Up-and-coming road cyclists from as far afield as Denmark have come together to represent Rotorua Racing at the New Zealand Cycle Classic.
The event, which is in its 31st year, is raced throughout Wairarapa and is the only UCI 2.2 event staged in New Zealand. It has served as a platform for numerous cyclists looking to make the step up to the top levels of racing.
The Rotorua Racing team comprises Cosmo Bloor, who studied in Rotorua but now lives in Auckland, Dan Busbridge, of Papamoa, Will Findlay, of Christchurch, Leighton Taylor, of Brisbane, Dylan McKenna, of Victoria, Australia and Mathies Mortenson, of Denmark.
Rotorua cycling enthusiast Ian Guy set up Rotorua Racing in 2015 and has been working on getting more young people involved in the sport. He said, while none of the riders in the New Zealand Cycle Classic team currently lived in Rotorua, it showed the local athletes there was something to aspire to.
"Part of the reason for setting it up was the fact there were lots and lots of opportunities for mountain-biking kids in town but there was not much for road-cycling kids," Guy said.