The inaugural Country Road Manawatu Cycle Classic will have over $10,000 on offer when racing gets under way on 16 April.
Organisers believe the new 160 kilometre cycling event has the potential to quickly become an epic New Zealand ride and race.
After discussions last year highlighted a strong desire and enthusiasm from the local community to have a Manawatu based cycling event, experienced cycle event director Selwyn Brown was engaged by Destination Manawatu to plan and manage the event.
"After seeing the desire and real enthusiasm of the local community to have a big new cycle event it was not hard to say yes," Brown, who for many years has been the Race Director for the successful Yarrows Taranaki Cycle Challenge, said.
"The people in the Manawatu have been fantastic to work with and it's been a great new experience."
"A perception in many people's mind is that Palmerston North is flat and the cycling there could be boring, but this is not so. This new course has some challenging climbs that will test most riders."
The Elite race has over $10,000 in prize money and features a $3000 purse for the first rider home and a King of the Mountain section featuring four hill climbs with $600 on offer at each climb with the overall KOM winner receiving another $1000.
A novel new feature in this event will see an age based recreational rider's competition with all solo riders in the running for a trip for two to Fiji's Treasure Island. The winner will be decided by a formula applied to all solo riders finish time.
The event also features the usual two, three and four person relay for those not wanting to do the solo section.
"The prize pool and giveaways will be sensational with an expected $50,000 worth of spot prizes and giveaways," he said.
There are two great Fijian trips on offer courtesy of Harvey World Travel, three road bikes and a stack of high end electronic prizes on offer at prize giving.
Events Manawatu has the support of over one hundred volunteers to stage what should be a classic new event.
Information about the Country Road Manawatu Cycle Classic is available at www.eventsmanawatu.co.nz.
