Le Race

{{Short description|Cycling event}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2019}}

File:2014 Le Race 089.JPG

Le Race is a road bicycle racing event held annually in Canterbury, New Zealand since 1999. The race starts in Christchurch and finishes in Akaroa, and covers a distance of {{convert|100|km}}.

History

Le Race was first held in 1999. In the 2001 event, competitor Vanessa Caldwell died on the Summit Road in the Port Hills when she collided head-on with a car. Race organiser Astrid Anderson was charged with criminal nuisance and convicted in 2003, with a NZ$10,000 fine imposed. The conviction had a major impact on events held on New Zealand roads, with many events cancelled or postponed.{{cite news|last1=Devereux|first1=Monique|title=Fatal bike race organiser cleared|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3593937|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=23 September 2004}} The Court of Appeal overturned the conviction in September 2004, as the judge was found to have misdirected the jury. No new trial was ordered, but her conviction was quashed. Anderson's legal costs were NZ$60,000.

In 2001, Le Race was one of two events in New Zealand that had a traffic management plan, but this became compulsory following the 2001 fatality. Many club races consequently disappeared, with an underground cycling movement developing of holding unofficial races.{{cite news|last1=Cleaver|first1=Dylan|title=Underground cycling movement|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10794306|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=24 March 2012}}

Anderson, the original owner of Le Race, sold the event to Simon Hollander in 2008.{{cite web|title=Astrid Sells Le Race – A New Era?|url=http://www.vorb.org.nz/astrid-sells-race-new-era-t83420.html|website=Vorb|accessdate=23 March 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Gates|first1=Charlie|title=Gee, what a fighter|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2295008/Gee-what-a-fighter|accessdate=23 March 2015|work=The Press|date=27 March 2009}} Hollander passed the event on to Sheree Stevens, whose first event as race director was in 2015.{{cite news|title=Le Race returns to Cathedral Square|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/10530481/Le-Race-returns-to-Cathedral-Square|accessdate=22 March 2015|work=The Press|date=23 September 2014}}

Le Race traditionally started in Christchurch's Cathedral Square in March of each year. The 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused the postponement of Le Race and due to the Central City Red Zone, the 2011 event was held on 15 October and started from Elgin Street in Sydenham.{{cite web|title=2011 Le Race|url=http://tiktok.biz/list/lerace/2011/solo/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205081703/http://tiktok.biz/list/lerace/2011/solo/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 February 2012|publisher=Le Race|accessdate=22 March 2015}} After using Elgin Street as the start for four times, Le Race returned to Cathedral Square for the event held on 21 March 2015. In the 2016 event held on 20 March, a shorter option of just {{convert|53|km}} that finished in Little River was also offered.{{cite news |title=World-class riders to compete in Le Race to Akaroa |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/78025366/worldclass-riders-to-compete-in-le-race-to-akaroa |accessdate=20 March 2016 |work=The Press |date=18 March 2016}}

Kate McIlroy won the race in 2019 and vowed that it was her last race. The 2020 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, McIlroy happened to be in Christchurch and signed up on the start line, winning the race in record time.{{cite news |last1=Allott |first1=Amber |title=Record-breaking Le Race win for Christchurch cycling champion |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/news/124605254/recordbreaking-le-race-win-for-christchurch-cycling-champion |access-date=21 March 2021 |work=Stuff |date=20 March 2021}}

Multiple winners

=Men's =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

!Wins

!Name

!Years

align=center rowspan=2| 3{{flagicon|NZL}} Mark Baileyalign=left| 2003, 2004, 2006
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Michael Vinkalign=left| 2010, 2013, 2021
align=center rowspan=2| 2{{flagicon|NZL}} Jeremy Yatesalign=left| 2008, 2009
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Daniel Whitehousealign=left| 2018, 2019

=Women's=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

!Wins

!Name

!Years

align=center| 4{{flagicon|NZL}} Jo Buickalign=left| 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010
align=center rowspan=2| 3{{flagicon|NZL}} Reta Trotmanalign=left| 2011, 2012, 2014
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Sharlotte Lucasalign=left| 2013, 2015, 2017
align=center rowspan=2| 2{{flagicon|NZL}} Annalisa Farrellalign=left| 2000, 2005
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Kate McIlroyalign=left| 2019, 2021

Past winners

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

!Year!!Men's winner!!Women's winner

1999{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame|url=http://lerace.co.nz/lhistoire/hall-fame/|publisher=Le Race|accessdate=22 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513044857/http://lerace.co.nz/lhistoire/hall-fame/|archive-date=13 May 2019|url-status=dead}}{{flagicon|NZL}} Chris Barnsley

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Tracy Clark

2000{{flagicon|NZL}} Ben Bright

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Annalisa Farrell

2001{{flagicon|NZL}} Stuart Lowe

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Jo Buick

2002{{flagicon|NZL}} Heath Blackgrove

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Jo Buick

2003{{flagicon|NZL}} Mark Bailey

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Jo Buick

2004{{flagicon|NZL}} Mark Bailey

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Michelle Kiesanowski

2005{{flagicon|NZL}} Brian Fowler

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Annalisa Farrell

2006{{flagicon|NZL}} Mark Bailey

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Josie Loane

2007{{flagicon|NZL}} Edwin Crossling

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Carla Ryan

2008{{flagicon|NZL}} Jeremy Yates

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Serena Sheridan

2009{{flagicon|NZL}} Jeremy Yates

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Simone Grounds

2010{{flagicon|NZL}} Michael Vink

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Jo Buick

2011{{flagicon|NZL}} Joshua Atkins

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Reta Trotman

2012{{flagicon|NZL}} Sam Hogan

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Reta Trotman

2013{{flagicon|NZL}} Michael Vink

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Sharlotte Lucas

2014{{cite web|title=Girdlestone youngest ever winner of Le Race |url=https://www.cyclingnewzealand.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=559 |publisher=Cycling NZ |accessdate=23 March 2015 |date=29 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402165257/https://www.cyclingnewzealand.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=559 |archivedate= 2 April 2015 }}{{flagicon|NZL}} Keagan Girdlestone

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Reta Trotman

2015{{cite news|title=Dan Barry, Sharlotte Lucas take Le Race honours|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/67474311/Dan-Barry-Sharlotte-Lucas-take-Le-Race-honours|accessdate=23 March 2015|work=The Press|date=23 March 2015}}{{flagicon|NZL}} Daniel Barry

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Sharlotte Lucas

2016{{cite news |title=Le Race victories for Roulston and Villumsen |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/299391/le-race-victories-for-roulston-and-villumsen |accessdate=20 March 2016 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=20 March 2016}}{{flagicon|NZL}} Hayden Roulston

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Linda Villumsen

2017{{cite news |title= Descending skills winning formula for Evans and Lucas |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1703/S00447/descending-skills-winning-formula-for-evans-and-lucas.htm |accessdate= 26 March 2017 |work= scoop.co.nz |date= 25 March 2017}}

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Brad Evans

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Sharlotte Lucas

2018{{cite news |title=Cyclist wins Le Race event cycling event just four weeks after his appendix burst |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/102562988/cyclist-wins-le-race-event-cycling-event-just-four-weeks-after-his-appendix-burst |accessdate=26 March 2018 |work=The Press |date=25 March 2018}}

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Daniel Whitehouse

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Ella Harris

2019{{cite news |title=Whitehouse and McIlroy smash records to win Le Race |url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1903/S00292/whitehouse-and-mcilroy-smash-records-to-win-le-race.htm |accessdate=24 March 2019 |date=23 March 2019}}

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Daniel Whitehouse

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Kate McIlroy

{{Cycling pw no race|year=2020|reason=COVID-19 pandemic}}

2021{{cite web |title=Miles Continental Skoda Le Race Results (2021) |url=https://www.sportsplits.com/races/miles-continental-skoda-le-race-2021 |website=SportSplits |access-date=20 March 2021 |language=en}}

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Michael Vink

| {{flagicon|NZL}} Kate McIlroy

{{Cycling pw no race|year=2022|reason=COVID-19 pandemic{{cite news |last1=Law |first1=Tina |last2=Fuller |first2=Piers |last3=Wilkes |first3=Mikaela |title=Covid-19: All the events cancelled or up in the air as Omicron hits NZ |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/127574608/covid19-all-the-events-cancelled-or-up-in-the-air-as-omicron-hits-nz |access-date=11 June 2022 |work=Stuff |date=24 January 2022}}}}

References