Cycling Southland's junior cyclists face a busy few days on both road and track with the latest chapter in the Baxter & Neilson Track Racing Series to be held tonight, followed by Saturday’s sixth and final Points Series road race at Te Tipua.
The monthly track cycling racing series is contested annually over eight rounds of competition and across six separate age categories. After five completed rounds most age-groups are being dominated by a runaway leader. Josh Haggerty has a comfortable lead over Nick Kergozou in the Under 17 Men while Jennifer Muhl has a perfect record of five series victories from five attempts in the Under 17 Girls. Makayla Smith also has maximum points in the Under 15 Girls while Corbin Strong and Madeleine Gough both look in control of the Under 13 categories. The exception is the Under 15 Boys where only four series points separates current leader Hamish Beadle (21) from a hard-chasing Josh Carpenter (17).
Points are earned following a Time Trial, Points and Scratch races. The competition winner will be crowned following the final round at the end of November.
Meanwhile the action switches to the road on Saturday where riders will get a dry run on one of the stages to be used in the upcoming Yunca Junior Tour of Southland. The 17-kilometre Solid Energy New Vale undulating circuit will provide a great opportunity for local riders to earn valuable experience on what may be a defining stage of the Junior Tour.
This year’'s Yunca-sponsored event will feature a record field of 179 with over 40 riders crossing the Tasman to compete in the three day event which starts with an Individual Time Trial and afternoon Kermise stage race at Teretonga Raceway on Friday October 14th. Saturday features two road stages in the Te Tipua area before the event culminates with an inner city criterium on Sunday 16th and the final stage at Mabel Bush/Springhills.