Contact Epic Primo Day

Contact Epic Primo Day

“Just a primo day,” as stated by one competitor in this, the 5th Contact Epic—NZ’s Ultimate MTB Challenge. With the weather having been near perfect in the run up to the event and the gods smiling on the day the course was made for record times and great racing.

Three of the last four year’s winners faced off at 7 am on the Contact Dam to pedal for the first place purse with Dougal Allan winning the $1500 first place purse with a record time of 4 hours and 36 minutes. Wellington’s Tim Wilding pushed Allan throughout the race to come in second place minutes later and Nick Clark from Christchurch took the third place with a time of 4 hours and 49 minutes.

The women’s division had a clear winner, Kim Hamer-Hurst of Upper Hutt with a time of 5 hours and 23 minutes. Local lady, Floortje Draisma made second place with 6:03 and Harriet Miller from Queenstown came third (6:10).

All three of the double lappers made it home with David Drake (12:17) and Blair Coupe (12:40), having started 3 hours earlier than the rest of the crew, still were able to make it in before some had finished one lap. Andrew McLeod spent an impressive 16 solid hours pedaling the surrounds of Lake Hawea twice.

Over 580 riders entered in 2012’s Contact Epic, meaning the numbers were up 15% on last year, with the Epic, 125km leg, being the division of greatest increase. “The event is gaining a reputation as being a huge challenge, but an achievable one,” says Danielle Nicholson, race director. “There were a lot of riders today who felt ten feet tall on that finish line. It is as much a mind game as it is a physical one and they won!”

“We saw a wide range of competitors out there,”said Gary Dickson, safety officer from Alpinism and Ski. “From the elite who didn’t look up as they whizzed past to the chap with the carrier on the back and the packed lunch, looking for the most picturesque spot to stop and soak up the views.”

NZ’s most remote café at Dingle Burn Station proved a huge hit again this year with the tea and scones allowing riders to refuel and energize. Used as a way to raise funds for home-schooled students in this remote area, the local station owners and managers work for hours baking and serving. A unique and well loved aspect of this iconic event.

Over $5000 dollars was donated to a number of local community groups by Contact as a way of saying thank you for their continued support of the event.

Full results are at www.lakehaweaepic.co.nz/results.html

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