How do you celebrate turning 50?
Well, for the Cycle World team it is by getting a bunch of your mates together to ride the Tour of Southland and raise some money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation while they are at it.
They are also planning on having a lot of laughs. It is hard to imagine that happening when they are battling into driving rain around the back blocks of Southland or slogging their way up Bluff Hill. But then, they are a cheery lot. They have also seen a lot of life, just quietly.
Four of the six men - Paul Gough (50), Chris Harvey (51), Dave Rush (51) and Chris Latta (50) - are 50 or older. Young Patrick Jones (23) lets the team down on that score, and Tom Kaminszky (39), while considered a master, is a relative pup.
Gough is the most experienced cyclist of the group. He has been competing for more than 25 years and will be contesting his ''fifth or sixth'' Tour of Southland.
He is in good form, too. He claimed second overall in the national elite series in the 50-plus masters category.
''Originally, a bunch of us were turning 50 this year so we thought we would do the Tour of Southland,'' Gough said.
''We want to put the emphasis on having fun and thought we'd get a charity involved as well. One of the guy's brothers had prostate cancer ... so we thought we'd do it for a cause.''
The team has set up a donation page and aims to raise $3000. They will be pretty conspicuous in their light blue socks - it is the charity's colour - and will also cover their handlebars in light blue tape.
As well as having a bit of fun and raising money for charity, the group hopes to be competitive in the masters grade.
''We're all quite competitive and as we've got older we've probably got more competitive. We've got more time to train and train a bit wiser.
''But we'll be up against a lot of elite young riders and that will be a big ask for us.''
Rush, who hails from Oamaru - the other five team members are based in Dunedin - has taken that competitive spirit a bit further. He has two sons competing in the race so family bragging rights are on the line.
Tim Rush is in wonderful form, having claimed overall victory in the national cycling series, and his team, Mike Greer Homes, will be hoping to do well in the general classification. Kris Rush is ''pretty sharp as well'' and will ride for the Dylan Kennett-led Adair Craik team.
