Cycling New Zealand today announced that the cycling stronghold of South Canterbury will host the 2024 Elite Road National Championships.
It is a decade since Cycling New Zealand’s elite road event has been staged in the South Island, set for February 2024, with precise dates to be confirmed.
It will be the fourth time that the South Canterbury Cycling Club, who this year celebrate their centenary, have hosted the road national championships, with the last time in 1997 on the renowned course at Pleasant Point.
Cycling New Zealand are excited to stage the event back in South Canterbury, with the local club having successfully hosted the national age road championships on two recent occasions.
“The region remains a traditional cycling stronghold,” said Cycling New Zealand Events Director, Chris Christensen. “The road courses are well regarded as tough tests for our leading riders, and there is such a significant history for the sport in this region, as well as dedicated and capable personnel in the club to host our elite championships.”
Christensen said dates will be finalised in the coming weeks.
“It will be in February but as we are moving into Olympic year, we are awaiting final dates of key events involving our elite riders to ensure we can attract the strongest possible fields to Timaru.”
Cycling South Canterbury club president, Darren Cuthbertson, said his club are thrilled to host the championships.
“We have twice recently held the very successful Age Group Road Nationals, but this will be the first time that the elite riders have graced our roads since 1997,”said Cuthbertson.
“We see this announcement as recognition of our ability to run events to a high standard, and we’re confident that all club members will help play a part in making this event a success as well.
“We are excited to see the elite riders back on our roads and bringing cycling to the next level in the region. It’s our chance to see the ‘best of the best’ in New Zealand road racing and hopefully inspire the next generation of champions locally.”
Club vice-president Amy Hollamby, the event director of the recent national age championships, said the event will attract much support.
“We are super-excited to be working alongside Cycling New Zealand to host the best cyclists of New Zealand on the roads right here in South Canterbury.
“This will be a huge event for our region. I cannot wait to see the rural roads come alive with supporters cheering on the riders. With the success of the Age Group Road Nationals in April, this is a follow-on to raise the bar even higher for our elite cyclists.”
Cycling was popular in the region dating back to the late 1800s with the Timaru to Christchurch race first run in 1899. The region has developed several world class riders, with the likes of Colin Ryan, and his son Marc, a multiple Commonwealth Games and Olympic medalist. Other well-known riders include Olympians Dylan Kennett, Holly Edmondston and Shane Archbold, who is a current WorldTour rider for Bora Hansgrohe.
South Canterbury riders have featured as national road champions with Edmondston winning the road title in 2019, Archbold in 2020, while Heath Blackgrove, from nearby Waimate along with Edmondston and Kennett, won the national road titles in 2003 and 2004.
The national championships were first staged in South Canterbury in 1984, won by the great Jack Swart, with double Olympian (summer and winter), Chris Nicholson prevailing in 1991 while five-time national champion Gordon McCauley won his first title in Timaru in 1997.