Josh Burnett adds name to elite list with second SBS Bank Tour of Southland victory
9/11/2024 - Winning a second SBS Bank Tour of Southland in the space of three years is something that will take some time to sink in for Josh Burnett.
The 24-year-old produced a strong final day in the 68th edition of the Southland tour to add his name to an elite list of riders who have won the fabled event multiple times.
Burnett was third in the morning’s individual time trial in Winton, before his Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling teammates delivered him safely to Invercargill’s Queens Park over the final 77km stage in gale winds to collect the title.
The win sees him join the likes of Warwick Dalton, Tino Tabak, Stephen Cox, Jack Swart, Brian Fowler, Gordon McCauley, Hayden Roulston and Aaron Gate.
“I definitely don’t hold my name up there with those guys in my own head so it feels surreal when you put me on that list,” Burnett said.
“I was just so focused on the one goal today, I’m going to enjoy this and I’m sure a few more stats and comparisons will come up but those guys had some pretty good careers and I’ve got a bit more to show for myself.”
Burnett’s winning margin was 1min 57sec from Hamilton’s Matthew Wilson (Advanced Personnel), with Samuel Jenner (Central Benchmakers-Willbike) third at 3min 24sec.
Just as it was in 2022 when Burnett became the first Southlander to win their home tour since Doug Bath in 1994, locals turned out to support him over the final stage, with signs and strategically placed hay bales lining the route from Winton to Invercargill.
“I’m just so grateful for all the support. Everyone here in Queens Park and all the signs and everything. You kind of realise what being a Southlander means, it’s such a tight-knit community and just how passionate everyone is about sport.
“It was weird. It was almost less pressure from 2022 with the drought and the Doug Bath thing and a bit more pressure because a lot of people expected the same thing. A lot more riders were watching me so I had to be a lot more selective with when I went and what I did, but I had such a strong team and I basically sat on the back and climbed when I needed to and followed when I needed to.”
Burnett, who will join Spanish Pro Continental team Burgos BH next year, thanked his team for supporting him throughout the year as he looked to regain a professional contract after the demise of Black Spoke.
“They all sacrificed so much for me this week but there’s been plenty of times this year when we’ve ridden for different guys and a big part of this team is everyone getting their opportunities because it’s a development team.”
Australian rider Graeme Frislie (Quality Foods Southland) won the bunch sprint in Gala St to claim the stage eight victory after Southlander Tom Sexton had earlier looked to go solo as the tour lapped Queens Park.
“It’s been a really fun week out here racing, the weather has thrown out a few challenges but it’s really nice to come out here and repay the boys for their efforts during the week with a win,” Frislie said.
Fellow Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) came home safely in the bunch to claim the under 23 classification, finishing fourth overall.
Burnett also won the King of the Mountain jersey, while Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) took out the Sprint Ace classification and PowerNet won the teams classification.
Southland’s Luke Macpherson won the over 35 classification, which was dedicated to the late Ken Lasenby, a beloved figure in New Zealand cycling.
Burnett to defend orange jersey on final day of SBS Bank Tour of Southland
8/11/2024 - Josh Burnett has survived a long day in the wet to retain the leader’s orange jersey heading into the final day of the 2024 SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
Guns N’ Roses made November Rain famous, but the peloton got to soak in the full Southland experience in one of the wettest stages in recent memory over a 151km beat from Invercargill to Gore.
Australian rider Liam Walsh (PowerNet) made a solo break towards the end of the stage to win ahead of Southland’s Hamish Keast (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South), who won Most Combative honours, and Japanese rider Elya Hashimoto.
Brisbane-based Walsh was happy to survive the conditions and claim a stage win in his first Southland tour.
“Today was very different, we don’t normally get that much rain over the course of a day but I’ve performed well in the wet before so I was happy to continue that streak,” Walsh said.
“You hear so many stories about this race from everyone back home. I think every time you have a long day people always say, ‘Southland’s way harder’. They weren’t wrong. The first day was a baptism of fire and the rest of the week has been stunning, I’ve really enjoyed the scenery and getting to ride in a great tour.”
It’s been a successful week so far for the PowerNet team, with Nate Hadden wearing orange for a day and Kiaan Watts winning into Lumsden on Monday. Walsh’s win, his first in a solo effort, helped lift the team into the lead in the teams classification.
“Kiaan won earlier in the week and he’d been trying for five or six years, so to get it done my first time is very special.”
Burnett and his Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project teammates were asked to carry a heavy workload throughout the stage, ensuring what began as a 16-strong break did not extend their advantage into danger territory.
At one stage the breakaway got out to close to seven minutes ahead on the road, but a small crash and a lack of cohesion helped to bring the gap down.
“It’s one to tick off for us. We wanted a break to go and it wasn’t too threatening for the (general classification). We were happy for it to go through to the line within a reasonable time,” Burnett said.
“My teammates did really well so I owe them a lot for today because it was more on their shoulders than mine.”
Burnett is now on the cusp of his second Southland win in three years. His 2022 victory broke a drought going back to 1994 when Doug Bath had been the last local to win their home tour.
Support for Burnett continues to grow with each kilometre the peloton travels, even if he doesn’t always get a chance to acknowledge it.
“It’s special. You are trying to focus on the race but you can’t take that for granted because I don’t think there are too many races where you have so many signs and schools. I’m really appreciative for all the support, even though sometimes I can’t wave but it’s been a great week so far.”
Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) has a 10min 47sec lead in the under 23 classification and is placed fourth overall, while Southland’s Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) leads the over 35 category by 2min 28sec.
Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) has wrapped up the Sprint Ace classification, while Burnett leads the King of the Mountain standings.
The final day of the tour includes a 13km individual time trial based at Winton, before the 77km stage from Winton to Invercargill which brings the tour home after a seven day journey.
Burnett, who leads Matthew Wilson (Advanced Personnel Cycling Team) by 1min 41sec and third placed Samuel Jenner (Central Benchmakers-Willbike) by 2min 52sec, won the individual time trial on the way to his breakthrough victory in 2022, but he is certainly not feeling comfortable heading into the final day.
“I’m just taking it one stage at a time. We’ll have a good go in the time trial and then really focus on that last stage because anything can happen.”
Josh Burnett climbs into SBS Bank Tour of Southland orange jersey
6/11/2024 - An outstanding climb on the Remarkables from Josh Burnett has seen the local favourite win the Queen Stage and take control of this year’s SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
Preparation paid off for the 24-year-old, who has spent recent weeks making some lonely ascents in all kinds of weather up the extended 10km climb on the Remarkables access road.
Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project), who won the shorter 6km version of the stage on debut in 2021 and was third in 2022 on the way to winning the tour, started the day trailing leader Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) by 31sec, but now leads the race by 48sec heading into the iconic Bluff Hill stage.
While anyone who lost money in the Melbourne Cup will understand that backing a favourite isn’t a guaranteed strategy, Burnett didn’t let home advantage or the favourite’s tag distract him.
After riding through the main peloton and catching the front runners with Daniel Whitehouse (Quality Foods Southland) early in the climb, Burnett then stuck to his own plan to lead home Matthew Wilson (Advanced Personnel Cycling) by 32sec, with Whitehouse third on the stage.
“Dan Whitehouse was super strong from the bottom and pretty much put it at the exact pace that I wanted,” Burnett said.
“All the GC guys that I was worried about weren’t there within five minutes…it sounds pretty boring but I just stared at the power metre for the last 10 minutes to not go too far over my head.
“It’s pretty special to get another win on the Remarks, especially this high up. I’ve worked really hard on my long climbing, I’ve driven up here a lot with Mum and by myself and trained in bad weather, so the hard work has paid off.”
Australian Aiden Sinclair (Business South) was the first rider onto the climb from a big bunch who were able to edge away from the pack but never threatened to make the gap a punishing one. While Sinclair was swallowed up early, he was rewarded with the Most Combative jersey.
Fellow Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) continues to build a strong lead in the under 23 standings and is placed fifth overall, while Southland’s Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) leads the over 35 classification.
While O’Donnell relinquished the orange jersey, he does have a handy lead in the Sprint Ace classification, with Burnett leading the King of the Mountain race.
Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project capped a strong performance across their riders by taking over the teams classification.
“It might sound weird that it’s almost better to take (the lead) now rather than me getting it on the first day and having to put the boys on the front the whole time,” Burnett said.
“Even today we had so many teams helping that we didn’t have to have the boys rolling when we thought we might be the only team doing it. It’s a bit of payback because we’ve got some super strong guys in this team who could all have a good shot at the GC, or compete for stage wins. We are a team, we’ve been a team all year and they have sacrificed a lot for me.”
The hard work continues tomorrow on the 154km stage from Invercargill to Bluff, a stage which Burnett would dearly love to win.
“We go past my house twice…it’s where I grew up cycling on the mountainbiking tracks there. I know there will be lots of friends and family out there and it’s the one that I haven’t won and I really want to win. There will be a bit of work coming up for the boys but we are excited - the race is on and we are up for it.”
Josh Burnett climbs into SBS Bank Tour of Southland orange jersey
6/11/2024 - An outstanding climb on the Remarkables from Josh Burnett has seen the local favourite win the Queen Stage and take control of this year’s SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
Preparation paid off for the 24-year-old, who has spent recent weeks making some lonely ascents in all kinds of weather up the extended 10km climb on the Remarkables access road.
Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project), who won the shorter 6km version of the stage on debut in 2021 and was third in 2022 on the way to winning the tour, started the day trailing leader Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) by 31sec, but now leads the race by 48sec heading into the iconic Bluff Hill stage.
While anyone who lost money in the Melbourne Cup will understand that backing a favourite isn’t a guaranteed strategy, Burnett didn’t let home advantage or the favourite’s tag distract him.
After riding through the main peloton and catching the front runners with Daniel Whitehouse (Quality Foods Southland) early in the climb, Burnett then stuck to his own plan to lead home Matthew Wilson (Advanced Personnel Cycling) by 32sec, with Whitehouse third on the stage.
“Dan Whitehouse was super strong from the bottom and pretty much put it at the exact pace that I wanted,” Burnett said.
“All the GC guys that I was worried about weren’t there within five minutes…it sounds pretty boring but I just stared at the power metre for the last 10 minutes to not go too far over my head.
“It’s pretty special to get another win on the Remarks, especially this high up. I’ve worked really hard on my long climbing, I’ve driven up here a lot with Mum and by myself and trained in bad weather, so the hard work has paid off.”
Australian Aiden Sinclair (Business South) was the first rider onto the climb from a big bunch who were able to edge away from the pack but never threatened to make the gap a punishing one. While Sinclair was swallowed up early, he was rewarded with the Most Combative jersey.
Fellow Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) continues to build a strong lead in the under 23 standings and is placed fifth overall, while Southland’s Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) leads the over 35 classification.
While O’Donnell relinquished the orange jersey, he does have a handy lead in the Sprint Ace classification, with Burnett leading the King of the Mountain race.
Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project capped a strong performance across their riders by taking over the teams classification.
“It might sound weird that it’s almost better to take (the lead) now rather than me getting it on the first day and having to put the boys on the front the whole time,” Burnett said.
“Even today we had so many teams helping that we didn’t have to have the boys rolling when we thought we might be the only team doing it. It’s a bit of payback because we’ve got some super strong guys in this team who could all have a good shot at the GC, or compete for stage wins. We are a team, we’ve been a team all year and they have sacrificed a lot for me.”
The hard work continues tomorrow on the 154km stage from Invercargill to Bluff, a stage which Burnett would dearly love to win.
“We go past my house twice…it’s where I grew up cycling on the mountainbiking tracks there. I know there will be lots of friends and family out there and it’s the one that I haven’t won and I really want to win. There will be a bit of work coming up for the boys but we are excited - the race is on and we are up for it.”
Southlander claims maiden SBS Bank Tour of Southland stage win
5/11/2024 - Southland’s Tom Sexton focused his frustration to claim a maiden home stage win in the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
A key member of the New Zealand track endurance squad since 2017, the 25-year-old had never won a stage in either the Yunca Junior Tour of Southland or the senior event before he and Japanese rider Shunsuke Imamura managed to stay away and contest a two-up sprint on the Te Anau lakefront.
Sexton was pleased to have a strong breakaway partner like Imamura.
“I was lucky to have him come across and he was pulling really well through the valley and up the climb. Coming into Te Anau he was still pulling hard and I was starting to get a bit worried.”
Sexton (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech Team), who grew up holidaying on the beaches around Lake Te Anau, is coming off a big year including an Olympic debut in Paris where he was part of the men’s team pursuit which finished fifth.
“I love this race, so it’s really cool to come back and be able to win a stage,” he said.
“After the Olympics this was my main goal, to come here and have a bit of fun. I was frustrated after missing out on the break (on Monday), I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve missed the front split on the Tour of Southland and I wanted to go out there and prove a point. In my mind, once I was out in front there was no bringing me back.”
Despite being a medallist at world championship and Commonwealth Games level, Sexton has had to bide his time on the road, especially coming up through the junior ranks.
“I was actually a little whitebait, I was tiny and under-developed compared with some of the guys my age and didn’t win much through juniors. I had a growth spurt when I came into elite and the high performance programme in Cambridge.”
After making his presence felt in the early breaks, Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) wasn’t able to cover the decisive break and set his sights on defending a time gap which would eventually put him into the leader’s orange jersey.
O’Donnell finished in the second group ahead of the main peloton to give the race its third leader in as many days. The Cantabrian has surprised even himself after taking a much more relaxed approach to his fifth Southland tour.
“I told Chris, our team manager and owner, I’m not coming here with any goals or ambitions, I’m coming here to have fun and I’m going pretty good at the moment,” O’Donnell said.
“It means a lot. This is an awesome race. I’ve never won (this jersey) before so I’m pretty stoked. I’ve been overseas for the last couple of years and when you get to the end of the year all the Kiwi boys get a bit sad overseas and we start watching Tour of Southland videos and get a bit excited about the fourth Grand Tour.”
O’Donnell, who has a 15 point lead over Sexton in the Sprint classification, holds an 18sec lead over Sam Ritchie (Central Benchmakers-Willbike, with Sam Jenner falling out of the lead to trail by 20sec.
Kiaan Watts (PowerNet) is 27sec in arrears with 2022 winner Josh Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) 31sec back and in possession of the King of the Mountains jersey.
Australian Declan Trezise retained his lead in the under 23 category, in fifth place overall, with Southland’s Luke Macpherson leading the over 35 classification. PowerNet lead the teams classification.
After three days of sprint finishes, the focus of this year’s race switches to climbing with the 112km Queen stage from Mossburn to the Remarkables, near Queenstown. This year’s fourth stage includes an extended 10km category one climb and a gravel finish which is expected to be the biggest test of this year’s race.
Riders take on the wind on day two of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland
4/11/2024 - The SBS Bank Tour of Southland peloton was given its most serious examination for several years with Samuel Jenner surviving the wind to sprint his way into the orange jersey on day two.
The Central Benchmakers-Willbike rider, from Coffs Harbour in Australia, made a successful return to the northern Southland township of Lumsden a year after winning the 166km second stage from Invercargill.
Jenner and stage winner Kiaan Watts (PowerNet) were part of a well represented breakaway group which stretched their lead out to seven minutes before the race had to be neutralised due to loose gravel on the Glenure Hill.
When the race was restarted at Balfour, the 18-strong break bunch had a 20km drag race to the finish.
Jenner, riding his third Southland tour, was pleased to find more success in Lumsden and finally get an opportunity to wear the tour leader’s orange jersey after narrowly missing out despite his stage victory last year.
While many riders were content to survive in the cross and tailwinds which at times saw riders reaching speeds up to 80kmh, Jenner was revelling in the conditions.
“I wouldn’t say the hardest, but it was definitely tense at times. Once the break was established and the break went out it wasn’t super exhausting. It was definitely the stage I’ve been looking for for the past couple of years,” Jenner said.
“Last year I was super close to getting into orange here so it’s kind of cool that it’s in the same town where I won last year.”
Watts timed his sprint to perfection on Lumsden’s main street to edge out Declan Trezise and complete a good day for the PowerNet team, who lost the orange jersey but now lead in the teams classification.
“It was all on from the start and the split just got smaller and smaller until we reached the neutralisation,” Watts said.
“We knew it was going to be dangerous right from the flag drop, there’s only so much road and so many riders who can fit on it so today was all about positioning.”
Jenner was looking forward to tomorrow’s 148km stage from Riverton to Te Anau, which should also find some wind along the southern coast. However, thoughts are already shifting to Wednesday’s fourth stage and a 10km climb up the Remarkables access road.
“Hopefully a break can get up the road and the sprint teams will get involved in their last opportunity to get in a sprint. It’s always tough because you don’t know what the other teams are planning,” he said.
“Remarkables is going to be such a crucial stage I think a lot of people want to keep their powder dry until then.”
Josh Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) featured strongly after the resumption of the stage and climbed his way into the King of the Mountain jersey, with team mate Ben Oliver judged Most Combative, while Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) has taken over the Sprint Ace classification.
Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) is the leading under 23 rider and Southlander Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) is the leading over 35 rider.
Young Aussie claims early lead in SBS Bank Tour of Southland
3/11/2024 - Ten days ago young Australian Nate Hadden didn’t even know he was going to be riding in the SBS Bank Tour of Southland, but he’ll start the first open road stage of this year’s race in the orange jersey.
Hadden answered a late call up from team mate Kiaan Watts into the PowerNet team and he’s pleased he did after a third-placed finish in the stage one street race around Invercargill’s Queens Park was enough to give him a slim lead in both the general classification and under 23 categories.
“It’s my first time here, I’ve heard lots about the tour and how great it is, so it’s a privilege to be here and to be in the lead,” Hadden said.
“We had high hopes for the (team time trial) this morning, but just missed out so we came in with lots of confidence that we could do well in the crit and we executed well.”
Dunedin’s James Gardner (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) claimed stage one honours for the second time in two years, the big under 23 rider getting into the decisive break alongside Hadden and second-placed Samuel Jenner (Central Benchmakers-Willbike) midway through the 10 lap stage.
Earlier, the pace was set by New Zealand endurance rider Tom Sexton (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) in front of his home Invercargill crowd, alongside Timaru’s James Wilson.
Once Sexton had secured the early sprint points on offer, the race powered its way to the finish, with the breakaway trio of Gardner, Jenner and Hadden doing well to hold a 20sec almost all the way to the finish line.
“I saw two guys go up the road and I knew they’d be quite dangerous, so I jumped across as quickly as possible and fortunately we made it to the line,” Hadden, who is in the early stages of his professional career in Europe, said.
“There's a lot of racing to come and some hard stages, definitely, the tour is only young so we’ll see what we can do.”
Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project, with 2022 winner Josh Burnett in the lineup, put the peloton on notice early with a strong ride in the prologue team time trial, finishing six seconds clear of PowerNet, with Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South third.
Gardner did not finish with the top four riders from his team, otherwise he would have been able to add the orange and pink jerseys to the wardrobe ahead of tomorrow’s 166km stage two from Invercargill to Lumsden.
Glenn Haden (Couplands-Cycling Tom) leads the over 35 classification, which has been dedicated to the late Ken Lasenby.
Former teammates go head-to-head in SBS Bank Tour of Southland
29/10/2024 - Two-time national road champion James Fouche and home town hero Josh Burnett shape as the pre-race favourites for the 68th edition of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.
First contested in 1956, New Zealand’s most enduring multi-stage cycle race gets underway on Sunday, November 3 and concludes back in Invercargill’s Gala St six days later.
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.
Burnett is excited to be back racing his home event after conflicting commitments meant he was a spectator last year.
“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,” he 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.”
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 does 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 is excited to see how the peloton copes with the extended climb, which is a full 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.
“It’s going to be awesome to have Josh Burnett racing and on a rival team to him, is James Fouche who this race really suits because he’s a terror for always wanting to get down the road, he’s just an attacking rider. Fortune favours the brave in this race.”
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 and continue to make massive improvements under legendary Swiss cyclist Daniel Gisiger.
In a nod to the past, the Japanese team and C Brown Builders-Olphert Contracting will be based in the central Southland township of Winton, the base from which tour legends Brian Fowler and Graeme Miller once launched successful campaigns.
This year’s race will also remember one of the great characters of New Zealand cycling, Ken “Laz” Lasenby, from Timaru.
Lasenby passed away earlier this year and his Geraldine Cheese employers have opted to sponsor the Over 35 category and feature his face on the jersey.
“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.
“To give Laz a lap around Southland is special. He was always out there to help everyone, he wasn’t ruthlessly worried about who was going to win all the time.”
For more information about the 2024 SBS Bank Tour of Southland go to www.tourofsouthland.com
FORMER WINNER JOSH BURNETT RETURNING TO SBS BANK TOUR OF SOUTHLAND
6/9/2024 - Newly-minted professional rider Josh Burnett will be back on the start line of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland in November after making history in the event in 2022.
The 23-year-old recently confirmed his signing with Spanish pro-continental team Burgos BH, a welcome return to the international stage after the Black Spoke project folded last year.
Burnett, then relatively unheralded as a road cyclist, grabbed plenty of headlines with a breakthrough victory in the Southland tour two years ago, becoming the first local rider to win the multi-stage race since Doug Bath in 1994.
Race director Glen Thomson said it was exciting to have the proud Southlander, who won one of North America’s top stage races in June, back on tour after study and race commitments ruled him out of the 2023 edition.
“Josh loves this bike race and we love having him here,” Thomson said.
“Along with the unwavering support of James Canny’s MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project, this race helped provide a springboard for Josh’s career. We believe Josh will go on to enjoy a lengthy career in Europe so this could be the last chance for a while for everyone who has followed him to see him racing in Southland.”
That springboard has become even more relevant following the sad demise of the New Zealand Cycle Classic.