CYCLING

Rotorua Bike Festival 2016 – Bike the Lake Rotorua supporting local young riders.

By Blue Dog Media

An event at the Rotorua Bike Festival in February is helping out some local young riders with free entry.

Eight members of under 23 road cycling team, Rotorua Racing, will compete in Bike the Lake on Sunday  February 14.


 
“We’re really happy to help these young fellas as much as possible,” said Bike the Lake race director, Shane Hooks. “We love Rotorua as a venue and being part of the Bike Festival, every year.”
 
The event is open to all riders with a two-lap challenge as well as more leisurely one-lap circumnavigation of Lake Rotorua for less experienced riders.
 
Rotorua Racing team manager, Ian Guy, is very grateful for Hooks’ offer.

“We’re supported by Waiariki Institute of Technology, Pure Nutrition and QE Health,” he said. “And the lad’s parents, of course – but those race entry fees really mount up.”
 
Riders in Bike the Lake get free entry into the Holland Beckett Lawyers People’s Flying Kilo. This is part of the Runway Project (with Air New Zealand) at Rotorua Airport the day before. Riders in Bike the Lake get free entry to the People’s Flying Kilo or it only $10 to enter.

“We’ll be there for that and the organisers have also given us three of only 20 places in the Elite Flying Kilo,” Guy continued.  “It’s a great opportunity for Sam Phipps, Jared Johnston and Daniel Johnston to get some race experience alongside the big guns. It’s especially good timing for Sam as he’s just recently signed to Australian team GPM Stultz to race in the National Series over there.”  


Some of the younger members of the Rotorua Racing team will also compete in the third road event of the 10-day Festival. The Cycling Rotorua Hill Climb Fun Challenge is from noon on Saturday February 20 on Mountain Road on the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. It is open to everyone and includes a mountain bike category.
 
Photo: Bike the Lake is a big part of the annual Rotorua Bike Festival (Alan Ofsoski).
 
Enter Bike the Lake: www.bikethelake.com
Festival programme: www.rotoruabikefestival.com
With regular updates at: www.facebook.com/RotoruaBikeFestival