The Budget Forklifts team cyclist will compete in the five-race criterium series which opens in Bathurst on December 8 with a twilight race around Kings Parade.

While the 21-year-old’s Rapha Condor contracted brother, Dean Windsor, is expect to announce he will also be cycling in the grand prix series, Blair said he was delighted to have secured a spot in the series.

“I’m in, I’m officially in, so it will be pretty exciting to race in front of the local community which we have grown up in,” he said.

“To race here in front of my family is certainly going to be special.”

Blair Windsor’s chances of performing well in the criterium series should be boosted by the presence of Budget Forklifts team-mates Matt Wood, Rico Rogers and new signing Brendan Cole.

“It looks like we are bringing four riders to the event and those four riders are the best crit riders in our team,” he said.

“We have Rico Rogers, who has been racing overseas, he is a really good sprinter and looking for some really good results.

“Hopefully we can be up there with the experienced international riders who are coming.”

The Budget Forklifts riders will certainly need to produce their best if they are to upset a talented field including a powerful Russian team coached by one of the world’s greatest – Heiko Salzwedel.

Salzwedel established the Australian Institute of Sport road program in Canberra in 1990 following an outstanding record as national track coach of East Germany, winning countless world championships.

Salzwedel changed the structure and mentality of Australian road cycling and his seven years in the country saw the emergence of Australia as a dominant force in world road cycling.

Kathy Watt, Robbie McEwen, Cadel Evans, Patrick Jonker, Henk Vogels and Matt White were the emerging stars of his era in Australia.

However, besides trying to emulate the success of some of his heroes, Blair Windsor admitted he had a lot of work to do to be ready for the NSW series after enjoying some rest and relaxation.

“It is a very nice time of year for cyclists as we get a bit of a break, getting to enjoy the finer sides of life,” he said.

“But now it is about getting back it to training and doing the hard work.

“For me I’ve just finished a week-long training camp in Canberra and now I’m trying to build up for this crit series and the national titles in January.”