Riders race to the finish for the final day of Rotorua's Volcanic Epic ...

A rider pushes on to the finish line of the fifth and final day of the Shimano Volcanic Epic. Nduro Events / Selena Wright

A gut-busting climb, a burst of geyser steam, and a sprint to the finish line in Rotorua’s city centre marked the final stage of the Volcanic Epic mountain biking event.

Three hundred and fifty riders from 11 countries spent five days climbing nearly 5000m over a total 185km at the Shimano Volcanic Epic, presented by Tineli, which wrapped up yesterday.

Steam rose from the geothermal startline at Te Puia as the riders prepared to enter the Whakarewarewa forest for the final day of racing. A gut-busting climb, peaking at a 20 per cent gradient to the top of Morangi’s 730m, was the major challenge of yesterday’s stage, presented by That’s It.

The descent of Split Endz turned from relief to pure grit as the riders tried to maintain speed while their legs screamed to sit down. The end was in sight at the summit of Katore, with fast lines down Tītokorangi. The rowdier Old Exit provided a final challenge before the final pedal to the metal section through Sulphur Flats and into Rotorua’s city centre finish.

Emotions were high at the finish line.

Lai Han Dennex, a competitor from Hong Kong, said the race was “very enjoyable, but tough”.

“The weather is nice and the tracks are very good,” he said.

Melbourne rider Jason Johnson said he and his wife had a fantastic five days riding the “awesome” trails in the Epic event.

“It’s been terrific. We love Rotorua, we came here about eight years ago and really loved it, so it’s such a pleasure to come back. It’s been a great trip.”

Switzerland’s Benno Heussi was at the finish line to congratulate his girlfriend as she completed her first race.

“We’re travelling for the entire month the whole of New Zealand, my girlfriend and I.

“For me, I’ve done many races; Swiss Epic, TransAlps, but this race is spectacular. I loved it, and now I’m happy I can take a beer, enjoy and relax.”

A group of 37 riders travelled from Noumea in New Caledonia to compete. Guillaume Dreau described the event as “extraordinary.”

“Some 10 of us were here last year and were so excited that we decided to all come to the race this year. It was beautiful, each stage was different but, in my opinion, the best stage was the last one. We’ll be back.”

Hawke’s Bay’s James Pretty, who also competed in last year’s event, described it as “absolutely world-class.”

“Better than last year, and I loved last year. This is one of the best places in the world to race mountain bikes. The trails put in the course this year were world-class. If you’re thinking about entering this race, all I can say is get your entry in early, bring your friends and get your crew together.”

The warm weather came out for prizegiving Government Gardens, where the winners of today’s stage 4, and the overall winners of the entire event, were crowned.

Overall general classification winners (those with the lowest cumulative time across prologue and stages) were a mix of New Zealand and Australians.

Pairs open men’s, Bay of Plenty’s Solis Shaw won with 8:32:42hrs, with Australia’s COMMTEL - ARA just 1:17mins behind over 185km. In the pairs open women, Lee B and GB won with 10:54:53hrs with a solid lead of just over 56 mins from Green Monkey. Aussie mixed pair cycle co-op Shimano took gold with 10:01:44hrs, and a 10 min lead from Taupō's young gun sibling team Nah We Never Argue.

For 4 stage solo GCs, Auckland’s Matthew Wilson took gold with 7:58:32hrs with Palmerston North’s Caleb Botcher nine mins behind. For the women, Hannah Miller 11:27:23hrs, with New Caledonia’s Estelle Tailleur second at 11:45:39hrs. Find all category results at volcanicepic.co.nz

The Shimano Volcanic Epic has been a massive achievement for all riders, having completed days in Rotorua, Taupō and Tokoroa. A curated tour of world-class trails, it was also a chance to showcase the geothermal plateau’s incredible sights and culture to an international audience.

The Shimano Volcanic Epic will return in 2025.

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