour, Michael Torckler will be looking for another good result after his Taupo win back in 2013.

2016 National Road Champion Jason Christie will also be on the start line in the company of other riders such as Nick Kergozou and Luke Mudgway. In the Women's Classic Road Race, last year's winner and recent Olympian, Racquel Sheath will be back to defend her title, racing against 2014 winner Ruby Livingstone and fellow Cycling New Zealand track team members, Alysha Keith and Jaime Nielsen. Having won the 2013 Woman's Road Race, Reta Trotman will this year be taking on the 85km Huka XL Mountain Bike race, as will Hayden McCormick in the men's section.

Other Olympians from this year's Rio games who will be taking part are the New Zealand women's rowing eight team.

While the elite races are great to watch, they're just a few of the estimated 7000 riders expected on the day. One of the original 26 riders from the first event in 1977, Bruce Jaine will be relinquishing his Mountain Bike Race director duties for the day, and will be riding the iconic 160km Round The Lake category in celebration of the event's anniversary, as will Henry Heather who will be taking on his 30th consecutive Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge event.

After finishing as host of TVNZ's Breakfast Show earlier this year, Rawdon Christie has taken up cycling and will be doing his first Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. Rawdon is also bringing his family with him to do the shorter 80km Half the Lake and 40km Quarter Lake options.

Online entries for the event are open until midnight Wednesday with entries also available between 10am - 10pm this Friday.

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge event and entry information can be found at www.cyclechallenge.com.