This stage is a strange one because it looks uphill, and I guess it is, but it also offers long opportunities for respite in the form of descent. Unfortunately, most of that is in the first half the stage so you will actually come away from stage 466 thinking that you’ve climbed (which you will have).
While the rollout is initially uphill, it soon starts descending and the run down to cross first Manawatu River followed almost immediately by Moutoa Floodway is the best fun you’ll have on the stage. The floodway is at five miles and soon after, as Levin Road (Route 1) approaches Foxton, the climbing begins. It’s just gentle at first, and actually descends from Foxton Racecourse down to the golf course at eight miles, but that’s just a tease.
It’s followed by a lumpy up and down to the Rangiotu junction east to Bainesse at twelve miles. There’s then a sharp but short climb that flattens out before the road reaches Oroua Downs at fourteen miles but as the road hangs a right a mile later, followed by a left, the climb continues to gather bite. The summit doesn’t come until eighteen miles which shares the title of the highest elevation of the stage with a spot a mile and a half later down/up the road and from that second summit, it’s a short downhill run to the finish.
Distance: 21 miles / 34 kilometres
Ascent: 486 feet / 148 metres
RGT Magic Road: 2aNJWMv0okLJ
Max elevation: 288 ft
Min elevation: 135 ft
Total climbing: 487 ft
Total descent: -392 ft
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