Good evening,
As most of you will be aware the Kiwi Brevet has been run three times previously. The first year in an anti-clockwise direction, the second time in a clockwise direction, the third iteration was back to anti-clockwise but it used the Rainbow Road in place of the Molesworth Road.
Following on in this tradition, the 2015 edition will go in a clockwise direction and will also use the Rainbow Road with a couple of wee changes from the 2014 route.
The dreaded North Bank Rd is back! I have it on good authority that it has had a years use by logging trucks and is in much much better condition than earlier this year. We aim to stay on the lower road the whole way because we can guarantee the forestry managers that everyone will be through on day one (Saturday 31st January).
The Brevet will take in the St James Cycleway which starts just after the glorious Island Saddle descent, past Lake Tennyson, and will therefore miss out (nearly) all of the body jarring corrugations on the Lake Tennyson Road :-)
The Brevette will hang a left at Sedgemere Lakes, just before the ascent of Island Saddle, and take in the beautiful Alma Valley (Severn to Sedgemere 4WD Road) which brings you out near Red Gate on the Acheron Road (Molesworth Station Rd), which you will then follow out to Acheron Accommodation and onto Hanmer.
The other change is near the other end of the courses. The fantastic ascent of the Porika Track is still there but you won't be turn right when you hit St Arnaurd-Kawatiri Road, instead you will turn left and head down the valley to Kawatiri, then right again onto Kohatu-Kawatiri Road. You head up the valley turning off the main road onto Tadmor-Glenhope Rd for some more gravel and tarsal before popping out at Tapawera.
The course then follows the main road North for 6 or 7kms before turning onto another nice gravel road which pops you out on part of the Great Taste Trail. From there the next stop is Wakefield and then the same course as previous Brevets to finish.
The Brevet will be 1151kms and the Brevette 739kms.
I will come back with some points about the route changes but will leave you to digest it all for now.
Please find the two links below to the Brevet and Brevette course maps.
Enjoy the planning, Scott and Jo
