The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is New Zealand's largest mass participation cycling event. [1] First held in 1977, it takes place on the last Saturday of each November and circumnavigates Lake Taupo, a volcanic crater lake in the centre of the North Island. The ride starts and finishes in Taupo with one full circuit being approximately 160 km. Around 7,000 riders take part each year. [2]
The event aims to cater for all riders, from the elite racers to those just wishing to make it around. This is reflected in the range of finishing times - from under 4 to over 10 hours. Riders are asked to nominate finishing times and staggered starts are used to group riders by ability.
Subcategories of the event are (2022 data): [3]
Source: [4]
Source: [6]
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 [7] |  Darren Murray | Susy Pryde |
| 1999 [8] | Lee Vertongen | Susy Pryde |
| 2000 [9] | Jason Kelly, Patrick Kelly & John Barry (Tridem) | Susy Pryde |
| 2001 [10] | Marcel Hollenstein | Michelle Hyland |
| 2002 [11] |  Paul de Rijk | Melissa Pilla |
| 2003 [12] | Matthew Yates | Roz Reekie-May |
| 2004 [13] | Jeremy Yates | Nadene Boyle |
| 2005 [14] | Peter Latham | Meshy Holt |
| 2006 [15] | Hamish Bond | Brei Gudsell |
| 2007 [16] | Gordon McCauley | Kerri-Anne Torckler |
| 2008 [17] | Peter Latham | Kaytee Boyd |
| 2009 [18] | Jeremy Yates | Melissa Holt |
| 2010 [19] | Roman Van Uden | Karen Fulton |
| 2011 [20] | Michael Torckler | Kaytee Boyd |
| 2012 [21] | Mike Northey | Rushlee Buchanan |
| 2013 [22] | Michael Torckler | Reta Trotman |
| 2014 [23] | Patrick Bevin | Ruby Livingstone |
| 2015 [24] | Dion Smith | Racquel Sheath |
| 2016 [25] | Aaron Gate | Racquel Sheath |
| 2017 [26] | Sam Gaze |  Matilda Raynolds |
| 2018 [27] | Hamish Bond | Ione Johnson |
| 2019 [28] | Kees Duyvesteyn | Sharlotte Lucas |
| 2020 | No race due COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand | |
| 2021 [29] | ||
| 2022 [30] [31] | Michael Torckler | Claudia Weidekam |
Taupō, sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It has been the seat of Taupō District Council since the council was formed in 1989.
Tūrangi is a small town on the west bank of the Tongariro River, 50 kilometres south-west of Taupō on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It was built to accommodate the workers associated with the Tongariro hydro-electric power development project and their families. The town was designed to remain as a small servicing centre for the exotic forest plantations south of Lake Taupō and for tourists. It is well known for its trout fishing and calls itself "The trout fishing capital of the world". The major Māori hapū (tribe) of the Tūrangi area is Ngāti Tūrangitukua.
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