Oceania’s best wheel in to compete
New Zealand and Australia’s best will line up in Invercargill for the Oceania Track Cycling Championships.
It’s time to stake a claim.
About 180 riders from Australia and New Zealand have converged on Invercargill for the Oceania Track Cycling Championships, which startstomorrow and will run through to Saturday.
There’s more than just transTasman rivalry and Oceania titles at stake, as riders position themselves for a shot at world events next year. The event offers all-important qualifying spots for next year’s UCI World Championships and for the junior riders it’s an ideal opportunity to put their names in lights for all to see.
New Zealand under-19 coach Sid Cumming, who will also offer coaching support to the Southland team over the four days, says the Oceania Championships is an ideal chance for the young riders to both learn and to impress the selectors. They’ve held a five-day camp in Invercargill leading up to the start of the Oceania Championships.
‘‘Whenever you are racing against Australia, results are important. But it also gives them experience and helps them grow . . . It’s also a great chance to be seen by the selectors.’’
For many of the 19 riders in the New Zealand under-19 team, the Oceania Championship is the first chance to represent their country. Performances at the Oceania Championships and next year’s NZ Championships provide important tools for selecting a New Zealand team for next year’s World Junior Championships in Egypt.
Twelve riders attended this year’s Junior World Championships in Germany and with just one eligible to return next
For the junior riders it’s an ideal opportunity to put their names in lights for all to see.
year, Cumming suggests there will be plenty of spots up for grabs.
Five Southland riders – Navarh Robertson, Mitchell Fitzsimons, Tayla Green, Jessica Spencer, and Natalie Green – are part of the New Zealand under-19 team competing at the Oceania Championships. There are a further 14 riders lining up for the Southland team, which will take part this week. Southland will also be represented in the New Zealand elite team through the likes of Kirstie James, Natasha Hansen, Nick Kergozou, Tom Sexton, Conor Shearing, Eddie Dawkins, and Bradly Knipe.
The Oceania Championships will be a shakedown for the elite riders ahead of the UCI Track World Cup season, where there will be back-to-back events at Cambridge and Brisbane in December.
Cycling New Zealand high performance director Martin Barras was looking forward to seeing what the riders could produce at Invercargill’s velodrome. ‘‘It is firstly a chance for us to find out where all the riders are at in terms of their development and what they need to focus on. It will give us information we need to select final combinations for the world cup season coming up, especially the home round in Cambridge.
‘‘It also offers some important ranking points towards the world championships. We will also be watching with real interest in the development of our junior riders, particularly the ones who have been prominent internationally.’’