Trophee de Grimpeur

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

Croote the “Grimpeur”

Kent Croote can call him self the Grimpeur after winning the most gruelling race on the PNMCC calendar. At the turn at Highland home Croote and Tom Findlay had opened up a little gap on the rest of the A grade field. The gap widened towards the bottom of Saddle road. It was here that Croote put the pace on and showed his climbing skills to take out the Trophee the Grimpeur before Daniel Lithgow second and Mark Findlay third.

The Trophee the Grimpeur is the race to determine who the best climbers are in the club. In this years race the A and B grade riders were faced with some challenging climbs on the way out and back to Highland home with the finish up Saddle Rd.

In the B grade Luke McCarthy showed how to climb. On the way out and back none of the climbs could split the field. They arrived as one peloton at the bottom of the Saddle. With his superb climbing style McCarthy dropped the whole b grade field on his attempt up to the Saddle to claim the B grade Grimpeur title before Paul Deuritz second and Steve Glasgow third.

C and D grade have the same finish but the distance out of Ashhurst towards the the respective turns is a bit shorter. C grade was won by Max Annear before George Roberts and Andrew Bengston. Michaela Drummond rider from the Ashhurst Taskforce was the first female on the top. The D grade “Grimpeuse” is Kate Stewart.

Results in full

A grade Ashhurst highland home return finish up Saddle Rd

1 Kent Croote 1:29:50; 2 Danile Lithgow 1:30:43; 3 Mark Findlay 1:31:10; 4 Luke Wolfsbauer 1:31:12; 5 Mark Waterland 1:31:28; 6 Tom Findlay 1:33:14; 7 Michael Hall 1:35:03.

B grade Ashhurst highland home return finish up Saddle Rd

1 Luke McCarthy 1:33:48; 2 Paul Deuritz 1:34:37; 3 Steve Glasgow 1:34:37; 4 Luuk van Wagtendonk 1:34:39; 5 Cameron Senior 1:34:49; 6 Patrick Edwards 1:34:55; 7 Angus Findlay 1:35:01; 8 Erik d’Arbois 1:35:03; 9 Kevin Laskey 1:35:19; Wayne Wolfsbauer 1:35:27; Jonty Hapeta dnf

C grade Ashhurst Awahou School return finish up Saddle Rd

1 Max Annear 1:10:02; 2 George Roberts 1:11:21; 3 Andrw Bengston 1:13:54; 4 Tony Reddrop 1:14:53; 5 Robert Jaques 1:17:08; 6 Michaela Drummond 1:20:39; 7 Ruby Perry 1:22:25; 8 Katryn Young 1:26:13; 9 Kelsi Eccles 1:33:08

D grade Ashhurst Waterford café return and finish up Saddle Rd

1 Kate Stewart 57:51; David Drummond 1:00:74; 3 Brad Johnson 1:06:35