The Tour has something for everyone, from occasional riders looking for a motivating, achievable goal through to hardcore racers aiming for a week of perfect suffering. And as any of the hundreds of Tour riders from previous years will tell you, it's a brilliant Kiwi road trip for riders and support crew alike.

Choose your course, and meet you in the middle

As a rider in the Tour, you'll ride the length of one of New Zealand's main islands - your choice, North or South. The North and South courses start from opposite ends of New Zealand and run simultaneously, covering around 100km per stage for seven days as they converge on the center of the country. On the eighth day everyone meets in Wellington for a morning of criterium racing in the grounds of Parliament.

You can enter individually or ride in a team of three or more. It is competitive, but how hard you go is entirely up to you. There's always someone to ride with at your level, from riders aiming to cover 100km in five hours through to seriously athletic men and women who take half that time.