Every two years, a group of enthusiastic (and oft times competitive) cyclists takes off on the iconic charity ride Tour Of NZ (TONZ). What started as a ride where two groups set off from the top and bottom of the country to meet in the middle, is now a ride down the beautiful, rugged and frequently wet West Coast of the South Island, through the Haast Pass and up to the top of the Crown Range in Otago. It requires five days of biking in stages (a la the Tour de France) and covers 450 kilometres of effort on the bike.
NZ Spinal Trust have had a team in this ride since 2019, so this is our fourth year of participation. We have a wonderful team of 24 riders taking on this challenge … all of them fundraising to support our work – awesome!
And all underpinned by our generous sponsor Permobil NZ.
Our fearless leader Hans has ridden in every one of these Tours, and he’s excited to be riding again. “I love the feeling of being out on the bike, with like-minded people and taking in all the sights. I enjoy biking along chatting with people, sharing stories of cycling and life. TONZ organiser, Pete Yarrell, always says riders can choose to go hard out for a podium finish or relax a bit and just enjoy the experience – I’m definitely in the second category.
The roads we’ll be biking are some of the most awe inspiring in NZ, but not always comfortable for cyclists. With the road safety plan in place for this Tour, this is absolutely the best time to ride.
And as in past years we have people riding for us who have their own personal story of SCI – whether their own injury or a member of their whānau … we have a team who know exactly why they’re riding in support of our work.”
The TONZ starts on April 7th with a TranzAlpine ride for the cyclists – a last chance to relax before a time trial from Greymouth to Hokitika. They’ll gradually make their way down the Coast, with the longest day on Thursday 10th – a massive 120 km, mountainous, two stage ride from Haast to Hawea. On Friday 11th they’ll ride from Wanaka to the top of the Crown Range – a finale with a fabulous view.
The Permobil NZ Spinal Trust team will be looking to raise $50,000 to support positive futures for people with SCIs, and their whānau.
If you’d like to show your support and encourage our riders with a donation, here’s the Team’s fundraising page. https://fundraising.nzspinaltrust.org.nz/
