The New Zealand cycling community is organising a Trademe auction to raise funds for communities affected by last weekend's devastating earthquake in Chile.
The 8.8 magnitude quake hit on Saturday, triggering tsunami alerts throughout the Pacific. The death toll has climbed to more than 800.
Wellington cycling event promoter Jorge Sandoval's home town Tome was 74km from the quake's epicentre.
Auction organiser Grant Wall said the cycling community had rallied around Sandoval, donating cycling kits and other products for the auction, which begins late next week. New Zealand time-trial champion Gordon McCauley, who has also won the national road title five times, is donating a set of his national champion kit, while Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston has donated a kit from his HTC Columbia team.
The Subway Avanti Pro Cycling Team are donating items, as are various cyclists and cycling shops.
Sandoval, whose family in Tome survived the quake, is leaving for Chile on March 19. He said he would donate funds raised to the Red Cross in his home town.
