Novice Tour of Manawatu

All photos of the 2026 Novice Tour are now available through our website: https://bikemanawatu.co.nz/novice-tour-photos/

📸 Huge thanks to Greg Thompson for capturing so many fantastic moments of the weekend!

Happy browsing 😊

✨ Our Thank You Series Part 4
💚🤝 Our incredible sponsors and supporters

We would like to recognise the amazing businesses and organisations who helped make the 53rd Novice Tour a success.

From sponsoring grades and stages to providing goods, services and support behind the scenes, every contribution played a part in delivering a memorable weekend of junior road cycling.

A huge thank you to our GRADE SPONSORS…

🚴 Hughes Joinery – U13 Girls
🚴 Harcourts Manawatu – U13 Boys
🚴 Glenn Kirk Oral Surgeon Ltd – U15 Girls
🚴 Capture Signs Ltd – U15 Boys
🚴 Laser Electrical Palmerston North Central – U17 Girls
🚴 Central Bicycle Studio – U17 Boys
🚴 Palmfeild Motors – U19 Women
🚴 BASE Solutions – U19 Men

… and to our STAGE SPONSORS

🏁 Pluggered.co.nz – Stages 1 & 3
🏁 Octane Automotive – Stage 2
🏁 Rider Levett Bucknall – Stage 4

A special thank you also to:

🚴 SuperVision Sports for once again providing professional timing services.
👕 Champion System New Zealand for supplying the iconic leaders' jerseys and for their support of the tour.
🚑 The team at Pro+Med for providing First Aid services and helping keep everyone safe throughout the weekend.
🏡 The Halcombe community for accommodating our event year after year.

Lastly, thank you to the following businesses and organisations who also got behind the Novice Tour:

Rosebowl Bakery & Café
Kazzas Country Café
Ebony Coffee Roastery
Halcombe Tavern
Manawatū District Council
Adamson & Holland

This brings our Thank You Series to an end. To everyone who supported the event - riders, volunteers, funders, sponsors, businesses and our wider community, thank you for helping make the 53rd Novice Tour of Manawatu a success.

We can't wait to see you all again at the 2027 Novice Tour of Manawatu! 🚴

📸 The first batch of photos is available on our website, with more being added over the coming days: https://bikemanawatu.co.nz/novice-tour-photos/

✨ Our Thank You Series Part 3
❤️🤝 Making the tour possible

Today BikeManawatu would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank The Lion Foundation for their generous grant funding.

The Lion Foundation has supported the Novice Tour of Manawatu many times over the years, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued commitment to our event, and to junior cycling. Their financial support this year helped cover the costs of First Aid, professional timing services, and race numbers, all essential elements in delivering a safe, fair and professionally run event.

What began as an event for U17 Boys 53 years ago has evolved into the Novice Tour of Manawatu we know today, welcoming both girls and boys from U13 through to U19. By supporting events like this, The Lion Foundation is helping young people discover the joy of road cycling, build confidence, develop lifelong skills, make new friends, and enjoy being active in a supportive and encouraging environment, while investing in the future of junior cycling in New Zealand.

Without the support of grant funders such as The Lion Foundation, events like the Novice Tour would simply not be possible. Their contribution helps us keep the event affordable for families while maintaining high standards of safety and professionalism.

We also extend our sincere thanks to The Lion Foundation's venue partners, Rosie O'Gradys Palmerston North and The Pendulum Bar & Eatery. By supporting The Lion Foundation, you help make grants like this possible.

To The Lion Foundation and your venue partners, your support is helping inspire the next generation of cyclists, and we couldn't do it without you. ❤️

📸 Thanks to our volunteer photographer, Greg Thompson, the first batch of Novice Tour photos is now online, with more being added over the coming days: https://bikemanawatu.co.nz/novice-tour-photos/

✨ Our Thank You Series Part 2
🙋‍♂️ The many volunteers

The Novice Tour of Manawatu simply wouldn't happen without the incredible volunteers who generously gave their time, experience and energy over the weekend.

🏁 A huge thank you to Nick Spark and his dedicated team of commissaires, who volunteered their time and experience to ensure the racing was conducted in a safe and fair manner.

📸 A special thanks also to Greg Thompson for taking photos of the 53rd tour. We look forward to seeing the many moments Greg captured!

To all of our amazing volunteers, our many drivers, marshals, judges, and everyone who worked behind the scenes, whether you helped out for one stage or the entire weekend, your contribution was invaluable and genuinely appreciated. THANK YOU!

We hope that watching the young riders filled your cup as much as it did ours 🫶💚

🧤Lost Property

If any of these items belong to you, please email [email protected] to arrange collection.

✨ Our Thank You Series Part 1
🚴‍♀️ Celebrating Our Riders

As we wrap up the 2026 Novice Tour of Manawatu, we'd like to say THANK YOU to everyone who made it such a special event. There are far too many people to thank in one post, so over the coming days we'll be sharing a series of posts recognising the incredible people and organisations who helped make this weekend possible.

🚴‍♂️ Today, the spotlight belongs to our riders.
Congratulations to every young cyclist who took part in the 53rd Novice Tour of Manawatu. As one of the rounds in the Cycling New Zealand National Road Series, the event brought together young riders from across New Zealand to challenge themselves, earn valuable series points and create friendships and memories along the way. Whether you achieved a personal goal, completed your first tour, wore a leader's jersey, or simply gave it your all, you should be incredibly proud!

A huge thank you also to the families and teams who travelled from around New Zealand. Your commitment to junior cycling is what makes events like this possible.

👉 Results are available on our website: https://bikemanawatu.co.nz/novice-tour-results-941/

Our photographer is busy processing the photos captured over the weekend. We'll let you know as soon as these are available.

Thank you for being part of another fantastic Novice Tour of Manawatu. We can't wait to welcome you back in 2027!

To be continued... keep an eye on our page for Part 2 👀

📸 Photo credits
Photo 1: PNP Cycling Club
Photo 2: Greg Thompson
Photo 3: Greg Thompson

Rollers left behind near the roundabout. Pick up in the hall.

Final prizegiving - Aiming for 2:30pm. Please bring all jerseys to the stage.

Stage 4 start list

Novice Tour of Manawatu 2026 Stage 4 | Start list Start list: Novice Tour of Manawatu 2026 Stage 4 @ Wellington, New Zealand. Saturday, August 1, 2026 09:01 (GMT+12)