Glen Mitchell made light work of NZ's toughest cycle race on Saturday, winning Coromandel's K2 Classic.

 

More than 600 riders turned out for the annual 200km event, which in only it's second year has earned the reputation as New Zealand's toughest road cycling event. From Thames, the course takes in a scenic but savage tour of the Coromandel that is renowned as much for the 1500 vertical metres of climbing as the unspoiled surroundings.

 

Glen Mitchell, however, didn't seem bothered with either. The Hamilton rider broke away on one of the tough climbs shortly before halfway. Good teamwork by his partners for the upcoming Tour of Southland kept the field at bay, and Mitchell arrived back in Thames with more than 6min in hand over former world junior champion Jeremy Yates (Hastings).

 

Behind Mitchell, who clocked 5hrs 18min 54secs for the gruelling 200km race, Rotorua's Marc McKay filled third ahead of last year's runner up Karl Murray (Akld). But these boys only had 5min to spare on the first woman, Commonwealth Games cyclist Ros Reekie-May who finished 13th overall.

 

Reekie-May (Hamilton) was never pushed, clearing out in the early kilometres to eventually finish 16min clear of track cycling star Sarah Ulmer in 5hrs 37min 25secs.

 

Organised by Coromandel events company, Adventure racing Coromandel, the K2 has quickly become a favourite in the cycling community. The organisers also manage January Moehau Man multisport race, the ARC Adventure race and The Intrigue mountain bike event. 

For more details see: www.sportzhub.com/arc

 

Name	Category	From	Time	Overall	Cat.
				Place	Place
Glen Mitchell	Elite		05:18:54	1	1
Jeremy Yates	Elite	Hastings	05:25:09	2	2
Marc MacKay	Elite		05:25:11	3	3
Karl Murray	Elite	Auckland	05:32:04	4	4
John Bridges	Masters		05:32:06	5	1
Steve Nicholls	Elite	Auckland	05:32:12	6	5
David Archer	Vets		05:36:20	7	1
Michael Jensen	Elite	Hamilton	05:37:19	8	6
Scott Strong	Elite	Auckland	05:37:19	9	7
Neil Harwood	Masters	Waikanae	05:37:21	10	2
Johnathon Atkinson	Elite	Auckland	05:37:21	11	8
Rodney Grant	Masters	Thames	05:37:22	12	3
Roz Reekie-May	Elite Wom	Morrinsville	05:37:25	13	1
P M Delle Barce	Vets	Auckland	05:44:31	14	2
Andrew Hawley	Elite	Wellington	05:44:34	15	9
Richard McIvor	Elite	Tauranga	05:44:35	16	10
Clinton Jackson	Open	Auckland	05:45:06	17	1
Cameron Holt	Open	Auckland	05:46:06	18	2
Dave Chambers	Vets	Auckland	05:48:47	19	3
Peter Sutherland	Masters	Auckland	05:48:50	20	4
Ollie Rolton	Vets	Christcurch	05:48:50	21	4
Paul Wills	Masters	Whakatane	05:48:50	22	5
Adrien McCabe	Elite	Morrinsville	05:48:50	23	11
Ray Marshall	Masters	Petone	05:52:30	24	6
Nick Teebon	Open	Auckland	05:52:31	25	3
Greg Taylor	Vets	Tauranga	05:52:32	26	5
Alastair Borwick	Masters	Auckland	05:53:15	27	7
Neil Sutherland	Masters	Christcurch	05:53:28	28	8
Evan Smith	Masters	Paeroa	05:53:28	29	9
Blair Taylor	Open	Auckland	05:53:29	30	4
Sarah Ulmer	Elite Wom	Cambridge	05:53:39	31	2
Rob McCleod	Masters	Orewa	05:53:39	32	10
Steve Glasgow	Masters	Pahiatua	05:53:39	33	11
Rhys Watkins	Elite	Auckland	05:53:39	34	12
Brendan Cameron	Elite	Cambridge	05:53:39	35	13
Phil Dickinson	Open	Auckland	05:54:02	36	5
Clinton Bramwell	Open	Auckland	05:54:24	37	6
David Herman	Elite	Alfriston	05:59:12	38	14
Jo Ryder	Elite Wom	Auckland	05:59:13	39	3
Mike Bosomworth	Masters	Tauranga	05:59:14	40	12
Peter Holt	Masters		05:59:15	41	13
John Potter	Masters	Auckland	06:00:09	42	14
David Carmen	Masters	Rotorua	06:00:10	43	15
Henry Barfoot	Open	Auckland	06:00:12	44	7
Steve Ross	Masters	Auckland	06:00:13	45	16
Roger Everson	Vets	Auckland	06:00:14	46	6
Nick Benton	Masters	Auckland	06:00:15	47	17
John Cottingham	Vets	Morrinsville	06:02:12	48	7
Michael Mayne	Open	Hamilton	06:02:14	49	8
Jade Gilbertson	Elite Wom		06:02:16	50	4
Adam Smith	Elite		06:06:59	51	15
Benny Deville	Masters	Mars	06:07:02	52	18
Doug Pulford	Vets	Thames	06:08:01	53	8
Neil Shaw	Masters	Orewa	06:08:10	54	19
Evan Mackenzie	Vets	Rotorua	06:10:18	55	9
Marc Emery	Open	Auckland	06:10:24	56	9
Don Humphry	Vets		06:10:26	57	10
Simon Bittle	Masters	Auckland	06:10:26	58	20
John Badger	Vets	Hamilton	06:12:25	59	11
Jeff Jowsey	Masters	Albany	06:12:25	60	21
Brett Wallwork	Open	Pakuranga	06:12:26	61	10
Todd Hewlett	Open	Auckland	06:12:34	62	11
Thomas Hills	Open	Auckland	06:12:38	63	12
Jeff Alexander	Elite	Cambridge	06:12:44	64	16
Grant Mathieson	Masters	Hamilton	06:12:45	65	22
Chris Andrews	Open	Auckland	06:12:50	66	13
Tony Morgan	Open	Hamilton	06:16:18	67	14
Wal Anderson	Classics	New Plymouth	06:19:48	68	1
Vickie Burr	Open Wom		06:20:21	69	1
Edward Smith	Masters		06:20:25	70	23
Syafik Ghamry	Elite	Manukau	06:20:33	71	17
Douglas Scott	Open	Auckland	06:21:20	72	15
Neil Mora	Open	Rotorua	06:22:33	73	16
Paul Sills	Open	Auckland	06:22:54	74	17
Paul Needham	Open	Auckland	06:22:58	75	18
Matt Williams	Open		06:22:59	76	19
Simon Charlett-Green	Masters	Auckland	06:24:26	77	24
Linda Goldsack	Vets Women		06:24:27	78	1
Roger Creighton	Masters	Tauranga	06:25:02	79	25
Phil Carswell	Masters	Auckland	06:25:40	80	26
Jo Gosse	Open Wom	Auckland	06:25:45	81	2
Bob Wilshire	Vets	Auckland	06:25:45	82	12
Richard English	Open	Auckland	06:25:45	83	20
Brett Slater	Masters	Waiuku	06:25:46	84	27
Peter Carrucan	Masters	Albany	06:25:47	85	28
Ray Hewlett	Classics		06:25:48	86	2
Matt Bent	Open	Hamilton	06:25:48	87	21
John Ledson	Vets	Hamilton	06:25:49	88	13
Neville Jamieson	Vets	Pukekohe	06:26:55	89	14
Malcolm Dewar	Classics	Tauranga	06:27:00	90	3
Ray Lichtwark	Classics		06:28:15	91	4
Stuart Hill	Masters	Auckland	06:29:35	92	29
Eric Mackenzie	Vets	Cromwell	06:29:36	93	15
Frans Van Cappelle	Vets	Netherlands	06:30:15	94	16
Chris Brown	Masters	Papatoetoe	06:31:15	95	30
Mason Spiers	Masters	Auckland	06:32:00	96	31
Andrew Frater	Masters	Auckland	06:32:30	97	32
Guy Cory-Wright	Masters	Auckland	06:32:35	98	33
Faalia Vaeau	Masters	Auckland	06:32:36	99	34
Chas Stewart	Masters	KeriKeri	06:32:37	100	35
Dave Bourchier	Vets	Hamilton	06:32:39	101	17
Bevan Sutton	Open	Hamilton	06:32:40	102	22
Paul Andrew	Open	Hamilton	06:32:41	103	23
Craig Dalton	Masters		06:32:43	104	36
John Henderson	Vets	Auckland	06:32:44	105	18
Nathan Livingstone	Vets		06:32:45	106	19
Paul Herbert	Vets	NSC	06:33:49	107	20
Brett Rudd	Masters		06:34:18	108	37
Ian Buchanan	Vets	Paeroa	06:36:45	109	21
Andrew Vanderwerff	Vets	Auckland	06:36:45	110	22
Phil Robertson	Vets		06:36:46	111	23
Brian Mumme	Masters	Auckland	06:36:47	112	38
Mike Dowsing	Vets	Auckland	06:36:48	113	24
David Blanchett	Vets	Hamilton	06:36:49	114	25
Gavin Cameron	Open	Kati Kati	06:39:42	115	24
Murray Cox	Masters	Auckland	06:39:43	116	39
Damien McKeown	Open	Auckland	06:39:44	117	25
Jeremy Chrismas	Vets	Rotorua	06:39:50	118	26
Cameron McKeown	Open		06:39:55	119	26
Chris Pilone	Vets	Auckland	06:40:37	120	27
Malcom  Fraser	Vets	Hamilton	06:40:42	121	28
Maurice Brown	Vets	Levin	06:41:29	122	29
Michael Willis	Open		06:41:32	123	27
Ian Leslie	Masters	Wanganui	06:42:30	124	40
Blair King	Masters	Dargaville	06:42:30	125	41
Phil Yates	Masters	Auckland	06:44:32	126	42
Dennis Magness	Vets	Milford	06:44:52	127	30
Warren King	Masters	Auckland	06:45:26	128	43
Eric Obrien	Masters		06:45:33	129	44
John Williams	Vets	Hamilton	06:46:20	130	31
John Burmeister	Classics		06:46:26	131	5
Roel Van Der Berg	Masters	Rotorua	06:46:49	132	45
John Auckram	Vets	Auckland	06:47:02	133	32
Ian Prouting	Masters	Levin	06:47:20	134	46
Lance Gray	Open	Palmerston N	06:47:44	135	28
Greg Simpson	Classics	Auckland	06:48:00	136	6
Andy Faithfull	Vets	Auckland	06:48:15	137	33
David Loe	Vets	Auckland	06:48:16	138	34
Bevan Brown	Classics		06:48:18	139	7
Ron Campbell	Vets	Auckland	06:48:59	140	35
Michael Hoogeveen	Open	Cambridge	06:49:10	141	29
Nick Drinkovich	Vets	Auckland	06:49:11	142	36
Jim Bolton	Vets		06:49:12	143	37
Ryan Wills	Junior	Whakatane	06:50:14	144	1
Anthony Seagar	Open	Auckland	06:50:15	145	30
Ben Buchanan	Junior	Auckland	06:51:56	146	2
Tim Bodger	Open		06:52:48	147	31
Kevin Luckie	Vets		06:54:57	148	38
Bryon Mosen	Masters	Auckland	06:55:22	149	47
Craig Sheppard	Open	Auckland	06:55:49	150	32
Robert Flood	Vets	Hamilton	06:56:08	151	39
Tim Pearce	Open		06:56:09	152	33
Kieren Langley	Open	Hamilton	06:56:12	153	34
Gavin Christensen	Masters		06:56:20	154	48
Mark Rycroft	Masters	Auckland	06:56:21	155	49
Neil Wood	Masters	Auckland	06:56:22	156	50
Malcolm Hogan	Classics	Auckland	06:56:25	157	8
Denis Chatfield	Vets	Levin	06:57:30	158	40
Anthony Ng	Open	Auckland	06:58:10	159	35
Udo Froetschl	Masters	Lower Hutt	06:58:20	160	51
Peter Elbourne	Classics	Auckland	06:59:10	161	9
Bruce Harvey	Masters	Ngatea	06:59:11	162	52
David Park	Vets	Thames	06:59:20	163	41
Sel Brown	Vets	New Plymouth	06:59:20	164	42
Alex Giesen	Masters	Thames	06:59:20	165	53
Graeme Campbell	Vets	Auckland	07:00:20	166	43
Grant Simmons	Junior	Auckland	07:00:50	167	3
Paul Singleton	Open		07:02:30	168	36
Keith Mitchell	Open	Auckland	07:02:31	169	37
Tony Fisher	Masters	Thames	07:03:50	170	54
Lindsay Hyslop	Vets	Tauranga	07:04:10	171	44
David Wignell	Open		07:06:30	172	38
Don Laurie	Classics	KatiKati	07:08:10	173	10
Simon Church	Open		07:08:10	174	39
Nicky Lindley	Open Wom	Papakura	07:09:48	175	3
David Driscole	Open	Auckland	07:12:10	176	40
David Piscott	Open	Auckland	07:12:16	177	41
James Merrill	Open	Auckland	07:12:20	178	42
Paul Wilkinson	Vets	Auckland	07:12:22	179	45
Rick Wood	Vets	Auckland	07:12:47	180	46
James Cave	Junior	Auckland	07:12:51	181	4
Michael White	Masters	Thames	07:12:57	182	55
Darren Donnelly	Open	Thames	07:12:58	183	43
John Williamson	Masters	Te Awamutu	07:12:58	184	56
Ed Kelly	Open	Auckland	07:12:59	185	44
Peter Mclean	Vets	Hamilton	07:12:59	186	47
Trevor Irwin	Vets	Hamilton	07:15:01	187	48
Chris Wilkinson-Smith	Open	Waitara	07:17:49	188	45
David Cumberlidge	Classics	Rotorua	07:18:32	189	11
Graham Webb	Open	Mt Maunganui	07:19:40	190	46
Tim Jones	Open	Auckland	07:20:53	191	47
James White	Masters	Auckland	07:20:54	192	57
Duncan Taggart	Masters	Hamilton	07:20:55	193	58
Virginia Johnstone	Open Wom	Auckland	07:20:57	194	4
Maree Neil	Masters Wom	Auckland	07:21:40	195	1
Tim Reep	Classics	Huntly	07:21:40	196	12
Ronnie Smith	Classics		07:21:40	197	13
Sean Mcelroy	Open		07:21:40	198	48
Greg Way	Masters	Thames	07:21:40	199	59
Warren Smart	Vets	Whakatane	07:22:01	200	49
Victor Timu	Classics	Auckland	07:22:02	201	14
Bruce France	Open	Tauranga	07:22:02	202	49
James Stephenson	Open	Te Awamutu	07:22:03	203	50
Kelvin Wirihana	Open	Coromandel	07:23:10	204	51
Peter Edwards	Classics	Tauranga	07:24:30	205	15
Maryann Avery	Masters Wom	Rotorua	07:25:20	206	2
Paul Berry	Vets	Auckland	07:27:40	207	50
Glynne Lloyd	Masters	Wellington	07:29:30	208	60
Ian Kelly	Vets	Hamilton	07:29:55	209	51
Shane Robinson	Masters	Morrinsville	07:30:28	210	61
Heath Davy	Open		07:30:50	211	52
Nick Schouten	Vets	Auckland	07:30:50	212	52
Mike Adair	Vets		07:30:50	213	53
Graeme Blackwood	Vets		07:30:51	214	54
David Hunter	Masters	Drury	07:31:40	215	62
Kevin Woolston	Vets	Hamilton	07:32:20	216	55
Garth Barfoot	Classics	Birkdale	07:32:40	217	16
Robert Taylor	Masters	Wellington	07:33:30	218	63
Gavin Tasker	Masters	Auckland	07:33:40	219	64
Crunchie Donaldson	Vets	Taupo	07:35:14	220	56
Jo Taylor	Masters Wom	Taupo	07:35:15	221	3
Andy Wudrich	Masters	Auckland	07:35:28	222	65
Ken Vette	Classics	Whangarei	07:35:34	223	17
Mike Riddle	Open	Whitianga	07:36:20	224	53
Rob Whitehead	Masters	Auckland	07:36:20	225	66
Jeremy Pearce	Open	Auckland	07:36:21	226	54
Nigel Culpan	Masters	Auckland	07:37:48	227	67
Malcolm Law	Masters	Auckland	07:38:30	228	68
Ian Marshall	Classics	Auckland	07:40:31	229	18
Kevin O'Brien	Classics	Whitianga	07:41:06	230	19
Tony Anderson	Vets	Milford	07:41:59	231	57
Windust	Classics		07:42:23	232	20
Dene Hall	Open	Cambridge	07:42:59	233	55
Michael Walker	Open	Tukua	07:43:00	234	56
Kevin Campbell	Masters	Auckland	07:43:12	235	69
Ross Bethell	Vets	Thames	07:43:45	236	58
Belinda Gwilliam	Open Wom	Hamilton	07:43:46	237	5
Neil Stanley	Classics	Auckland	07:44:40	238	21
Robert Dowd	Masters	Auckland	07:44:42	239	70
Andrew Castle	Masters	Auckland	07:46:20	240	71
Liz Robertson	Masters Wom	Rotorua	07:46:50	241	4
Charlie Fergus	Classics		07:47:50	242	22
Graham Kristiffor	Open	Auckland	07:48:05	243	57
Hugo Dost	Vets	Cambridge	07:48:15	244	59
Darryn Faukner	Open	Auckland	07:48:20	245	58
Willem Kalkman	Classics		07:49:30	246	23
Glenn Beattie	Vets		07:49:30	247	60
Thomas Dunn	Vets	Lower Hutt	07:49:50	248	61
Barry  Bridgeman	Classics	Auckland	07:50:00	249	24
Les Friend	Classics	Huntly	07:50:00	250	25
David Solomon	Vets	Australia	07:50:00	251	62
Peter Barton	Vets		07:50:00	252	63
Thomas Ross	Masters	Awakeri	07:50:01	253	72
Mark Gilbert	Masters	Auckland	07:50:40	254	73
Blair Holst	Open	Manuwera	07:52:20	255	59
Michael Barnes	Classics	Auckland	07:53:05	256	26
Graeme Knowles	Masters	Glenfield	07:54:30	257	74
Paul Farrow	Masters	Auckland	07:54:30	258	75
Jo Pulford	Masters Wom	Thames	07:59:49	259	5
Terry Leigh	Vets	Auckland	07:59:49	260	64
David McFarlane	Open	Auckland	07:59:50	261	60
Marianne Spriegl	Open Wom	Thames	07:59:51	262	6
Darren Ellson	Masters	Auckland	07:59:52	263	76
Ian Scott	Masters		07:59:53	264	77
Martin  Watt	Vets	Rotorua	08:01:00	265	65
Malcolm Taylor	Classics	Tauranga	08:01:26	266	27
Mike Sturgess	Masters	Palmerston N	08:01:30	267	78
Murray Jackson	Masters	Wellington	08:02:12	268	79
Mark Attwood	Vets	Coromandel	08:03:16	269	66
Wayne Doughty	Masters	Tauranga	08:03:18	270	80
Stan Middlemiss	Classics	Hamilton	08:03:53	271	28
Peter Langly	Vets	Hamilton	08:04:03	272	67
Glenda Finnemore	Vets Women		08:04:13	273	2
Peter Cullen	Open	Coromandel	08:05:18	274	61
Mirjam Besamusca	Open Wom	Waihi	08:07:05	275	7
Cyril Hibberd	Classics	Auckland	08:08:48	276	29
Phillip Brown	Vets		08:17:31	277	68
Sean Harris	Masters	Taupo	08:21:59	278	81
Murray Foote	Vets	Tauranga	08:23:52	279	69
Ian Palmer	Open	Napier	08:24:30	280	62
Bill Van Der Viet	Vets		08:27:55	281	70
David Griffiths	Classics	Auckland	08:28:00	282	30
Michael Kelly	Vets	Auckland	08:28:00	283	71
Adrien Trenholme	Vets	Papaitura	08:30:47	284	72
Darryl Wannell	Open	Auckland	08:31:45	285	63
Chris Huggins	Open		08:31:48	286	64
Phil Vonanthen	Vets	Auckland	08:32:16	287	73
Phil Robinson	Vets	Auckland	08:33:58	288	74
Jim Goodwin	Classics	Waitakere	08:34:40	289	31
Terry Baucher	Masters	Auckland	08:38:40	290	82
Laurie Wesley	Classics	Auckland	08:39:40	291	32
Rose Sandison	Masters Wom	Katiukati	08:42:00	292	6
Richard Graham	Open	Wellington	08:43:58	293	65
John Boon	Classics	Auckland	08:44:51	294	33
Johnny Rodgers	Open		08:53:15	295	66
Judy Barfoot	Classic Wom	Birkdale	08:56:50	296	1
Paul Field	Open	Auckland	08:57:15	297	67
Russell Turner	Classics	Auckland	09:01:30	298	34
Virginia Craig	Vets Women	Pukekohe	09:03:40	299	3
Denne Parkinson	Classics	Pukekohe	09:03:40	300	35
John Davey	Classics	Morrinsville	09:16:30	301	36
Robert Baker	Masters	Auckland	09:23:00	302	83
Marianne Ibbertson	Masters Wom	Auckland	09:26:00	303	7
Tau I Haka	Classics	Auckland	09:27:00	304	37
Alan Ratford	Masters	Auckland	09:38:00	305	84
Alastair Hubbard	Masters	Wellington	09:43:00	306	85
Keven Grigg	Masters	Auckland	09:46:00	307	86
Scott Guyton	Elite		dnf
Kirk Obee	Elite		dnf
Tim Gudsell	Elite		dnf
Matt Yates	Elite	Hastings	dnf
Paul De Rijk	Masters	Tauranga	dnf
Grange Leeman	Open		dnf
Brooke Cooper	Vets	Taupiri	dnf
Jared Bond	Open	Whakatane	dnf(gear)
Vic Matthews	Classics	Coromandel	ntr
Ron Gee	Classics	Auckland	ntr
Andrew Coker	Classics	Auckland	ntr
Gill Kinnell	Classics	Auckland	ntr
Simon Hammond	Elite	Auckland	ntr
Chris Button	Masters	Auckland	ntr
Gary Foot	Masters	Rotorua	ntr
Gazza Leslie	Masters	Whangarei	ntr
Hendrik Oolstheysen	Masters	Howick	ntr
Mark Crowther	Masters	Tauranga	ntr
Steve Hunt	Masters	Tauranga	ntr
Philip Muldoon	Masters	Auckland	ntr
Doug Latto	Masters	Waiuku	ntr
Tim Spicer	Masters	Auckland	ntr
Richard Kerby	Masters	Auckland	ntr
Garath Hodgson	Masters		ntr
Clive Barriball	Masters		ntr
Craig  Manktelow	Open	Waihi	ntr
Mike Butwell	Open	Hamilton	ntr
Craig McDonald	Open	Auckland	ntr
Neil Hilder	Open	Orewa	ntr
Luke Hampton	Open	Thames	ntr
Blair Sutherland	Open		ntr
Anthony Long	Open		ntr
Brendon Lawry	Open		ntr
Paul Philip	Open	Australia	ntr
Martin Frost	Open		ntr
Kathy Chambers	Open Wom		ntr
Trevor Phillips	Vets	Tauranga	ntr
Graham Dudfield	Vets	Hamilton	ntr
Barry Ashworth	Vets	Whitianga	ntr
Richard Coffey	Vets	Tauranga	ntr
Richard  Lightfoot	Vets		ntr