TODAY'S TO DO
What's on this Week
𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝟕𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
A host of Tour of Southland champions will come together in Invercargill next month as part of celebrations marking the historic 70th edition of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
A number of special events are being planned around this year’s Tour, Australasia’s longest-running multi-stage cycling event, which will once again hit the roads of Southland from 1–7 November 2026.
One of the highlights will be the ILT Legends on Tour Evening, being held at The Newfield Tavern on Friday 30 October from 6.30pm.
Fourteen past champions, representing different eras across the Tour’s remarkable history, will attend the evening, providing a rare opportunity for cycling supporters and the wider community to hear first-hand some of the stories that have helped shape the event.
Cycling Southland President Julian Ineson said having so many past champions together in Southland was a fitting way to begin the 70th celebrations.
“The Tour has such a rich history and these champions are a significant part of that story. To have 14 past winners, representing so many different eras of the event, together in one room is something very special.
“People know the results and many of the famous moments, but this evening is about hearing the stories behind them — the rivalries, the characters, the challenges and the memories from the roads of Southland.
“Seventy editions is an incredible milestone and it is important that we take the opportunity to celebrate the people who have helped make the Tour what it is today.”
Among those attending will be eight-time champion Brian Fowler, a name synonymous with the Tour of Southland and one of the most successful riders in the event’s history.
He will be joined by three-time champion Warwick Dalton, whose achievements are firmly etched in Southland sporting history; 1994 Southland champion Doug Bath; and two-time champion Jack Swart.
American John Lieswyn, who twice claimed the Tour title, will also return to Southland, while two-time champion Graeme Miller will be among the guests. Miller and Fowler went head-to-head on Southland roads on numerous occasions during one of the memorable eras of the race.
The evening will bring together champions from across the generations, giving those attending the chance to hear about the personalities, rivalries, memorable stages and experiences that have contributed to the Tour’s enduring place in Southland sporting history.
The programme will also include a special fundraising auction.
Among the auction items will be a unique framed Tour of Southland artwork featuring caricatures of past champions and signed by Tour champions, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia from the 70th anniversary celebrations.
The ILT Legends on Tour Evening is part of a wider programme celebrating seven decades of an event that has brought many of New Zealand and international cycling’s leading riders to Southland.
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
ILT Legends on Tour Evening
Friday 30 October 2026
6.30pm
The Newfield Tavern
Tickets are available online: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=449652
With a unique collection of Tour champions together in one room, the evening promises to be a memorable start to an historic week celebrating 70 editions of the Tour of Southland
Track training
Head over to our track page here to see what will be running this week - If you have any questions, please reach out to your coach.
Upcoming Major Events
- 5th - 7th December 2025 - Southern Cup Incorporating ILT Southland Track Championships
- 17th January 2026 - ILT Criterium National Championships
- 18th - 24th January 2026 - SBS Bank Tour of Southland
- 1st - 7th March 2026 - Track National Championships
Recent Events and Results
- 3rd - 9th November 2024 - SBS Bank Tour of Southland
- 8th - 9th October 2024 - South Island and National Secondary Schools Track Championships
- 4th - 6th October 2024 - Yunca Junior Tour of Southland
- 14th-16th March 2024 - ILT Masters Track Nationals Championships
- 6th - 8th December 2024 - Southland Track Championships
- 16th - 17th January 2025 - ILT New Year Track Carnival
- 18th January 2025 - National Criterium Championships
- 19th January 2025 - Custom Canvas & Watsons Gore to Invercargill Classic
- 24th February - 1st March 2025 - Track National Championships
- 29th - 30th March - Vital Signs Fight for Yellow
ROAD RACING
Click on the image above to view the 2025 Winter Road Racing programme
Cycling Southland and New Zealand Junior track representative Sophie Williamson capped her junior road racing career in New Zealand with an incredible double in the Under 19 Women's Time Trial and Road Race at the Club Road Nationals in Hawkes Bay last week. Here's Soph's own race review.
Another hugely successful performance year saw three Cycling Southland's Eddie Dawkins, Stephanie McKenzie and Ross Machejefski named as finalists in the ILT Southland Sport Person of the Year awards at a Cocktail function held at Ascot Park Hotel last night.
Cycling Southland riders again featured prominently in BikeNZ's Development squads released today, headlined by confirmation of Junior Worlds Track representative Sophie Williamson's entry for the 2012 Junior Road World Championships in Holland in September.