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    • Tineli shop open
      • PNP's Tineli shop is NOW OPEN!Now is the time to put in your order for PNP Club kit if you're looking for something new for summer or for a high quality, stylish gift for Christmas.Orders need to be placed before midnight 17 September. Items will arrive by the end of November – so will be here in plenty of time for Christmas.SHOP NOW

    • Do you own a PNP cycling top?
      • Do you have a PNP Club jersey, skinsuit or vest that you could lend someone for the Vantage Age Group national Road Champs?We have a big contingent of PNP riders heading up to Waipukurau next week, doing battle in the Time Trial and/or various Road races. Riders are supposed to to wear Club colours for the races but there are a number of riders that have indicated they don't currently have PNP Club kit.If you have a PNP jersey, skinsuit, vest, bibsuit, loincloth (eh?!), etc, that you could lend, I's love to hear from you.We need sizes from men's and women's XS right up to 3XL, so please ransack your cupboards and drawers and see what you have available. Just think of that reflected glory if your loaned PNP jersey was to grace the shoulders of a new National Champion!!!!Thanks in advance, Team Manager Chris Baguley: 027 347 1113 or cbaguley@hotmail.com

    • Vantage Age Group Road Nationals
      • Team Managers for Vantage Age Group Nationals, 17-19 July 2020Chris Baguley will initially be Team Manager for PNP for the above event, and will be attending the Team Managers' meeting at 17h00 on Thursday 16th July. Chris will have all of the PNP race numbers, so please get in touch with him to arrange collection (could be done after the Managers' meeting on Thursday, or on Friday morning, see contact details below).Maria Robertson will take over as PNP Team Manager from Friday afternoon, to assist those entered for the Road Races on Saturday and Sunday, so she will have the rest of the PNP race numbers available for collection.Contact Chris Baguley on 027 347 1113 or email: cbaguley@hotmail.comContact Maria Robertson on 021 246 2827 or email: maria.robertson@xtra.co.nz

    • Annual General Meeting Announcement
      • Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant39 Abel Smith St3pm – 5pm, 5 July 2020Come and join us for a couple of hours THIS Sunday at the Southern Cross for the annual general meeting and social club catch-up. We aim to keep things pretty relaxed again this year, while still covering off all the necessary parts including the year’s highlights, trophies and recognition awards, committee nominations, and honoraria. So, bring your families, have some food on us – and feel free to step up for a role on the committee or give us any feedback or ideas that will help make 2020/2021 a great race season!All of the reports can be found on our website – of click here: AGM 2020 Reports

    • Concussion Knowledge
      • Three researchers (O'Reilly, Mahon and Theadom) recently conducted a study to determine the level of knowledge and behaviour of New Zealand cyclists regarding concussion.Here's a summary of findings 21/03/2020.

    • PNP Kit – Shop Open
      • Our Champion SystemsClub Kit shop is now open and will be until Sunday 19 January 2020 at 5pm. Items will arrive in the approximately 22 February 2020, so you'll have them in time for the Age Group Nationals if you're competing.In our Champion Systems store we are able to offer a broad range of items including skin suits, arm and leg warmers, jackets, socks, caps, beanies etc. So, with autumn not far off and winter right behind it, this is your chance to order PNP kit to suit the season.Click here to go to the Club Kit page on the website.

    • Proposed changes to Constitution
      • NOTICE– Special General Meeting (SGM)12.30pm Sunday 17 NovemberKarori West Primary School(This is the location for the prize giving for Round 5 of the PNP MTB Spring Series)For IRD compliance reasons changes/additions are being proposed to the current PNP Rules and Regulations (Constitution). A vote will be held at the Special General Meeting – all members welcome.Proposed changes/additions are as follows:Current clause 2323. ALTERATION OF RULES23.1 Any changes to these Rules and Regulations, including the introduction of new Rules, can only be proposed at an Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.23.2 Notice of any proposed change/s shall be given to individual members at least seven days before the date of the meeting.23.3 Where any change has been approved at either an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, the change does not come into effect until it has been approved by the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.Proposed new clause 2323. ALTERATION OF RULES23.1 Any changes to these Rules and Regulations, including the introduction of new Rules, can only be proposed at an Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.23.2 Notice of any proposed change/s shall be given to individual members at least seven days before the date of the meeting.23.3 No alteration to Rule 2 (Objectives), Rule 27 (Pecuniary Gain) or Rule 28 (Winding Up) shall commence until approved by Inland Revenue. This Rule 23.3, and the effect of it, shall not be removed from the Rules and shall be included and implied into any rules replacing these Rules.23.4 Where any change has been approved at either an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, the change does not come into effect until it has been approved by the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.Current clause 2727. PECUNIARY GAIN27.1 No member of the Club shall derive any pecuniary gain from any property or operations of the Club except:a) A salaried Officer.b) A Member or Members, voted by a 75% majority of the total number of voting members onthe Committee, in respect of services rendered for the organisation of a major Club race orseries of Club races, or for management of a Club team competing at Nationals.c) By way of honoraria for services rendered, voted by a general meeting of members.Proposed new clause 2727. PECUNIARY GAIN27.1 No member of the Club shall derive any pecuniary gain from any property or operations of the Club except:a) A salaried Officer.b) A Member or Members, voted by a 75% majority of the total number of voting members on the Committee, in respect of services rendered for the organisation of a major Club race or series of Club races, or for management of a Club team competing at Nationals.c) By way of honoraria for services rendered, voted by a general meeting of members.27.2 No member of the organisation, or anyone associated with a member, is allowed to take part in, or influence any decision made by the organisation in respect of payments to, or on behalf of, the member or associated person.27.3 Any payments made for remuneration or for goods or services supplied by a member or associated person must be reasonable and relative to payments that would be made between unrelated parties.Current clause 2828. WINDING UP28.1 In the event of the Club being dissolved, or the Club through any other cause ceasing to exist, the Club’s funds and property (after all liabilities have been discharged) shall be disposed of either as:a) A 75% majority of members shall determine, or b) Determined by the Registrar of Incorporated Societies in accordance with and as authorised by the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.28.2 In no event shall the surplus assets of the Club be divided among the members nor shall the members of the club have any beneficial interest in those surplus assets.28.3 Where a code disbands from the Club, it shall have no claim on any assets of the Club.Proposed new clause 2828. WINDING UP28.1 If the Club is dissolved, or through some cause ceases to exist, the Club’s funds and property (after all liabilities have been discharged) shall transferred to some body or bodies in New Zealand amateur sport. Such bodies shall be determined by:a) A 75% majority of the Club’s Members, orb) The Registrar of Incorporated Societies in accordance with and as authorised by the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.28.2 The body or bodies in Rule 28.1 to whom surplus assets are transferred must prohibit the distribution of its/their income and property among its/their members to at least the same level as is imposed on the Club under these Rules.28.3 In no event shall the surplus assets of the Club be divided among the members nor shall the members of the club have any beneficial interest in those surplus assets.28.4 Where a code disbands from the Club, it shall have no claim on any assets of the Club.

    • The most comprehensive, affordable training opportunities ever!
      • This season’s training offering for Wellington cyclists is the most comprehensive ever with coaches on hand for 13 different sessions a week for all ages and abilities covering endurance, sprinting and bunch racing – there are even women’s specific sessions. Available to anyone, and completely affordable, PNP’s aim is to get more people cycling. Head up to the Wellington Velodrome, hire one of the club’s track bikes, and take advantage of this opportunity. It all kicks off from mid-October, visit facebook.com/wellington.velodrome to stay connected.PNP’S TRAINING SCHEDULE AT THE TRACK – THE DETAILS - The Wellington Sprint Squad have something special up their sleeves this year with an all new Wednesday Sprint Series! Full run down and dates will be released shortly. Make sure you attend one of their Monday/Friday training sessions to fine tune those fast twitch muscle fibres. - Endurance Training kicks off for under 17, under 19 and seniors on 15 October with the first ever Tuesday Speed Shop. This is a loosely pursuit-focused session aimed at riders wanting some free speed. Ride smarter, not harder. ;) - Thursday nights are all about the art of bunch racing. Pat and Mike have been losing bike races for years and are keen to help the current crop of exciting young under 17 and under 19 trackies learn from their many mistakes! Seniors will get their chance to deconstruct the weekend's racing straight after. - Gary Gibson's always excellent rookies, and under 11, under 13 and under 15 junior sessions start from the following week, Tuesday 22 October. We're looking forward to watching him develop yet more talent. - And last but by no means least, Ele Pepperell is continuing her frankly awesome Women's Wednesdays! These are friendly sessions for anyone wanting to improve their bike handling skills and confidence on the velodrome. Ele has created a great community over the last couple of years and we can't wait to see even more women getting track time at the Wellydrome.HIRE A TRACK BIKE FROM US A season’s track bike hire is just $110. Come along for a few goes first to try it out, contact us for a set up or go to our open day on 20 October: https://www.facebook.com/events/474702113080307/

    • PNP/Capital Cycles Criterium Series
      • Round 1 this Sun 4 AugustThis Sunday the Capital Cycles Winter Criterium Series kicks off, presented by Wellington Schools Cycling and PNP Cycling Club. It will be held over three consecutive weeks (on Sunday). We invite A, B, C and School Grades, so come along and participate.This year we have a new course on Somme Rd, which promises some good quality racing.We are still after a few more volunteers so please get in touch if you’re available to help out. Contact Aaron Stagg on: aaron@zealinteriors.co.nzEnter on the day only:$5 All School Grade$10 PNP Club Members$15 GuestsThe 3 round series will be held on August 4th, 11th & 18thPreliminary start times are as follows:(Boys and Girls may be run as separate races if numbers permit)10.00am U13 Boys & Girls - 15mins + 1 lap10.25 am U15 Boys & Girls - 20mins + 1 lap10.50 am U17 Boys & U17 & U19 Girls - 25mins + 1 lap11.30 am C Grade 25mins + 1 lap12.10 pm B Grade 25mins + 2 laps12.50 pm A grade & U19 Boys 30mins + 2 LapsPlease register 30mins prior to your race. Registration will be at YMCA hall off Somme Road.pnp.org.nz/2019-criterium-series

    • Mainfreight Rice Mountain Classic
      • A warm calm day greeted riders as they lined up for the iconic Mainfreight Rice Mountain Classic, the third event of the PNP Pak'nSave Summer Road Series. With over 1800m of climbing in the 90km Grand Fondo course, this was going to test the hardiest of legs. The 60km Medio Fondo isn’t that much easier with over 1200m of climbing. Both courses would finish atop the iconic Admirals hill, a 10km (440m) climb in pain management. Medio Fondo45 riders rolled out in the neutral zone along Gladstone road before the race proper began on Te Whiti Road. The race started much the same way the previous race had finished, with Jason Gestro on the front providing the pace and the rest following wheels. All thoughts were on the climbs to come. At the bottom of Limeworks, Tom Finlay moved to the front and set a solid pace that reduced the bunch to about 25 and as he eased off at the top Steve Chapman lifted the pace to shake loose a few more stragglers and be sure none of those dropped were motivated to return.Patrick Drysdale and three other riders chased from the first hill, eventually getting on after the second climb. 5km after Limeworks there were about 20 riders at the front of the race as they climbed up on to the plateau. It was on this climb that Bex Hutchinson put the hurt on, driving the pace from the front and succeeded to detach a few more from the lead group. At about the 30km mark Gestro put in one of his trademark attacks and was able to create a break with Drysdale and Richard Henderson for company. This left a chase group of about 10 including the fit young Scots College crew who didn’t appreciate that the race was getting away from them having failed to commit to a chase.About 1 km before the right hander to the start of the Te Korarau climb the lead three were splitting up with Henderson in front followed by Drysdale and a gap back to Gestro. It was here that Chapman and another attacked and made it across to Gestro while the chase intensified behind. Onto the Te Korarau climb Gestro paid the price for his earlier attack and before long Chapman was joined by Finlay and Scots College riders George Tompkin and Eliot Robertson. Once again Finlay set the pace on the climb and the gap to Drysdale came down to 200m by the summit. This was a super climb by Drysdale, a big guy shouldn’t be able to move so fast up one of the steepest climbs in the local road racing.Henderson and Drysdale put the hammer down on the descent but there was no cooperation in the chasing four as Tom Finlay wasn’t going to chase his team mate Patrick, and Chapman wasn’t going to tow the other two riders up. The Scots riders were still waiting for the final climb so the front two gained time. At the bottom Henderson had 40 seconds on Drysdale with another 20 seconds back to Finlay, Tompkin, Robertson and Chapman, then a further 20 seconds back to Gestro who was not giving up the fight.The situation was pretty similar when the race hit the final climb up Admirals. It was cool to see Gestro reconnect after a 5km chase but he had burnt too many matches in doing so and was soon disconnected again. Predictably, size was not an advantage for Drysdale on the final climb and he was passed by Finlay, Tompkin, Robertson and Chapman. Finlay was now setting the pace for the chase group with Henderson holding a 1 minute lead on the climb. The pace here may have been too much for Eliot Robertson and he started to slip back, or perhaps he was simply distracted by the local bees who seemed intent on stinging him repeatedly. With his team mate out of the picture Tompkin made his move with an attack on the ‘wall’ (4km onto the climb) that could not be matched by Finlay and which broke the resolve of Chapman. Tompkin then set off in pursuit of Henderson.However the lead was too great with Henderson holding on for an excellent win. He committed to an attack at the perfect moment and staying at the front for the final 25km. Despite his efforts to catch Henderson, Tompkin finished in second place a minute behind. Finlay maintained his strong pace to claim third place a further minute back.The women’s race had a drama filled ending with Hutchinson, who had demonstrated strong climbing skills and was well on the way to be a top ten finisher, puncturing with 2km to go and having to walk to the finish. It was during the walk that U19 rider Bridget Olphert was able to come through for the win. Only a minute separated the first two. Karin Van Der Walt took a well-deserved third. It was great to see Trevor Rice racing in retro kit, on his 10 speed classic steel bike with 21 – 11 cassette on the back. Trevor is the son of Alan Rice after whom this race is named and is himself a former champion rider. Also the Speaker of the House, the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, fronted for his first Rice Mountain Classic.Grand FondoOver 50 riders, including defending champion Antony Nalder, lined up for Grand Fondo that would take riders over the well-known Limeworks, Te Kurarau, and Admirals Hills. The peloton rolled out at a steady pace towards the first climb of the day at Limeworks. The pressure went on as the climb began and the bunch began to splinter. A group of 25 riders crested Limeworks with dribs and drabs following.At the 20km mark where the unlabelled drag up to the plateau began, Wouter Peeters and Calvin Standrill attacked and got away. Sooner after, Standrill, who was looking sharp, had an unfortunate altercation with a hedgehog that left him with a puncture (and the hedgehog worse for wear). This left Peeters all alone out the front where he would remain until the race hit the final climb up Admirals. After a valiant chase back on Standrill made contact but was unable to stay with the lead group. Peeters had a good minute gap as the lead group headed onto the out and back leg on Tupurupuru Te Wharau Road. Matt Webb-Smith ensured the peleton kept the sole leader in check and Peeters was unable to extend his lead as he turned onto the penultimate climb, the super steep Te Koraru monster. The lead group of 22 soon followed onto the climb. It rapidly detonated as Josh Coutis drove the pace uphill. A much reduced bunch of Coutis, Antony Nalder, Dave Rowlands, Callum Kennedy, James Ashley, Camden Feint (U19) and Steve Bale went over the top together. They were soon joined by Luke McDermott, Dave Weaver, Boston Bright (U19), and Steve McKinstry on the descent. Peeters gap was cut in half.A group of 12 hit the bottom of Admirals together. Peeters valiant effort out front came to an end as he was caught 1km into the climb. Once again Coutis ramped up the pace that saw a number of riders fall off the back of the group. At the ‘wall’ , a short steep pitch 4km into the climb, Nalder attacked hard. Only Rowlands and Ashley were able to follow. The remains of the group imploded. Once Nalder eased, Rowlands counter attacked. Ashley hesitated and Nalder was able to get back to Rowlands. Rowlands continued to drive the pace to make the split stick. Further up the climb Nalder dropped off and Rowlands was able to pull away and take a well-deserved victory 42 seconds up on his rivals. Second to forth was a close run thing with only four seconds separating Nalder in second, Ashley in third and Courtis in fourth. Bethan Stubbs in a gusty effort, having ridden most of the race alone, took the RMC women’s trophy. She was followed by Ronda Gardner, Emily Dinsdale and Holly Barclay in second, third and fourth respectively.Congratulations to all participants on an extremely tough course. Special mention to the U19 riders who rode beyond their years and all placed extremely well - Bright (7th) and Feint (19th) in the Grand Fondo , and Olphert (1st), George (2nd) and Henry Tompkin (11th), and Eliot Robertson (10th) in the Medio Fondo. In the teams competition the Onslow Tarbabies (386) have overtaken GP Meo (380) with Scots College in third (238).Next event is the Village Café Millars Road circuit in Martinborough on the 23 March. Sign on at the Village Café between 8.30 and 9.30am with event start from 10am. See you there.

    • PNP PAK’nSAVE Summer Road Series - Ocean Beach Challenge
      • A warm sunny day with a moderate NW wind greeted riders for the first event of the 2019 PNP PAK’nSAVE Summer Road Series, the Ocean Beach Challenge.The 85km Grand Fondo course would see the riders head south towards Ocean Beach along Western Lake Road from Featherston turning around just short of Ocean Beach Road. After retracing their steps they would turn onto the East West Access Road before turning left onto Kahutara Road that would take them to the finish near the end of Kuhutara road. The Medio Fondo course was slightly shorter at 60km skipping the out and back leg to Ocean Beach Road and turning directly onto the East-West Access Road.It was great to see the colours of USO Bike Ride represented for the first time. USO is a Polynesian group that promotes health and fitness amongst Polynesian communites. “Brothers united to improving the cycle of life of Polynesian people through cycling". Last year’s team champions, the Onslow Tarbabies, were well represented too.Medio Fondo45 keen riders lined up for the Medio Fondo race. After a short neutralised section there was a series of attacks that were easily chased down by the fresh legs in the peloton in the predominantly cross – tail winds. After about 5km a calm descended on to the bunch until a section of gravel was reached about 15km into the race.Kerrin Allwood and Bridget Olphert (U19) both took the lead through the gravel sector and on exiting found themselves with a lead of about 10 seconds and decided to press on. The gap initially went out but then stabilised at about 20 - 30 seconds as they rode across the East-West Access road with a tail wind. The pressure of the chase lead to several riders being un-hitched from the bunch. With the prospect of a 30km slog into a headwind Allwood and Olphert decided that discretion was the better part of valour and sat up near the end of the East-West Access road.The bunch then settled into an easy rhythm until the approaches to Kahutara where a series of attacks were launched, mostly by junior riders Elliot Robertson, Lewis Tompkin, Freddie Dossor and Henry Tompkin. These attacks put many in the bunch under pressure and the bunch size was further reduced. Allwood counter-attacked on the rise leading into Kahutara and set off on another ill-fated adventure. The juniors set off in pursuit and Allwood again sat up after about 5km when it became apparent that he could not get the gap beyond 100m.The final 5km were ridden at a very slow pace with no one wanting to lead out the bunch. At 200m to go Allwood launched his sprint and was overtaken in the last 50 m by a fast finishing Dossor who took out the win with Tompkin in second and Allwood holding on for third.Olphert rode strongly all day to finish first woman just behind the bunch. Zoe Perry took second after participating in a hotly contested sprint for the second bunch. Rebecca Owen was a close one second behind to take third.Grand FondoA strong field of over 60 riders lined for the first Grand Fondo race. Frisky legs saw a fast start with Matt Webb-Smith and Dan Waluszewski prominent on the front. A slight kink in the road about 7km in saw the north-west ‘crossies’ come into play with GP Meo riders putting everyone in the gutter and the bunch being shredded into several echelons. This was the first selection of the day with a group of 20 forming at the front.The short gravel section at the 15km mark saw the next selection occur with the group split in half. There were also a several puncture related casualties from the gravel. A furious chase followed with shelled riders attempting to regain contact with the front group. Several managed to do so and a group of 15 formed. The race settled down as it wound its way along the Western Lake Road. A second group formed and was soon a good two minutes back.There were several forays off the front lead by Antony Nalder and Webb-Smith, although the tailwind made it hard to get away. 13 riders crested the climb at the 40km turnaround point. A second group and third group of 30 and 20 riders respectively followed a good way behind.A strong tailwind along the East-West Access road saw speeds of 60km/h reached with Steve Bale and Webb-Smith lighting it up. The furious pace and constant attacking saw a number of riders shelled with only seven making the turn onto Kahutara Road for the run home. The group was made up of a trio of GP Meo riders – Nalder, Brent Backhouse, and Dave Rowlands along with Webb-Smith, Calvin Standrill, Bale, and Waluszewski.On the run home into stiff headwind the GP Meo crew attempted to use their numerical superiority to put a rider up the road. The other riders were wise to this and shut down the several attempts made. With 5km to go Nalder got away but was soon joined by Webb-Smith. With the two away the chase went out of the group and the leading pair soon put on a one minute gap. Coming into the last 500m there was a bit of cat and mouse with neither rider wanting to lead out for the sprint. Webb Smith took the lead and managed to hold Nalder off by half a wheel. Backhouse finished alone for third having got away from the remaining group. Waluszewski took the sprint for forth leading in Rowlands, Standrill, and Bale.After tough wind conditions Aileen Campbell of USO Bike Ride took out well deserved line honours for the women’s race leading in Bex Hutchinson and Kristine Ford. Great effort by all in what turned out to be quite tough conditions. Congratulations to all the age grade winners. Special mention to the Scots College boys who almost took a clean sweep in the Medio Fondo race placing three in the first four places and to 60 plus men’s grade that saw the first three finish within three seconds of one another. Meo GP has a healthy lead in the Teams competition with 163 points, followed by Onslow Tarbabies (132) and Scots college (98).Looking forward to see you all at the next event, the Ngawi Classic, on 23 February 2019. The Medio Fondo will be 65 km and the Grand Fondo will be 122km all the way from Martinborough to Ngawi and back. Registration will be at the Village Café in Martinborough from 8.30 to 9.30am with a neutral rollout from the same location.

    • Burkes Cycles Speed League Season Seven - Revenge!
      • The seventh season of the Burkes Cycles Speed League begins on 4 November 2018 at the Wellington Velodrome, and the stage is set for some intriguing revenge matches. Title sponsors Burkes Cycles are once again backing the Capital's premier track cycling league alongside other longtime sponsors Zeal Commercial Interiors, Craig's Investment Partners, Coffee Supreme and Champion System. Grace Saywell will join the open women's grade after taking out the under 19s in 2017-18 and will be gunning for the title which has been held by Ele Pepperell since Speed League's inception in 2012. "I'm looking forward to the season ahead with lots of awesome women racing," says Pepperell. "Looks like I'm going to have to fight for my name on the cup this year!" Saywell raced in the open grade prior to the under 19 category's creation, and just missed out to Pepperell in 2016-17 by one point. With Saywell moving up, Bridget Olphert starts as favourite in the under 19s.Ele Pepperell (left) sprinting against Zoe Perry Five-time defending champion Nick Warren narrowly scraped overall victory last year, overhauling Pat Crowe-Rishworth in the final couple of rounds after Crowe-Rishworth was recovering from the effects of a crash on the road. The younger of the two, Crowe-Rishworth knows he has what it takes to win the overall, and will be aiming for a consistent performance throughout the season which runs until March 2019. "I'm feeling really positive about first-lap attacks this season," says Crowe-Rishworth. "it's a long-game strategy that I think will pay off in the current racing climate."Nick Warren (left) and Pat Crowe-Rishworth Top young talent Boston Bright and Max Wickens are set to shake up the standings, and regulars Matt Sharland, Gideon Burke and Mike Thomas will undoubtedly be in the mix. Expect a major reshuffling in the junior grades, with a number of riders moving up age groups. Josh Turnbull, current under 17 champion, is likely to be racing in the top A grade to hone his form for National Championships but will find it harder to score league points. Others to look out for include Freddie Dosser, Stanley Riddle, Thomas Joyce and Toby Braun. Zoe Perry dominated the under 15 girls last season but will move up to the under 17s for at the beginning of 2019 and will race in the much tougher B grade, while Millie Donald will be a force to be reckoned with in the under 13s. Organised by PNP Cycling Club, Speed League attracts around 100 different riders each season, and has helped Wellington riders become genuine challengers and medalist at major championships. "Track cycling in Wellington and the Speed League is going from strength to strength," says Co-Organiser Nigel Saywell, "I'm really excited to see what this season will bring." Round one of the 2018-19 Burkes Cycles Speed League starts 3.45pm on 4 November. Details and programme can be found here.

    • GIANT PNP Spring Series – Race 3
      • Hi all, the courses and registration link is up on the website for Race 3 – Rangituhi Trail Park, Porirua.It's very similar to last year (for those who are regular Spring Series riders), with just a couple of small changes.Sorry for getting it up so late – it's been a busy month of all of us on the committee, so thanks for baring with us!!We hope to see you out at Porirua on Sunday – assuming you're staying in Wellies for the long weekend. If you're heading away, safe travels and anyone doing the Whaka 100 – go hard, good luck and enjoy!!

    • GIANT PNP Spring Series Race One
      • Please note that the courses have changed slightly from what was previously published.Short Loop descriptionStart at Waiu Hub down by the car park and head into Wetlands Loop the reverse directionTurn sharp right at the bottom of Snail TrailRide Snail Trail all the way to the end (do not turn off onto Labyrinth Return part way up)At the top of Snails, take a slight left on to Labyrinth (backwards) (Note: this is where the long and short courses separate)Ride out on to ECNZ 4WD track, about 50 metres awayTurn left onto ECNZ and ride down through the barrier to cross Pukeatapu Bridge (Note: this is where the long and short courses reconnect)Cross the bridge (taking care to stay left), then follow the arrow straight ahead and enter Super PlusRide the top section of Super Plus (enjoy this part, it's lots of fun!), and take first exit to the right (this will be clearly marked)Turn right and ride back up the hill to the bridge, using the new walk/bike pathCross back over the bridge (taking care to stay left), through the barrier and back to the base of the ECNZ trackWhen you get to the 4WD track you have two options for your descentOption A: Turn sharp right and ride down Beeline and Beeline ExtensionOption B: Ride up a few metres and turn right down Jungle Gym all the way to Jungle Scout Return (there will be a marshal at the 5 junctions, you must give way)Turn right at the bottom of Beeline Extension/Jungle Scout Return and ride RedlineCircle the hub and start your next loop or go through the finish lineLong Loop descriptionStart at Waiu Hub down by the car park and head into Wetlands Loop the reverse directionTurn sharp right at the bottom of Snail TrailRide Snail Trail all the way to the end (do not turn off onto Labyrinth Return part way up)At the top of Snails, take a sharp right on to Labyrinth (Note: this is where the long and short courses separate)At the top of Labyrinth by the third pylon, turn left up link track to the ECNZ 4WD trackTurn right onto CNZ and head up to the start of FreewheelTurn left onto Freewheel and ride it all the way to the end, including the extension sectionWhen you come out of Freewheel, turn right onto ECNZ and ride down through the barrier to cross Pukeatapu Bridge (Note: this is where the long and short courses reconnect)Cross the bridge (taking care to stay left), then follow the arrow straight ahead and enter Super PlusRide the top section of Super Plus (enjoy this part, it's lots of fun!), and take first exit to the right (this will be clearly marked)Turn right and ride back up the hill to the bridge, using the new walk/bike pathCross back over the bridge (taking care to stay left), through the barrier and back to the base of the ECNZ trackWhen get back on to ECNZ 4WD track you have two options for your descentOption A: Turn sharp right and ride down Beeline and Beeline ExtensionOption B: Ride up a few metres and turn right down Jungle Gym all the way to Jungle Scout Return (there will be a marshal at the 5 junctions, you must give way)Turn right at the bottom of Beeline Extension/Jungle Scout Return and ride RedlineCircle the hub and start your next loop or go through the finish lineAge-groups and coursesNOTE: Your age is based on the age you will be as at 31 Dec 2018 and distances are approximateOpen Men 2 long loops, 1 short loop (22km)Open Women 2 long loops (16km)Masters Men 1 (30-39 years) 2 long loops, 1 short loop (22km)Masters Men 2 (40-49) 2 long loops, 1 short loop (22km)Masters Men 3 (50+) 2 long loops (16km)Sport Men (Open age group) 2 short loops (12km)Sport Women (Open age group) 2 short loops (12km)U19 Men 2 long loops, 1 short loop (22km)U19 Women 1 long loop, 1 short loop (14km)U17 Men 1 long loop, 2 short loops (20km)U17 Women 1 long loop, 1 short loop (14km)U15 Boys 1 long loop, 1 short loop (14km)U15 Girls 2 short loops (12km)U13 Boys 2 short loops (12km)U13 Girls 1 short loop (6km)U11 Boys 1 short loop (6km)U11 Girls 1 short loop (6km)Open Children's Beginner 2 loops of Jungle Scout and Jungle Scout Return (1km)Enter the series >>Enter Race One >>

    • One for every cyclist's bucket list
      • Wellington is seeking motivated road, cross and mountain bikers to join the track team heading to National Championships next year, some of the best run events on the calendar and a brilliant experience every cyclist should put on their bucket list.Elite and under 19 championships are at the beginning of February and the Age Group Nationals, for juniors and masters are in mid March.Both are to be held on the super fast, indoor wooden Avantidrome and for both, Wellington is looking to send its biggest ever teams.This is a great chance to represent your region on the national stage and PNP is keen to make the introduction of track into your cycling regime as easy as possible.“It’s not hard to take up track if you haven’t done it before,” said Jamie Hodgkinson, Wellington National Team Coordinator. “We will have mid week training sessions that would be easy to mix into your current programme and have bikes to borrow to get you going.”“There are events where bunch skills aren’t required, and the Wellington support team is now well drilled with mechanics and handlers to assist the riders.”It's not hard to adapt training and racing programmes to be in shape for track nationals."For example," says Jamie, “if you’re doing something like the North Island Teams Series, that will give you the perfect base to move onto the track around Christmas and smash the individual pursuit at Nationals.”Contact Jamie and the team for any questions and how to get started at track@pnp.org.nz

    • Criterium Race 3 – Report
      • The Capital Cycles Criterium Series wrapped up today under sunny skies and great winter riding conditions. Ride of the day went to Upper Hutt Colleges Toby Braun who took it to the U15 boys by riding away with U15 Girls winner Zoe Perry. Toby won the U15 boys in a competitive field from George Tomkin and Elliot Roberston both of Scotts College.A grade was won by rising star 16 year old Boston Bright from Henry Levett both of Scots College but they didnt have it all there own way Callum Kennedy mixed it up with these two and the other escapee Matt Webb-Smith.Paul Delahunty showed his sprinting prowess with another strong showing to take the B grade title from Jamie Hodgkinson who improved every week and mounted up the points. Marty Bennis had another strong day with enough points to hold out Capital Cycle's own Brendan 'bubbles" Clark in C grade. Oliver Layug showed his skills in winning the new All Comers grade. In the under 13 boys Max Wong of Scots College stole the show from schoolmate Lewis Tomkin and Charlie Stagg third. Mille Donald though showed all the boys how it's done winning the U13 girls and beating the boys to boot.Thanks to all those that rode over the series and a big thanks to Capital Cycles for the prizes, see you all again next year!

    • Criterium Race 2 – Report
      • Perfect weather with sunny skies and little wind greeted the riders in round 2 of the Capital Cycles Criterium Series. The dry weather made for safe riding conditions and the riders made the most of it with some furious races none more so than A grade where series leaders Boston Bright and Henry Levett did not have it all their own way, after multiple attacks and mini breaks the race more or less stayed together with Callum Kennedy and Ben Barry taking points off the younger lads. Boston Bright now leads the series from Levett and Kennedy.B grade was another furious encounter with the fast pace shelling a number of riders. Again there was no major breaks and each of the sprints were close with Paul Delahunty and Miles Davis sharing the spoils, twelve other riders now have sprint points. Marty Bennis dominated C grade with some serious pace picking up points in all the sprints and now leads the series. In the All Comers grade Oliver Layug and Craig Wilson duked it out for points until Craig came to grief with a few laps to go gifting Oliver maximum points in the last double points sprint to the finish.It was a similar finish in the Under 15 boys with series leader George Tompkin crashing out on the last lap and Toby Braun making the most of the situation to take the final sprint and finish the day on top. Toby now leads the series with a seven point lead over Tompkin and Elliot Robertson who are tied for second. It will be all on next week as these three duke it out for a series win.Bridget Olphert took out the girls under 19 race and mixed it up well with the C grade riders. Likewise Zoe Perry mixed it up with the boys in under 15 and came home in the lead bunch. In the Under 13 race Millie Donald rode away from the boys and took a solo win with Summer Whitta second. Max Wong lead home the boys from Charlie Stagg and Lewis Tompkin.Full results below:

    • Club Kit Shop Now OPEN
      • Our Tineli and Champion Systems shops are now open for new season PNP club kit. Both stores stock the race jersey, bib shorts and short, but Champion Systems also have other accessories such as jackets, gloves warmers....Anyone who's representing PNP in the NI Series or Nationals must wear PNP jersey matched with either PNP shorts/bibs or plain black shorts. If you are going to ride in the NI Series coming up in September and you don't already have a jersey, go to the Champion Systems store to buy your kit, as their delivery time is shorter, which means it will arrive in time for race 1.We love seeing you in our gear, so hope you will go crazy and get into it.Shop now – TINELIShop now – CHAMPION SYSTEMS

    • Criterium Race 1 – Report
      • The rain stayed away and the Capital Cycles winter criterium series got off to an almost dry start today. Overnight rain made the course pretty sketchy but apart from a string of punctures everyone managed to keep the rubber side down. There was some competitive racing in most grades but the ride of the day went to rising star Boston Bright who is still an under 17 rider but took out the A grade race closely followed by his NextGen team mate Henry Levett in second and hard man Dan Waluszewski taking out the final sprint to finish third.The under 15 boys event was another close affair with Upper Hutt College’s Toby Braun making all the attacks but smart team riding by the Scots College boys reigned him in time and again. At the end of the day Scots College’s George Tomkin took the win on points from Elliot Roberston also of Scots College who won the final sprint and Toby Braun a close third. This one will be worth following over the next couple of weeks.Other winners included the sponsors own ‘Bubbles’ taking out C grade in a solo off the front effort, Oliver Layug showed good skills in winning the new all comers grade and Richard Henderson picked up points in all the sprints to head off a competitive B grade race. Summer Whitta rode alone but showed great spirit to win the girls U 13 race and Max Wong edged out Lewis Tomkin in the the U13 Boys. Zoe Perry mixed it up with the boys and took out the U15 girls as did Bridget Olphert in winning the U19 girls.Here’s hoping for some dry weather next weekend for round 2. Full results are shown below. For details on next weeks racing go to www.pnp.org.nz/roadRESULTSRace 1U13 BoysMax Wong, Scots College – 15 pointsLewis Tomkin, Scots College – 9 pointsU13 GirlsSummer Whitta, Johnsonville – 15 pointsU15 BoysGeorge Tomkin, Scots College – 14 pointsElliot Robertson, Scots College – 12 pointsToby Braun, Upper Hutt College – 11 pointsOli Mears, Scots College – 4 pointsThomas Joyce, Heretaunga – 2 pointsU15 GirlsZoe Perry, Wellington East Girls – 20 pointsMillie Donald, Kena Kena – 12 pointsU19 GirlsBridget Olphert, QMC – 20All comersOliver Layug – 25 pointsDaniel Plaished – 14 pointsCraig Wilson – 11 pointsC GradeBubbles – 25Marty Bennis – 13John Grimwood – 12Daniil Moskovtsov – 5B GradeTristan Ratcliffe – 20Richard Henderson – 15Jamie Hodgkinson – 8Ethan Gillespie – 4Thomas Guldborg – 4Mark Coburn – 4A Grade/U19Boston Bright – 19Henry Levett – 15Dan Waluszewski – 12Finn Sherlock – 4Louis Hodgkinson – 2Steve Bale – 1Grant Perry – 1James Ajulev – 1

    • POP-UP Club Rooms / AGM
      • Pop-up Club Rooms / AGM 2018SUNDAY 22 July, 4pm – 6:30pmRetro RoomSouthern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant39 Abel Smith St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New ZealandThis year the committee wants to try a different approach to the annual general meeting, something that gets more people together and feels more Club-like.We therefore make an open invitation to all PNP members and riders to our Pop-up Club Rooms / AGM. We've booked the Retro Room at the Southern Cross for two hours so that we get a chance to catch up, have a drink and share some food.We do still have a requirement to run through some key business, open the floor for any feedback and give out some trophies. But we want the formal part (AGM) to be less-formal this year, and the catch up part to be more what this get together is about.Bring your families and have some food on us!PNP 2018 Reports & Financials

    • Summer Series Event Five – Report
      • Upper Hutt Cossie Club Tour de WhitemansThe day dawned slightly overcast and cool for the final event in the PNP Packn’Sav Summer Road Series, the Upper Hutt Cossie Club Tour de Whitemans. The onset of autumn saw slightly reduced numbers with a total of 75 riders across both the Medio and Grand Fondo events. The course promised to be cracker with multiple climbs up the gut busting 8% average Blue mountains Road (two for the Medio Fondo and four for the Grand Fondo). Following the neutral rollout from the Upper Hutt Cossie Club, the Medio Fondo started with a hiss and roar with the early pace reflecting the optimism of youth. The peloton had barely left the neutral area when a sequence of attacks and counter attacks were sparked by the U19 contingent, mixing it up were Josh Turnbull, Freddy Dossor, Liam Carson, Stanley Riddle and Toby Braun with Zoe Perry showing her trackie awareness by cruising wheels in their wake.The early changes in pace were hurting the more mature riders so some crusty older guys including Andrew Ivory, and Greg Cundy made their presence felt taking turns to establish a high but steady pace discouraging any more escape attempts. There were still 30 riders in the lead bunch that arrived at the bottom of the Blue Mountains climb for the first ascent but this is where the pressure went on. Steve Chapman drifted to the front and set a solid pace that started to whittle down the group.At the top of the climb Chapman, Turnbull and Carson crested alone with a Tarbabies chase group of Gavin Cho, Geo Snelling and Ric van Weede 30 seconds back. After a short chase down the valley the six merged and began working together to consolidate their lead. This team work continued until the foot of Blue Mountains for the final climb when Liam Carson put in a solid attack and quickly pulled away.As the gap grew it became apparent that Carson might be able to take the win so Chapman set off alone in chase. Carson cleared the top of Blue Mountains 1min in front of Chapman with another minute back to Turnbull and the Tarbabies crew. From here it was on the rivet for all to either evade or chase. Carson was able to extend his lead over Chapman taking the win comfortably. Chapman held on for second a minute 39 back and Snelling took the chase bunch sprint for third. It was a great result for U19 rider Carson in only his second road race and the ride by 15 year old Turnbull to take 4th was pretty impressive as well. The pace was understandably steady in the early stages of the Grand Fondo with riders facing four daunting climbs up the Blue Mountains Road. This didn’t stop Kerrin Allwood taking an optimistic flyer soon after the flag dropped hoping to get a head start up the first climb. He was a third of the way up before the peloton reeled him in. The peloton remained relatively intact for the first lap. Matt Webb-Smith made a number of forays off the front trying to break it up. Towards the end of the first lap he got away taking Toby Fuller and Maxwell Wickens with him. The second time up the climb saw Brendan McGrath bridge over to the front three. Once over the climb the bunch rallied and set about a furious chase along the valley floor. The front quartet was pulled in at the top of the valley. Just a few kms later Webb-Smith attacked again just before Wallaceville Hill. McGrath and Boston Bright set about a chase through the back streets of Upper Hutt.At the start of the third climb, Webb-Smith held a 30 second lead over McGrath and Bright. McGrath was able to catch Webb-Smith on the climb and the two were able to put a significant amount of time into the bunch on the third lap.The final lap saw McGrath surge away from Webb-Smith up the climb and increase the gap through to the finish taking a well-earned win. Webb-Smith maintained his rhythm through the valley and finished second three minutes back. Back in the much reduced peloton a trio of U19 riders Bright, Wickens and Camden Feint put the hammer down and shot off the front on the final climb. Craig Chambers set off in pursuit. Once he caught Bright and Feint he convinced them to work. They were able to hold off the pursing bunch through Whitemans Valley and catch Maxwell who had made an earlier bid for third place. In a well fought out sprint for the finish at the top of Wallaceville Hill Bright was able to take third place followed by Feint, Wickens and Chambers. Great effort from all concerned on a tough course.The overall series winner in the Medio Fondo for Women was Renita Vanderhelm followed by Elizabeth Tomlinson in second and Juliette Lister in third. For the Men, Joshua Turnbull took out the series with Nicholas Dunn in second and Glenn Owen in third.In the Grand Fondo Series Dave Rowlands took the overall win with three race wins. He was followed in second by Brendan McGrath with Steve Bale in third. For the women Natalie Howell took out the series with two race wins with Viv Collier in second and Holly Barclay in third.The Onslow Tarbabies, with a series of great results, were well deserved winners of the teams’ competition with 1076 points. They were followed by GP Meo (752 points), Bayleys Racing Team (644 points) and Rivet Racing (406 points).Thanks to Pakn’Sav Petone for sponsoring the entire Summer Road Series along with valuable support from the Infinity Trust Foundation, Pelorus Trust, the New Zealand Racing Board, the New Zealand Community Trust, Mainfreight, The Village Café, and the Upper Hutt Cossie Club. Without the support from sponsors the series would not have been possible.Thanks to all participants. See you all next season

    • Hawkins Hill Challenge Cancelled
      • Due to the very low number of entries, we've made the unfortunate decision to cancel this event. We're disappointed, as there seemed to be lots of interest and the format is great, but this hasn't translated into entries. This is the second year that the race hasn't gone ahead, so we will look at the timing and try something different next year.If you were planning on racing, and thought you'd just enter on the day, we're sorry but we need people to communicate with us, so we know that's your plan and can factor that into our decision. Only two people did this and that simply wasn't enough in combination with the 13 online entries.We're thrilled by the uptake in online entries for this seasons road series, and online entries for MTB events have been going really well over the last few years too. Registering early helps us out enormously so if you're keen for us (volunteers) to run events (which we want to do), then please continue to enter online early. All entry fees for this event will be refunded next week, once I have been able to access the details from webscorer. In the meantime, if you see this and you entered, feel free to email me your name, bank account number and the amount you paid. .nzCheers for your understanding.

    • Easter Sunday Rabbit Ride
      • Join us this Sunday for a social MTB ride in the Wainuiomata MTB Park.EVERYONE is welcome, novice through to advanced, all you need are some basic MTB bike handling skills (and a bike).Where: Wainuiomata MTB Park car park (end of Waiu Road, Wainuiomata)When: Ready to ride from 10amRide leader: Krissy 021492231Poor weather: If the weather is poo's, check our Facebook page for notices about cancellations or text me. Bunny ears optional, easter eggs welcome ☺︎If you're planning on racing in the Club/College Championships at the end of April, and you're not very familiar with Wainui MTB Park, this will give you an introduction to the tracks you will be riding. We really hope you can come along, and feel free to bring out of town family or friends. If you can't join us, we hope you have a fabulous Easter and if you're driving out of Wellington, be safe (and patient) out there on the roads, we want to see you again!!https://www.pnp.org.nz/mtb-social-rides

    • Summer Series Event Four – Report
      • Village Café Martinborough-Millars CircuitA calm overcast day greeted 90 riders as they lined up for Event Four of the PAK’nSAVE Summer Road Series – the Village Café Martinborough-Millars Circuit. Grand Fondo riders would do two laps of the 50km circuit and the Medio Fondo riders, one. With only one main climb up Millars Road and plenty of rollers, this was a course for strong riders. After the neutral rollout from the Martinborough town square, It didn’t take long for the action to heat up. After a few flurries on the first of many rollers, Matt Webb-Smith rolled off the front at the 16km mark. He was soon joined by Brent Backhouse and Craig Chambers. Dave Rowlands, Brendon McGrath, and Antony Nalder bridged across soon after to form the decisive break of the day. With most of the big hitters in the break there didn’t appear to be much impetus in the peloton to chase.The break worked well together and by the half way mark held a five minute lead. Chambers, unable to maintain the pace that was being set, dropped off the break 5km into second lap. He was soon absorbed back into the peloton. The peloton was more or less intact as it headed towards the base of the Millars Road climb. With Rivet Racing driving the pace towards the climb the peloton was soon stretched out single file. The fast pace up the climb required a concerted effort from a few stragglers to chase back on the descent.Meanwhile, the remaining five in the break had stayed together over the climb. In the run home Rowlands and Backhouse managed to get away, and stay away, from the remaining three. Rowlands took the victory ahead of Backhouse. Nalder completed the podium for Meo GP taking third place ahead of McGrath and Webb-Smith. Despite a few forays off the front in the final kilometres the peloton lined up for the sprint. Tighe Nutsford (also of Meo GP) took the bunch sprint. Rachel Cunningham and Viv Collier of the Onslow Tarbabies led in the woman. Holly Barclay took at well-earned third place.45 riders rolled out in the Medio Fondo Event. Once the flag dropped the group accelerated riding a solid tempo through to the first rise. U19 rider Freddie Dossor drove a strung out bunch up the first incline. This saw the peloton split into two distinctive groups.Every roller saw the front group strung out. Despite the repeated efforts of Peter Wilkinson and Graeme Hawkins the front group stayed intact. Rolling into Millars the bunch hesitated and Ian Riddle launched himself into the false flat, chased by young Stanley Riddle. The bunch responded led by Gavin Cho and Wilkinson dragging them back. 50m from the summit Glenn Owen launched an attack and crested the top closely followed by Cho and Wilkinson. This tempo forced a split with many riders unable to close the gap.There were many attempts from the front to get away in the run to the finish. James Cumming put in an impressive 5km solo drive before being chased down. A final attempt on the last roller 5km from home failed to stick and the remaining riders lined up for a chaotic sprint for the line. Greg Cundy was able to out sprint Wilkinson (second) and Mark Coburn (third) for his second win of the series. U19 rider Bridget Olphert led in the woman followed by Zoe Perry (U19) and Sophie Bright (20-34). There were lots of smiles at the finish and many “if only” moments being relived as riders contemplated the decisive moments.The Onslow Tarbabies (OTB) maintained their lead in the team’s events with 841 point. Meo GP with its top placings in the Grand Fondo is slowly clawing back the OTB’s advantage with 707 points. Bayleys Racing has 544 points followed by Rivet Racing on 321 points. We’re looking forward to seeing you all at the final event of the series, the Cossie Club Tour de Hutt, on 5 May. Registration is at the Upper Hutt Cossie Club from 8.30 to 9.30am. Event starts will be around 10am. Join us afterwards for some light refreshments and the final prize giving.PNP is also running the gruelling Runner vs MTB vs Road event – Hawkins Hill Challenge – on 14 April. To find out more go to pnp.org.nz/hawkins-hill-challenge and register online today!

    • Summer Series Event Three – Report
      • Mainfreight Rice Mountain ClassicEntries exceeded all expectations, with 140 riders lining up for Event Three of the Pak'nSave Summer Road Series. The race honours the contribution made to the club by Alan Rice over many decades, and is without question one of the regions toughest events. First held in 1996, it travels over some extremely demanding terrain. This edition would see riders in the Medio Fondo tackle 1200m of climbing over a 59km course and those in the Grand Fondo 1800m over a 90km course. Previous notable winners have included Rob Stannard, Jeremy Vennell, Jeremy Yates, Scott Lyttle, Antosh Kowalewski, Hayden Roulston, Wayne Hiscock and Brent Backhouse and for the women's trophy Serena Sheriden, Tracey Best, Catherine Dunn, Susie Wood (4 time winner) and Nadene Boyle.55 riders in the Medio Fondo rolled out from Gladstone school in cool overcast conditions. The bunch was kept honest by a number of unsuccessful early attacks as they rode solidly towards the base of Limeworks Hill. The intensity went up a few notches and as the bunch swept round onto the climb a solid tempo was dished out. The peloton fractured with a lead group of 20 riders cresting the climb. The rolling course coupled with high pace saw the peloton whittled down to 12 by the time it reached the base of the steep 2km Te Kouraru climb with Joshua Turnbull being the only U19 rider to hang on in.David Finley, Duncan Appleton and Richard Van Lent decided to “give it a nudge” and with no else able to follow, they were able to successfully break away and crested the climb as a trio. Once over the top they “were bombs away to the bottom” and worked well together until the bottom of Admirals Hill maintaining the gap from the chasing bunch. Only the 8km Admirals Hill climb with its infamous 16% ‘wall’ remained between the trio and a memorable victory. Half way up Finley fell off the pace as illness got the better of him. This left Appleton and Van Lent to fight it out for the spoils. They were even until the last kilometre when Van Lent lifted the pace and Appleton wasn’t able to follow. Van Lent took the well-earned win, followed in by Appleton and Finley.The first woman, Jess Mazengarb came in a few minutes later, spent but very happy with a sterling ride. The remainder of the Medio competitors came across the line in drips and drabs, all looking exhausted but satisfied with a great day on this fantastic, iconic course.Not content with his 100k solo effort in the Martinborough-Ngawi Classic, Antony Nalder (GP Meo) went one better and took the win in the Grand Fondo event, breaking away with Mike Naylor (Wheelworks) 30km into the race. After a fast start and a few flurries of attacks over the first 10km, the 85 Grand Fondo riders faced their first real test of the day up and over Limeworks hill. A hard pace was maintained up Limeworks that saw the bunch fracture with a much reduced peloton cresting the climb. A further climb along the Masterton Stronvar Road saw the peloton reduced even further to 30 riders. It was soon after here where Nalder and Naylor made their move. There didn’t seem to be much impetus in the bunch to chase the breakaway duo. A second following bunch was formed from the remnants of those who were dropped on the climbs and they set about chasing the lead group. The pace through the numerous pinch climbs on the out and back Te Wharau leg took its toll with a number of riders unable to maintain contact with the front group. A much reduced group hit the bottom of the steep 2km Te Kouraru climb. This climb saw the group splinter even further with only six rolling over the top together. Three were able to chase back on the descent. Only the soul destroying 8km Admirals Hill remained. Just before the Admirals turnoff Dave Rowlands made his move and took Boston Bright and Eden Cruise with him. No one else was able to respond. They took a 40 second lead into the climb proper. With Bright dropping back Boris Clark chased hard and was able to bridge the gap to Cruise and Rowlands. They soon had Naylor in their sights who had been distanced on the Te Kouraru climb by Nalder. The trio soon became a duo with Clark dropping off after an attack by Rowlands. While gaining on Nalder they simply run out of road. Nalder was able to take an epic solo win with a margin of 50 seconds, Cruise taking second place in a sprint finish by a mere second from Rowlands, who finished third.Elizabeth Stannard lead the female riders home winning the women's trophy, followed by Natalie Howell (Bayleys Team Racing) and Rachel Cunningham (Onslow Tarbabies).The female Onslow Tarbabies (OTB) were on fire taking a clean sweep in the Medio Fondo filling the top three female places and each winning their respective age division in the teams event. Chapeau to Jess Mazengarb (35-44), Gill Gray (45-54) and Stephanie Revell (60 plus). Not to be outdone Rachael Cunningham (35-44), Viv Collier (45-54) Larri Wallbridge (55-59 +) won their respective age divisions in the Grand Fondo. Special mention also to Rhonda Gardner (35-44) who finished 10 seconds behind Rachel. These fantastic efforts saw the OTB regain the lead in the Teams competition with 648 points. They are followed closely by Meo GP (521 points) Barleys Team Racing (418 points) and Rivet Racing (229 points).Boston Bright, someone to look out for in the future, finished 6th overall and took out the U19 division for Bayleys Racing Team. He was followed by Thomas Stannard and Camden Feint (Bayleys Racing Team) who finished in the top 20. Eden Cruise was also noticeable, switching from his usual code of mountainbiking to be amongst the best on the day. He pulled out a great result, hot on the heals of his third placing at last months Mountain Bike National Championships.Once again a big shout out to Wheelworks for providing a neutral feeding zone at the top of Te Kouraru hill. Massive kudos to all riders for undertaking this epic event. The cold drinks at the top were well earned. We hope to see you all the Village Café Martinborough-Millars Circuit on 24 March 2018. It’s 50km for the Medio Fondo and 100km for the Grand Fondo. Registration is at The Village Café from 8.30 to 9.30am with event start around 10am.

    • Summer Series Event Two – Report
      • The weather gods turned it on for Event 2 of the Pak'nSave PNP Summer Road Series, the ‘Epic’ Martinborough-Ngawi Classic. Rolling out from the Village Café in Martinborough the 125 riders were greeted with bright blue skies, calm conditions and majestic scenery. The Onslow Tarbabies were well represented across both events looking to consolidate their lead in the team’s event competition. Glenn Owen, Chief Onslow Tarbabies Motivator, said the short course option and team event competition was perfect to encourage those who are a bit tentative about riding in a mass participation event.The Medio Fondo short-course 65km Event attracted 50 high calibre riders with a good mix of genders and ages ranging from 15 to 60 plus. After a brisk rollout Tony Gesto and Ric Van Weede (Onslow Tarbabies) attacked at the 20km mark and created a gap. Tom Finlay (GP Meo) was able to bridge across to create a trio that stayed together most of the way to the finish. Cracks started to appear in the following peloton just after the turnoff onto Ngawi Road with a short pinch climb spreading the bunch. It was a much reduced peloton that turned for home to chase the three breakaway riders. A number of efforts were made to get away, especially by the junior riders, but the slight headwind and rolling course made this difficult and the bunch soon neutralised these. With Van Weede dropping out of the trio on the way home and the bunch unable to make contact this left two to fight out for the finish. It appeared that a gentleman’s agreement has been reached with Finlay and Gesto rolling across the line together. Josh Turnbull took the bunch sprint for a well-earned third place after being active off the front all day. A shout out to the seven U19 riders who took on a challenging course and performed well. 75 keen riders, young and older, lined up for the 122km Grand Fondo event. They headed out on a rolling course towards the coast before dropping down a steep descent and following the coast around to the sleepy fishing village of Ngawi for the turn around and homeward journey.The action started within 10km of the start with Antony Nalder of GP Meo taking a flyer off the front of the peloton. He wasn’t to be seen again for well over 100km in a ride that would earn him the most aggressive rider award of the day. Despite a few forays off the front the rest of the peloton stayed intact until just after the 30km left hand turn for the coast. A pinch climb followed by rolling hills coupled with an increase in pace saw the bunch split into several smaller groups. A front group of 30 took on the steep technical descent down to the coast. This group stayed intact for the run along the coast to Ngawi and back to the base of the climb. A couple of threatening attacks between 60 and 70km were neutralised. Riders were given plenty of support from local surfers who were out in force. Realising the threat of Nalder, Wheelworks riders’ organised a chase that saw his lead cut to 2.5 minutes by the base of the climb. The front bunch exploded on the climb with only 10 riders cresting over the top. With his team mate out front Dave Rowlands was able to relax and have an armchair ride on back of the group chasing Nalder. The remaining nine worked well together in very hot conditions catching Nalder with 15km to go. That’s when action really began!Rowlands attacked immediately with only Brendon McGrath able to follow. Matt Webber and Steve Bale got close, but not close enough. Rowlands took the win followed by McGrath. Remarkably Nalder still had enough energy to win the “bunch” sprint of the chasing eight riders for third place. A big shout out to the Wheelworks crew for superb neutral support providing desperately needed bottles for the journey home.The future of road cycling in Wellington is in great hands with a number of U19 riders finishing in the top ten of each event. Josh Turnbull (third in the Medio Fondo), and Boston Bright and Camden Feint both coming across the line with the same time as the front of the field in the Grand Fondo.There are an increasing number of women taking part as well which is great to see, headlined this time by multiple Commonwealth Games athlete and Specialized Women Racing team member Kate McIlroy.Natalie Howell, whilst bested by McIlroy on the day, managed to maintain her lead in the Women’s individual series. Dave Rowlands retained his lead in the men’s individual series. The Teams competition had a bit of shake up with Bayleys Team Racing, having recruited heavily, taking the lead with 446 points. Onslow Tarbabies slipped to second place with 381 points, followed by Meo GP on 343 and Rivet Racing on 151. For all the results click here or go to the PNP website.We hope to see you all lining up for the iconic Mainfreight Rice Mountain Classic on 10 March. Don’t forget to get your entries in early as it helps with planning. Registration is at Gladstone School from 8.30 to 9.30am with races starting around 10am.The following words of one of the riders summed up the day nicely. “What an awesome course, awesome day. Thanks!”

    • Summer Series Race 2 Notices
      • Pak'nSave Summer Series Notices to riders1. Teams Competition: Entries for the Teams Series are still open and will remain so for the Series duration. With over 1,000 points still on the line, the race is wide open. Teams with a wide representation across course, age and gender categories will do well – we encourage fun and participation. 2.Points: Series Points will count for both Teams and Individual Categories. After fixing errors and some uncategorised team memberships, OnslowTarBabies currently lead the Teams Competition (166 Points), followed by MeoGP (104), Baileys Racing Team (100), and Rivet Racing (84). Please see pnp.org.nz.summer-series-results for Individual points (when updated). RIDERS MUST SELECT THEIR TEAM UPON ENTRY to ensure their place in the team is registered in the database. We can't chase up on this.3.Event 2: Entries are open for the Martinborough-Ngawi Classic. The MedioFondo turnaround has been brought back 7 km and is now located at the top of the first small rise after the turn to Ngawi (at 33 km), making the total distance now 65 km. The GranFondo remains the full Martinborough-Ngawi Classic.4.Registration: For Event 2 the registration is at the Village Café, Martinborough. The Café has sponsored the venue. Please support the Café by buying your drinks and food here on the day. Assembly for neutral Event rollout will be out the back of the Café in the carpark rolling on to Ohio St.5.Podium presentation: We will hold a podium presentation at Village Café as soon as possible after the final riders are finished (about 145-2PM).6. Photos: We'd love to get more photos of riders in the events, if you are, or know of a keen photographer to take event pictures please contact Mark Sherlock 021 481 562 mark.sherlock@bayleys.co.nz - we especially love ones of people riding proudly in PNP kit.

    • PNP Kit – Shop Open
      • Our Champion SystemsClub Kit shop is now open and will be until midnight Sunday 4 March. Items will arrive in the first week of April, so you'll have them in time for the Age Group Nationals if you're competing.In our Champion Systems store we have been able to offer a much broader range of items including skin suits, arm and leg warmers, jackets, socks, caps, beanies etc. So, with autumn not far off and winter right behind it, this is your chance to order PNP kit to suit the season.Click here to go to the Club Kit page on the website.

    • Good luck Lara (& Robert)
      • Lara Comeskey is our current Under 13 series winner and we want to wish her all the best for this weekend!! Because, this Saturday when Lara, 10, rolls over the start line at the Karapoti Classic, she will set out to be the youngest ever female finisher of the Southern Hemisphere's oldest mountain bike race.She will be supported by her dad, Robert – one of our great sub-committee volunteers, and all round nice guy.From everyone at PNP, we hope you have a great race Lara, go well and have fun out there – you are making history and we LOVE IT!Full story in the Dom Post

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