High five for cycling quintet

Five Marlborough athletes combined to dominate the top standings in a gruelling cycle tour last week.

The Five Passes Tour covers a spectacular route from Christchurch, through Hanmer Springs, the Lewis Pass and onto Greymouth, then back to Christchurch via Arthur’s and Porter’s Passes. The other two passes in the event’s name are Weka Pass and the Rahu Saddle.

Finn McKenzie, the 2024 two-day Coast to Coast winner, his father Jeremy McKenzie, noted endurance rider Craig Harper, former Olympian Robin Reid and Richard Olliver, riding as the Village Cycles team, won the overall team time trial title, while Finn took out three categories – the King of the Mountains, Sprint and General Classification overall, winning half of the eight stages.

His time of eight hours 18 minutes 56 seconds saw him take overall honours by around three minutes from experienced Canterbury rider Flavio Vianna.

Jeremy finished sixth overall in 8.26.29, Robin 12^th in 8.47.15, Craig 14^thin 8.51.37 and Richard 45^th in 9.19.04.

There were three team time trials during the four days, covering 6.5km, 12km and 26.5km with the time taken from the third wheel across the line. Village Cycles won the second and third TTs to take honours amid 33 teams.

Eighteen-year-old Finn described the event as “really cool and good training”.

He has tasted success in the unique event before, winning in 2022, but with a much slimmer margin, just 23 seconds.

One of Finn’s reasons for tackling the Five Passes Tour this year was family-orientated.

“This will probably be one of the last times I race with Dad … this is quite a social event, a bit different to some of the other races I do, a bit more banter, more relaxed, but still hard racing at the same time.

“It was great to get some long days on the bike with a bit of intensity.”

At the weekend Finn heads for Taupo and the 160km round-the-lake event, happy to have some solid time in the saddle under his belt.

He is in the elite category for what he describes as “an iconic North Island event”, one he expects to be very competitive.

There will also be another family connection in Taupo with his sister, Neve, also racing round the lake.

The 16-year-old is another McKenzie in winning form, having won the under-19 girls section of the Tinman Triathlon at Mount Maunganui last weekend. The sprint tri comprises a 750m swim, a 20km cycle then a 5km run.

“She is cycling well at the moment,” said Finn, “there will be plenty of motivation for her at Taupo with the triathlon season coming up.”