The final stage will be a flat and short circuit race in and around Masterton. Noah had great legs and was chosen to be the protected sprinter, as he might be the fastest today.

Sven Zurawski attempted to join the breakaway, but did not make it. Three riders enjoyed the tv time ahead of the pack, they were caught with 13 km left.

It came to the mass sprint finish, Tobias Knaup to position Christian Koch opening for Noah, but at his first day with good legs, Noah lost his wheel in the confusion of the last sharp corner. Joris Nieuwenhuis from Tartu 2024 - Balticchaincycling.com won the stage.

Christian Koch 6th and Noah Takaima 11th.

The GC was won by former world tour rider Daniil Fominykh, Minsk Cycling Club. Team Lotto - Kern Haus best was Sven Zurawski 29th.

New Zealand Cycle Classic, prize money € 1.800

Earnings:	Race Share	Bonus	Total €
Jonathan Dinkler	€ 675		€ 675
Sven Zurawski	€ 675		€ 675
Christian Koch	€ 90		€ 90
Leon Eduard Brescher	€ 90		€ 90
Noah Takaima	€ 90		€ 90
Simon Laib	€ 90		€ 90
Tobias Knaup	€ 90		€ 90

The long stage race is over, the team having a small celebration with dinner and later a few Speight’s beers around a large bonfire. Noah finds Christian Henn sitting close to the fire with Sven Zurawski reliving the amazing breakaway day. Noah patiently awaits, listening to Sven’s enthusiastic story, understanding only parts of it after all it is in German, only a few times Sven looks directly at Noah and repeats a sentence in English.

The story over and Zurawski left to get three fresh cold beers.
Noah: “I have been thinking about the training, as you know I would love someday to become a perfect cobble stone rider, love riders like Museeuw, Boonen, Cancellara that my father was talking about when I was just a young child.�

Henn: “I know, fantastic riders.�

Noah: “But as the team is paying my salary not my dreams and there is so few cobbled races on the continental calendar I am ok with changing my training, so if you really believe you can turn me into a climber, I think that is where we are heading.�

Henn: “Being half Japanese you are not exactly the heaviest rider, but you are producing watts like a Dane.� Henn smiles widely and continues “If you keep training hard, I can guarantee that you can become a good climber, maybe not the best tempo rider but a lot better than you are now.�

In the period between New Zealand Cycle Classic and Gravel and Tar, Noah and Jonathan Dinkler was driving up to Tongariro Nationalpark every day, training together at Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe.

Noah soon felt how his legs was getting used to the long climbs, although he could not keep up with Jonathan, unless they took the time trail bikes.

Noah was still looking for this spring form, not in the best shape even after some hard training days. He was given the task of protecting Hermann Keller, who would later be an important part of the sprinter train, and drop back to collect water bottles from time to time.

The breakaway today was quite large with 14 riders, the strong and durable Christian Koch took turns to hold the distance down. Noah and Kim Heiduk were struggling to make their sprinters stay with the favorites over the hard climbs, they succeeded but after the last uphill sector, they were done and fell back to the Gruppetto sitting a few minutes behind the pack.

It came to a mass sprint from a slightly reduced bunch of about 70 riders. Hermann Keller delivering Leslie Lührs at the front, to open for Joshua Huppertz.

The setup was perfect today, no mistakes at all, but Shane Archbold from Team BridgeLane was just the faster rider today, beating Joshua Huppertz with a few centimeters. Another good result in New Zealand, although it is always sour sweet with a series of 2nd best results.

Leslie Lührs finished 10th also taking a single ranking point.

After New Zealand Noah had a few days of going home to Denmark to visit mother, getting some of her traditional homemade Japanese cuisine, something he missed even though German food was fine. Now back in Germany he was called into General Manager Florian Monreal’s office.

Florian: “Hi Noah, sit down and have a coffee or a bottle of water, whatever you want.

Noah: “Thanks, just water�

Florian with a small change in mood: “Well, your form curve is improving a little, but a lot slower that we had expected. Monreal takes a sip of his coffee. “hopefully you will bloom at some point soon�

Noah did not say anything, he was expecting to get a late peak, but would not argue with the boss.

Florian: “Anyway, we got three one day races in February, and I can only find room for you in one of those with the shape you are in. Our Partner Kiwa operating on the Turkish marked is providing some bonuses in all these races in Turkey.�

9/2 Grand Prix Manavgat
Florian: “The profile is officially flat, but on a short stage like this with a relative long climb mid-stage there may be a tiny option for a rider like you to attack and keep the pack behind you, not likely off course but not impossible either.�
Bonuses: Win 500 € Podium 300 € Top 10 50 €
Team Win: 100 €

13/2 Grand Prix Alanya
Florian: “Also, in this one the profile flat, but with some punchy hill climbs spread out over the stage, guess you won’t find this profile as good as the first, but as you are building form your physique may look better for this later date.�
Bonuses: Win 500 € Podium 300 € Top 10 50 €
Team Win: 100 €

Florian: “We also got Grand Prix Gazipaşa 14/2, but it is a very important race where employees from Kiwi’s Turkish division will meet us and watch the race. Will be only rider in the best shape there.
Sprinter Joshua Huppertz will lead in all three races, but you will be allowed to attack if you get great legs in the race you choose .�



Noah was well aware the possibility to get good legs with the form he was in was small, but always better to get some race days than keep training day after day.

As encouraged by Mr. Monreal, Noah aimed to get in the breakaway, not having perfect legs but not feeling bad either.

After a group of three had opened the stage, Noah entered a group of four in pursuit in the original breakaway. This group would later grow with more riders bridging from the pack and together catching the original trio. We get 16 riders entering the mountains together.

There were several very step sectors taking its toll in the breakaway, only the best climbers was surviving the climbs. Noah was in the leading group of 5 riders at the final downhill, with just 28 km to the line. They had about a minute to the reduced pack.

It was raining quite hard most of the day.

The breakaway was over with 15 km left.

It never come to an organized sprint, simply not enough riders in the pack, having energy enough to form trains. Opening the opportunity for some rider to attack from a distance.

The first attacker Juraj Sagan from Team Colpack Ballan, later Mateusz Grabis from Voster - ATS Team. The latter still with some distance as the better sprinters opened under the red kite. Also Alexander Evtushenko from Spor Toto Cycling Team sitting between Mateusz Grabis and the pack.

The sprinter could not catch them, Mateusz Grabis wins the race in front of Alexander Evtushenko.

Joshua Huppertz came 5th, Noah Takaima 2nd best from Lotto - Kern Haus 14th.

As Noah was not racing the remaining days in Turkey, he was just expected to get some fitness rides in the area while awaiting the return to Germany.

This morning he was sitting alone in the Hotel lobby, having a cup of tea just looking at the tourists thinking about yesterday’s race. The race squad was at a tactical meeting.



Florian came down, seemingly he had already left the meeting: “Hi Noah� the manager took a chair at his table. “Think you did great yesterday, making it over that mountain with the best climbers, and yet the only one left with Joshua in the final�

Noah was a little bit surprised, not very satisfied with the race, but glad the manager saw things different. “Thanks, glad you think so�

Florian: “I do, tactical was a bummer letting you go alone. You could have been so important in the end, but that was definitely not your fault when I had personally told you to go for the breakaway.�

Florian: “I came down, to talk about the coming races. Leaving Markus and Henn with the squad for Grand Prix Alanya, they will go there soon to test the route, but I will stay here with those of you not racing, starting to lay down a plan for early Marts�

"I can’t tell you about the squads, that is too early, you will have to choose between to groups of races just looking at the profiles."

Kiwa will sponsor some bonuses in the two races in Turkey.
Win € 600 – Top 5 € 300 – KoM/Points € 350 - Team win € 150

Park Tool Company will sponsor some bonuses in the two races in Greece.
Win € 400 – Top 5 € 200 – KoM/Points € 250 - Team win € 125