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New Zealand back again for 2021

From previous page.

With the likes of cyclocross national champion Josh Burnett and 2020 Jesco King of the Mountains winner Paul Wright to back up his run at the title, the team could launch a serious challenge.

There are also a number current members of the national track cycling team in the field, including Regan Gough (Base Solutions Racing) and Nick Kergozou (Team Couplands).

Also making his return to the race again this year is Travis Kane (Business South Cycling Team), going for his 22nd consecutive SBS Bank Tour of Southland after completing his 21 tour last year.

Experience plays a key role in making it through a challenging event like the SBS Bank Tour of Southland, and the riders with more experience than most can also contest the Stonewood Homes silver jersey classification for riders over 35 years of age.

The flatter stages are also important in determining the winner of the Harcourts Sprint Ace classification, with riders contesting intermediate sprints during the stages, as well as sprinting for the big points up for grabs at the stage finish.

Throughout the tour, the support of a strong team is vital,

as no team leader can chase down every dangerous move on their own. The strongest teams will also hope to lay claim to the Wensley’s Cycles team classification at the end of the tour. It is not just the riders who win stages and lead the tour who are in line for recognition, but

also those who enliven the daily stages by going on the attack early on, whether in a small group or in a bold solo move. These riders are in line to claim the McLeay Jewellers Most Combative jersey, which is presented to the rider judged to have been the key animator of

the day’s racing.

Although the race has a rich history, it is also an event with an eye on its future.

The organisers always see to it that the course takes the riders past schools in order to allow the students to experience, albeit briefly, the excitement of an international cycle race. It should be no surprise then that some of these young roadside fans have gone on to stake their claim in the race.

The race encourages qualities like team work and sacrifice, all set against the backdrop of Southland’s stunning scenery, which helps to explain why it is such a compelling and enduring event. This is a race that forges a special kind of rider, and it is no wonder that the event, and those who complete it, is so highly regarded. The race, like the region, can be challenging, but it has heart.

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2021-10-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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