Teams on track for top Toowoomba tour event

A SURGE of team interest is expected for next month’s FKG Tour of Toowoomba when entries for the 2014 event open today.

The fifth edition of the National Road Series (NRS) tour leg will be held from May 22-25.

A maximum of 25 six-member teams will be accepted for the four-day, five-stage event featuring three road races, a team time trial and criterium.

Two places have been set aside for Toowoomba-based Team TLD Racing and the leading team in this year’s ongoing Queensland Road Teams Series.

Tour of Toowoomba event director John Osborne said the race to fill the other 23 positions officially gets underway at 1.30 this afternoon.

“In our five-year history I’ve never experienced the level of interest being displayed by teams prior to nominations opening declaring their eagerness to be a part of this year’s Tour of Toowoomba,” Osborne said.

“I had seven expressions of interest prior to Monday.

“With the co-operation of police we have been able to expand the tour to its maximum number of 150 riders.

“But with two places already taken by wildcard entries the push to accommodate 23 more teams begins tomorrow.”

Tour entries close midnight, May 11. In other tour news UCI international commissaire Peter Tomlinson will be in charge of this year’s event.

Tomlinson’s 20 years experience as a commissaire includes officiating at numerous world championships and 10 NRS events.

He has been a UCI commissaire in the roles of chief, comm. 2, comm. 3 and motorbike comm at more than 30 international road race tours.