Big names coming to NZ Cycle Classic in Wairarapa this year

Piers Fuller Reporter from News of Wairarapa

The welcome mat will be laid out to two Japanese road cycling teams – each featuring top French riders - competing in the 2020 New Zealand Cycle Classic being held in the Wairarapa in January.
The KINAN Cycling Team, the No 2 UCI ranked team in the Asian calendar, is aiming to start 2020 in style by securing a top performance at the five-stage elite international men’s road cycling race being held from January 15th – 19th. They will be joined by the AISAN Racing Team, a UCI Continental registered team, as well as six other international teams who are yet to be announced.
New Zealand Cycle Classic race director Jorge Sandoval says having the top ranked Asian UCI team return to race in New Zealand is a huge deal.
“KINAN is an extremely competitive team who has achieved great results this year including winning first place overall in the individual GC (general classification) in the Tour of Peninsula 2019 (Malaysia UCI 2.1) and Tour de Indonesia 2019 (Indonesia UCI 2.1). In addition, many of their riders have participated in the Tours of Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan,” says Sandoval.
“Having the KINAN team race in the New Zealand Cycle Classic for the second year running is great news as not only does it lift the profile of our event in Asia enormously, but for KINAN it is a big deal to start their racing season in New Zealand.”
Leading the KINAN Cycling Team is French hill climber Thomas Lebas, winner of Tour de Hokkaido, Tour de Flores, the international Tour of Setif in Algeria as well as the Mountains competition. Lebas started his cycling career racing in Europe before being signed by the Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team. Since then he has concentrated on racing in the Asian calendar, winning races and featuring in almost every stage race he participates in says Sandoval.
“Thomas is a hill climber and winner of the King of the Mountain and general classification in this year’s Tour de Indonesia, a UCI 2.1 event,” says Sandoval. “He finished fifth in this year’s New Zealand Cycle Classic and I think the hills in Wairarapa will really suit him.”