Ambassador Patrick Rata and the 2012 Tour de Korea

Ambassador Patrick Rata (centre) with the New Zealand team in Geochang

Ambassador Patrick Rata travelled to Geochang in South Gyeongsang Province on 26 April to fire the starting gun for the fifth stage of the 2012 Tour de Korea cycling race.

This international event is in its eighth year, and a professional team from New Zealand, Subway ProCycling, is returning with the aim of repeating their excellent results from 2011. The Ambassador met with Mayor of Geochang County, Lee Hong-gi, before the start, and spoke with a local performing arts troupe. He also spent time with the Subway riders, discussing their strategy for the race. The team is managed by former track cycling World Champion Hayden Godfrey, and includes Oceania cycling champion and New Zealand national time trial champ Paul Odlin, and Westley Gough, who is a track cycling medal prospect for the 2012 London Olympics. The Embassy is supporting the team as part of its 2012 Year of Friendship events.