Riding for GPM Stulz in the elite men’s race, Hutton and his team-mates will do battle over 55 laps of the Flagstaff Hill course.

The undulating 660-metre course was previously used by the NSW Grand Prix cycling series and is sure to see plenty of attacks.

Hutton’s team won last year’s race via Harrison Bailey and while the Bathurst Cycling Club talent placed 23^rd, he helped set things up with his early aggression.

Hutton was the winner of the first prime sprint.

He is not sure which GPM rider will be assisted by the team this year, but is happy to fill whatever role is needed.

“While I have stepped away from the NRS [National Road Series], I am still doing the state stuff. This will be the last race I do with my team this year, we won it last year so it would be nice to do it again,” Hutton said.

“I’ve always loved criterium racing, it really suits my style – it’s really aggressive and fast.

“Hopefully I will have the opportunity to try and win it, but there are a few different cards to play, it depends on who stands up on the day and who has the legs.

“So while I’d love to have a shot at winning, I will still be working for other guys.”

If Hutton’s team is to succeed, he feels it is more likely be thanks to a breakaway as opposed to a final test of speed in a dash to the line.

“Riding as a team and having more people means we can attack the peloton. We can put the group under pressure and get those breakaways,” he said.

“That is what GPM is known for, it is not known for bunch sprints.”

Hutton heads into the Wollongong Criterium on the back of a fourth placing at Wagga Wagga’s Golden Wheel Race.

The track event saw Hutton given a 60 metre handicap and gave his legs a good test.

“It was good to get back onto the track scene with the Bathurst Track Carnival coming up,” he said.

“It was a good result for me because it is not a style of racing that I am really good at, it doesn’t really suit me.

“It was a handicap race over five laps and it is the start that gets me in handicap races. It’s very hard to start and hold that high 110 percent effort for five laps.

“I was just off the podium, but I was happy with my effort as it was not really something which suits me. It was a hard race, it was probably the fastest handicap race I have ever done.”

It was St George Cycling Club’s Cameron Scott who took out the Golden Wheel Race, his victory aided by Bathurst’s Harrison Carter.

“They dragged me around for a few laps and let me go,” Scott said of his team-mates.

“It all worked out pretty well.”