Riders on the 2022 Tour of Southland. Photo:
Two-time national road champion James Fouche and hometown hero Josh Burnett shape as the pre-race favourites for this year's Tour of Southland cycle race which starts this weekend.
First contested in 1956, New Zealand's most enduring multi-stage cycle race starts in Invercargilll on Sunday.
Fouche, 26, who rides for Spanish UCI Pro Team Euskaltel-Euskadi, and 24-year-old Josh Burnett, who starts a two-year deal with Spanish Pro Continental team Burgos BH this summer, will line up for Central Benchmakers-Willbike and Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling project, respectively.
Both were formerly members of the now-defunct Black Spoke team, with Burnett launching himself onto the national stage when he became the first local since Doug Bath in 1994 to win the Southland tour in 2022.
"My first tour no one really knew who I was, the second one I was being marked, but this one I know I'll be fully marked and the expectations will be on our team. It's something we've talked about a lot already and we know what we are going to have to do," Burnett, whois looking forward to returning for the race having missed it last year, said.
"It definitely changes how we are going to race, but we've got a team which is built to race that way so I think we should be ready for it."
2022 Tour of Southland winner Josh Burnett. Photo: Tour of Southland
A key aspect of this year's race is the extension of the gruelling fourth stage, which has had its Remarkables hill climb extended to 10km, with a section of gravel to finish.
For Burnett, who won the Gravel and Tar UCI event last summer, going uphill and going offroad did not faze him.
"It fits me really well. We've been up there and checked it out and it's a long way up there. I think it's definitely going to shock some people about how hard that climb is. I've got my eyes open and I'm very aware of how hard it is.
"You've got to be a bit more mindful about where to use your energy. It's definitely trickier than a climb like Bluff which is relatively short and you can go full gas. You've got to monitor and pace yourself a bit more on a climb like the Remarkables."
Race director Glen Thomson was excited to see how the peloton copes with the extended climb, which is 4km longer than last year.
"I feel like the riders are ready for it. This race is dictated by the environment and we haven't seen that (weather) in the last couple of years so stretching a bit deeper into that climb and hopefully we do get some more wind to mix it up as well. Fingers crossed we'll get some roaring southerlies," he said.
This year's race sees a return of the Japanese national endurance team, this time with a full six-rider contingent.
They recently raced for bronze in the team pursuit at the world track championships.
This year's race will also remember one of the great characters of New Zealand cycling, Ken "Laz" Lasenby, from Timaru.
"I think it was going to be Laz's 25th tour in a row, and he'd ridden the tour back in '68 I believe," Thomson said.
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