CYCLING

Row the Atlantic...Ride New Zealand

By Scottie T Photography Ltd

Rob Hamill and Katie Spotz, two famous trans Atlantic rowers, are swapping boats for bikes to ride in the 3rd Tour of New Zealand cycle race, which begins Saturday April 11.

Rob’s well known as the Kiwi who won the inaugural Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997, crossing the ocean with his teammate Phil Stubbs in 41 days.

Katie, who is from Ohio, is the youngest person and the second woman to row solo across the Atlantic, making the epic 70‐day journey in 2010.

As a campaigner and fundraiser for clean water projects worldwide, she is also the first person to swim the 523 km length of the Allegheny River in the US.

Katie will be one of the riders making history this Friday in Stewart Island’s first cycle
race. A Foveaux Strait ferry full of riders will compete in the event, which is a prologue to the Tour.

Then on Saturday, Katie will start the South Island Tour at Bluff with 150 other riders on their 7 day, 700 km ride to Wellington, climbing the Crown range and Lindis Pass on her journey north.

Simultaneously, 2,000 kms north, at Cape Reinga, Rob Hamill is joining the 150 North Island riders on their 7 day and 700 km ride to Wellington.

The North and South Island riders meet in Wellington on April 18 for a race-­‐off between the two Islands on a short course in front of Parliament.

All the riders are raising money for charity. For example, Rob and his teammates have already raised more than $50,000 for the Unicorn Foundation for support of neuroendocrine cancer patients.

For full details of the Tour go to www.tourofnewzealand.bike