The New Zealand Olympic Team is challenging Kiwis to get in the winning spirit with a dynamic nationwide event series ‘Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern’.

The 2024 Olympic Games kick-off in Paris this July and the Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern will get Kiwis amped up with some community sporting action on home soil.

Presented in partnership with Cycling New Zealand, the Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern is a public cycling simulation that will visit Tauranga this Sunday, May 26, followed by Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and ending in Invercargill late June, when interest in Paris 2024 will be growing to fever pitch.

Kiwis can attend the Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern activation in their region, jump on a stationary bike and embrace some friendly competition with their peers and some Olympians.

Using state-of-the-art Technogym Ride smart bikes, riders will experience a simulation of what it’s like to race 300 metres along the Champs-Élysées.

In an immersive digital zone, the famous Parisian avenue will be shown on screens in front of riders, and displayed onto larger screens for those cheering them on from behind.

All participants will be entered into a nationwide leaderboard to see who can sprint the course the fastest, being ranked against our Olympic cyclists’ times.

Select Olympians and legacy athletes will attend each activation, allowing the public to mingle with and even cycle beside them.

“We’re thrilled to be giving New Zealanders a taste of the Olympics through the Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern,” says New Zealand Team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery.

“It’s going to be a fantastic event and we’re encouraging communities up and down the country to come along, show their support for our team and have a bit of fun in the process.

"We’re going to have Olympians popping in as we take the event on tour, so it’s a great opportunity to connect with them and see how you stack up against our elite athletes on the bike!”

Tour de Fern – Sprint For The Fern is presented with thanks to Allianz, Barfoot & Thompson, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Cadbury, Flex Fitness, High Performance Sport New Zealand, Jennian Homes, Manuka Doctor, Technogym and Toyota New Zealand.

Having kicked off in Auckland, Tour de Fern – Sprint for the Fern will now head to Tauranga Crossing this Sunday with attending Olympians including star speed climber Julian David between 9am and 1pm.

When the tour finishes in Invercargill on 24 June, the event will also coincide with International Olympic Day celebrations at the Cycling Southland Velodrome.

Leaderboard scores can be accessed via the easy-to-use Technogym app, and there will be spot prizes up for grabs at each location.

For the Games themselves, about 185 New Zealand Team athletes will head to Paris to compete, with the competition taking place at iconic landmarks including the Palace of Versaille, the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine.

The New Zealand Team is once again aiming to shine in a number of sports from equestrian to rowing, rugby sevens, swimming, canoe sprint, sailing, athletics, cycling and more.