---

Queenstown Bike Festival Hosts Major Events During Easter

Press Release / 20.04.2011

The Queenstown Bike Festival will focus on two major events during Easter with the annual New World Tour de Wakatipu attracting big numbers of elite and recreational riders and the inaugural Corona Dirtmasters Downhill in Ben Lomond forest featuring world class riders in action.

Around 620 people have registered for the Tour de Wakatipu on Saturday (April 23) which takes riders from Arrowtown to Chard Farm winery on the Kawarau River.
The event begins at Millbrook Resort with cyclists riding down the avenue to the western end of the resort to the Wakatipu Trails Trust track, which leads to Speargrass Flat Road and on to Slopehill Road. The competitors then move on to Lower Shotover Road to access a scenic single track alongside the Shotover River before crossing the restored Lower Shotover Bridge.<br>
From the bridge the course follows a gravel road and 4WD track to the Shotover delta, before joining the Kawarau River track and crossing the Kawarau River bridge. A one kilometre highway section accesses the private Kawarau River road on Coneburn Station leading to the finish line at Chard Farm.<br>
Director Geoff Hunt says the private track offers people a once-in-a year chance to ride the exclusive access through Coneburn Station. The scenery is brilliant through here and we are very fortunate that the landowner Steve Laing is prepared to open it up. We are also grateful to landowner Mike Mee for allowing us access through his private property.”

The recreational ride covers 36km while elite and sports riders include an 8km loop of the Lake Hayes track to cover 45km. The event caters for all riders in age group categories including a junior division. High profile Queenstown rider Mark Williams has won both previous Tour de Wakatipu events and will defend his title again this year.

“I love this race because of the atmosphere and the scenery. It’s definitely a great feeling of camaraderie out there and the rivalry is pretty friendly. However there will be some strong competition in the elite section this year with some top class riders competing.”