'World First' Down-Under Cycle Race Attracts International Media

International interest in a quirky Kiwi cycling event is hotting up, a month out from the start of this ‘world first’ national tour.

Lifestyle-publication writers from Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, China and the UK have had their interest piqued by news of the imminent inaugural Tour of New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand’s Brand and International PR General Manager Catherine Bates says the Tour of New Zealand is an opportunity to showcase some of the best road cycling routes that could be part of a cycling holiday.

“We know that many potential travellers show a special interest in cycling. It’s an activity that has potential for growth and offers a compelling reason for international visitors to come to New Zealand.” 

The tour begins simultaneously in Cape Reinga or Bluff at 8am on Saturday April 14, finishing about 700 kilometres or eight days later at the Beehive in Wellington. This is because teams or individuals can choose to begin at the top of the North Island or at the bottom of the South Island.
 
Organisers stress that participants can choose whether to speed or dawdle their way toward the middle of the country in stages as serious racers or simply as tour adventurers checking out the diverse scenery on offer.

Bates says that the international media teams will have the opportunity to experience both the North Island and South Island stages of the tour, to fully sample New Zealand’s diversity of landscapes.

“We’re confident they’ll see vastly different, spectacular scenes as they cycle from Queenstown to Wanaka, then to Twizel, Tekapo and Fairlie, before sampling the North Island from Waitomo to Wanganui, and finally to Wellington.”

Tour spokesperson Simon Yarrell says that over 300 people have signed up for the tour and stresses it is not only about speed and competition. He says they are also encouraging people to sign up for just one leg of the cycle tour.

“Cyclists don’t have to do the whole thing. They can do just one stage to be part of the event. Some are being quite competitive - like the Christchurch Boys’ High Team lead by professional mountain-cyclist Anton Cooper. But for most it’s about the challenge to complete one day or one stage of the journey. It’s based on fun, fitness, and supporting community organisations,” he says.

Yarrell says they want the tour to raise money for Kiwi cycle-ways via donations to the Hikurangi Foundation as well as supporting the Red Cross and St John. The latter two organisations had their coffers substantially emptied as a result of rescue efforts after Christchurch’s February 2011 earthquake.

“Because this tour has a charitable rather than a capitalist focus, we have received huge generosity from our corporate sponsors. Now we’d love Kiwis to grab a bike and join the internationals in taking full advantage of seeing the countryside first hand. We all own the most amazing backdrop for cycling,” he says.