Hot and windy weather welcomed the 41 riders to the start of the new road season. A last minute change of location to the Te Tipua circuit wasn’t the easiest race to start the season off.

Cycling Southland's Liam Aitcheson and Georgia Vessey will quickly switch their attention to the road after today being named in BikeNZ's Under-19 team to contest next month’s Oceania Road Cycling Championships in Canberra.

Southlanders Cameron Karwowski and Pieter Bulling have been named among a six-strong young development team to join several Olympic incumbents in a five-month European based training and racing programme to develop a men’s endurance track team for the world championships and Commonwealth Games next year and on to the Rio Olympics.