New Zealand track cyclists make a welcome return to international competition at the Oceania Championships starting on Saturday in Brisbane.

It comes after the mountain bike downhill and cross-country competitions, with BMX and Road to follow in this unique Oceania Championship across all disciplines in the same region.

Many of New Zealand and Australia’s Tokyo Olympians will be missing, with a number of endurance riders in professional road teams, and some have retired.

The championships are important for both the hosts and New Zealand riders who have missed out on most international competition for the last 18 months. They offer important qualifying points towards the world championships and on to the Paris Olympics, with individual wins guarantees a spot for the team for September’s worlds in France.

With a number of the endurance riders missing, it also provides opportunity for the developing riders to gain invaluable international experience, and press claims for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

The competition, staged in the super-fast Anna Meares Velodrome at Chandler on the outskirts of Brisbane, is condensed into four days, which will mean some prioritisation.

“Everyone is pretty excited to be here and be racing again. Nationals aside, it’s been a while,” said Cycling New Zealand men’s endurance coach, Craig Palmer.

“This is a fantastic and very fast velodrome. The weather is sunny and warm and everyone has settled.

“We know that these are important competitions to get qualifying points, and in some cases, a guaranteed spot for the team to the worlds. We do not want to get ahead of ourselves, but it is only just over two years until Paris, so this is an important beginning.”

Palmer said he is excited to see how the likes of Dan Bridgwater (Waikato BOP), George Jackson (Wellington), Keegan Hornblow (Tasman) and Hugo Jones (Canterbury) take their chances alongside Tokyo reserves Nick Kergozou and Tom Sexton, and the experience of Aaron Gate and Jordan Kerby.

The women’s endurance campaign has only one Tokyo rider competing in Bryony Botha, who will be looking to further improve her outstanding success in individua pursuit, having lowed the New Zealand and Oceania records recently.

Ally Wollaston will add thrust along with development riders Ella Wyllie (Auckland) and Prudence Fowler (Waikato BOP).

The women’s sprint group will be excited after their record efforts in the three-person team sprint, for a newly minted combination, while the men welcome back Sam Webster, in his first competition since Tokyo. While he will be easing his way back, Webster has enjoyed success at Brisbane with two gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

He joins fellow Tokyo Olympian Sam Dakin with development sprinters Bradly Knipe (Southland), and Patrick Clancy (Tasman).

“The fields are very big through most events, which means qualifying heats in an already crammed schedule, which will be another challenge,” said Palmer.

“The riders have all trained well at home, and really itching to get back into competition, so we are in for a really interesting and busy few days.”

The first day features women’s sprint, individual pursuit and scratch races, with the Para-cycling scratch, with men to contest the keirin and points race across junior and elite categories.

Captions: Ellesse Andrews, in action on her way to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics; Sam Webster returns to the scene of double gold medal success in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. (Credit: SWPix/Guy Swarbrick).