Southland to host Oceania track champs

THE Oceania Track Cycling Championships will return to Invercargill next year.

The event, which was last staged in the city in 2015, is scheduled for October 1619. It is expected to attract Oceania’s best track cyclists.

More than 200 riders are anticipated for the fourday competition, where 40 titles will be awarded across elite and under19 categories for men and women.

The awarding of the 2020 Oceania Track Championships follows Cycling New Zealand’s successful hosting of round five of the 201819 Tissot UCI Track World Cup in January.

The Oceania Track Championships alternate between Australia and New Zealand, providing a platform for growth in track cycling in both nations and Oceania.

The president of the Oceania Cycling Confederation and member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) management committee, Tracey Gaudry, said the organisation was delighted to award the event to Invercargill again.

‘‘The 2020 Oceania Track Championships form part of the twoyear Olympic qualifying cycle ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, giving riders from the Oceania region the opportunity to secure qualifying points on home soil,’’ she said.

Cycling New Zealand interim chief executive Jacques Landry welcomed the news.

‘‘We know that Invercargill and the wider Southland community are strong cycling supporters and will be excited to have international cycling back in the region once again,’’ he said.

‘‘We are looking forward to working with the experienced team from Cycling Southland to deliver another world class event on New Zealand soil.’’

The UCI Continental Championships are the highest ranked international championships in track cycling after the World Championships.

More details, including a provisional programme and entry information, will be published later in the year.

The championships are subject to finalisation of a host agreement between Oceania Cycling Confederation and Cycling New Zealand.