World champion junior track cycling gold medallist Cameron Karwowski yesterday added the Lake Dunstan Cycle Challenge race to his recent list of successes.
The Invercargill rider set the fastest time for the 96km road race around the lake yesterday, completing the circuit in 2hr 21min 44sec.
Lightning, hail and torrential rain made the event more of a challenge than usual for the 240-strong field this year.
Race convener Terry Emmitt said riders faced a wintry blast part of the way through.
"They struck hail and lightning and rain and all sorts."
Some of the competitors abandoned the race at that point, he said.
A male competitor was taken to Dunedin Hospital after crashing his bike.
Senior Constable John Chambers, of Cromwell, said a couple of cyclists had collided during the Lake Dunstan Cycle Challenge and a helicopter was unable to land at the site, near Bendigo, because of the "atrocious" weather, including torrential rain.
The cyclist was taken by ambulance to Dunstan Hospital at Clyde and then airlifted to Dunedin Hospital.
