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Karapoti Classic Turns 20

Posted on: Sunday, 6 March 2005, 15:00 CST

THE Karapoti Classic started in 1986 with 49 entries, a handful of mad men and women who decided to test their bikes and their bodies on one of the most demanding mountain bike tracks.

Tim Galloway and Anne Butler took the honours in the inaugural year and 20 years down the track it marks its anniversary with a record number of entries.

Today more than 1200 people are set to line up to try and complete the race in Upper Hutt.

All eyes will be on Australian and 2004 runner-up Tim Bennett, the favourite for this weekend's race. Bennett is among Australia's top-10 mountain bikers and specialises in gruelling endurance epics such as the Karapoti.

However, he will face several previous winners, including Switzerland-based Nelsonian Tim Vincent and Christchurch rider Julian Mitchell.

The big hometown challenge will come from in-form Kiwi riders Aaron Tuckerman (Blenheim) and Upper Hutt's Wayne Hiscock.

Sixteen of the country's top 20 riders this season will be at Karapoti, but Tuckerman and Hiscock have been the most consistent. And Hiscock's local knowledge could see him take out his first win in his hometown event.

The women's field is also strong, but is expected to be dominated by fast-improver Rosara Joseph. The Cantab-turned-Wellingtonian finished third last year in what was her first professional outing.

This summer she has dominated the national scene and should be too good for a field that includes Australian endurance specialist Tory Thomas, Canadian adventure racing specialist Emily Miazga, who was third in the recent Coast to Coast, and former Karapoti junior winner Myra Moller.

And while the finish will dominate the headlines, one of the features of this year's event will be the start where history is set to repeat.

Eleven of the 49 who started the inaugural 1986 event will kick off proceedings and be the first riders to leave the starting line.

As well as the first three placegetters, Upper Hutt doctor Alistair Rhodes will be in this first battalion. Rhodes, 68, is the only person to have completed all 20 Classics.

Also among the starters this year will be Wellington's Kennett brothers, Paul, Simon and Jonathan, who created the Karapoti Classic. This will be the first time all three of them have ridden the race together.

The full 50km "Classic" revolves around three huge hills, each rising to almost 600m. But each climb is split by a series of defining elements, such as the "Rock Garden" -- a 2km descent complete with boulders the size of soccer balls and drop-offs the size of your bike; or the "Devils Staircase" -- a 2km long climb up a series of handcut steps split by knee deep bogs; or "Big Ring Boulevard" -- a super-fast 8km descent down a 4WD road.

The prestigious American cycling magazine Velonews ranks Karapoti among the top 25 races in the world.

As well as being the oldest New Zealand mountain bike event it is also the most prestigious, with a $30,000 prize pool and a world- class field.

Source: Dominion Post

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