Whanganui riders put age and rival skill sets aside to post commanding performances at the annual Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge at the weekend.
Glenn Haden showed his class with perhaps the best performance by a Whanganui rider finishing a close second in the XL Huka 85km mountain bike race to Rotorua's Sam Shaw.
Haden clocked 3.46.26 compered to Shaw's 3.45.01 with Henry Jaine from Nelson third in 3.46.27. Shaw blitzed his own time in the event shaving 11 minutes off his 2016 third place ride.
Brent Bismark rode the Huka XL finishing 11th, before riding back to compete in the Heart Kids ride with his pre-school son.
Whanganui's Tony Sinclair won his 50-59 year age group Huka Challenge in a creditable 4.43.11, while Stephen Snell was first Whanganui club member home in the 60-69 age group race in fourth place in 4.16.37 and 119th overall.