BikeNZ launches new national road series

Some of New Zealand’s most popular participation cycling events are about to gain more prestige.

BikeNZ will launch a new National Points Series as part of 11 major cycling road events throughout the country.

It begins with the Pro-Velo Auckland 1000 event in the Franklin district near Pukekohe this Saturday and concludes with the crowning of the inaugural men’s and women’s national series champions at the Around Brunner cycle ride in April 2009.

BikeNZ are hopeful that it will provide incentive for many of its leading road cyclists to take part in a number of the events, which are already popular as mass participation events.

“We have a number of public participation cycling events around New Zealand which have been growing significantly and provide a great experience for the increasing number of kiwis who have taken up the sport, either still on a serious basis or as a means to remain active,” said BikeNZ chief executive, Roger Thompson.

“They are privately organised and all are extremely well run and increasingly popular.

“We felt that our initiative, working in with the organisers of the various events, will provide an opportunity for elite cyclists to compete in a well structured nationwide series and also help raise the profile for the riders and the events.

“We hope this will develop into a series that will become a ranking system for our leading riders and a benchmark for their development through our high performance programme.”

Mr Thompson said while the country’s leading professionals and juniors are currently competing overseas, he expected several will compete in some of the other rounds of the series.

“We are grateful to the event promoters and organising clubs who not only run outstanding races but have backed our idea fully. Without their support it would not have got off the ground.”

The National Points Series will include:
27 July Auckland 1000 Karaka, Manukau 118km men, 71km wom
21 September Taupo Napier Classic Napier-Taupo 138m
4 October Round Mountain Race Taranaki 160km approx
1 November K2 Coromandel 192km men, 106k wom
29 November Taupo Classic Taupo 160km, crit wom
6 December Harbour Ride Christchurch 75km
13 December Rice Mountain Classic Wairarapa 93km men, 65km wom
25 January Cycle Challenge Taranaki 150km
21 February Rev 120 Waikato 120km
11 April Graperide Marlborough 101km
18 April Around Brunner Ride Greymouth 130km

Full details: www.bikenz.org.nz