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Great Rides of the World
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The Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge began in 1977 and it is now one of New Zealand's most popular sporting events. It is a largely non-competitive bike ride around New Zealand's largest lake, Lake Taupo, a distance of 160 km.
There are eleven different Challenges; the Solo riders' 160 km Challenge(which includes Tandem riders), the 160 km Tarmac Relay (2, 3 or 4 riders), the 174 km Dirt & Tarmac Relay (2, 3, 4 or 5 riders) which include a MTB rider in the team, a 320 km twice round the lake Enduro and a 640 km Maxi Enduro. The Solo Combo is a 176 Km challenge where an individual rider does 20 Km off road then 156 Km around the lake. The Huka Challenge is a 70 Km off road challenge which can also be done as a race - the Huka XL. There is a 160 Km Classic Race component for the elite male rider and a Street Race for elite female riders. For younger riders there is a 5 km Heart Ride. The event regularly attracts in excess of 10,000 cyclists and is charitable in nature with all proceeds going to support local community groups and the event’s Charity - Heart Children New Zealand.
The Challenge takes place on the last Saturday in November which is the spring season in New Zealand. Taupo is one of New Zealand’s premier tourist destinations, offering spectacular scenery and plenty of accommodation for both the budget conscious and the high end traveler. The host town has a population of 20,000 and is surrounded by a pristine environment including lakes, rivers, native bush, pastoral land and active geothermal fields. The town has a domestic airport and is 4 hours by road from New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland.
The Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is a member of the prestigious UCI Golden Bike series, confirming its status as one of the best rides in the world.
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