This weekend’s Blayney to Bathurst Cyclist Festival is expected to be the biggest one yet, thanks to the event now being a qualifying event for the Union Cycliste International 2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.
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It is also expected the Bathurst Cycling Club will have over 90 per cent of members competing, according to club cyclist Craig Hutton.
The Bathurst cyclist said he has seen the event become bigger and better in recent years.
“My first one [Blayney to Bathurst] was in 2009 and over that 8 years the event has grown, with more top riders in Australia competing,” he said.
“It’s also good to see the community getting involved and many people who have never ridden tend to give it ago this time of year.”
Hutton said the Blayney to Bathurst is up there as one of his favourite, because it is his home event.
“It’s also held in high pedigree, for Cycling New South Wales,” he said.
Hutton retired from cycling in October but he could not be kept away for too long.
After four months off, he returned to cycling last month and has been busy training.
“I’ve been training hard and smart,” he said.
“You’re always going for the win and hopefully I’m up the pointy end.
“The criterium, on Saturday, is my main target.”
The Bathurst criterium will be held around Kings Parade and Hutton said it’s a high intensity race and the most exciting road race for people to watch.
“There’s normally a few crashes because it’s high intensity and so quick,” he said.
“It’s an exciting race for people to watch who are not use to cycling and it’s a good intro to what the sport is all about.”
Come Sunday, in the main event, Hutton will compete in the GPM-Stulz team, alongside another five cyclists from Bathurst and other cities.
The team includes Bathurst cyclists Josh Corcoran and Will Hodges, Sydney’s Tom Green, Newcastle’s Reece Robinson and Canberra’s Cameron Roberts.
“Josh Corcoran is one of our junior riders. He’s been climbing well, so we might use him on Rockley Mount,” Hutton said.
“Will Hodges is another were we’ll have to play our cards right.”
The first event of the festival will be the Family Fun Challenge, on Friday, at the Pit Complex at Mount Panorama, from 3.30pm to 6pm.
The ever challenging Hill Climb Challenge will start at Harris Park at Mount Panorama, on Saturday morning at 8.30am.
All criterium racing will be held at the Pix Complex at Mount Panorama, except for men’s division one and two and women’s division one, who will all compete at Kings Parade.
The criterium racing at the Pix Complex will start at 9am, while the criterium racing at Kings Parade will start at 4pm – the circuit being 560 metres long.
Riders will leave Blayney’s Adelaide Street at 8.30am, for competitors in the Blayney to Bathurst’s long course and at 10am for competitors in the short course.
