THE long course may remain the prestige event at this year’s Bathurst Cycling Classic but there’s a good reason not to miss Saturday’s hill climb at Mount Panorama.
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Several top-class cyclists are making their way to Bathurst to be crowned king of the mountain and it could lead to a record-breaking day.
Defending men’s masters S6 hill climb champion and Bathurst rider Mark Windsor said this year’s edition of the event can’t be missed.
“I’m really looking forward to the hill climb this year. There’s a lot of hype around the event because there’s two very good riders racing in the elites and under 23s,” he said.
“St George rider Ben Dyball is just back from winning the Tour of Thailand and he is a super climber, probably one of the most gifted climbers in Australia. His efforts are sometimes underappreciated because we tend to focus more on our sprinters.
“Michael Potter’s racing in the under 23s and he’s recently won over in Japan. He’ll be one to watch here as well.
“It’s a great title to win because Amanda Spratt holds the women’s record and she’s just finished third at the Amstel Gold Race. To be the king at Mount Panorama is a big honour.”
The hill climb course is a 4.2km run starting in Harris Park, which runs up Barry Gurdon Drive, and finishes at Sulman Park.
Potter won last year’s under 23s race in a time of eight minutes and 29.10 seconds, beating B2B champion Dylan Sunderland for victory.
Ella Bloor was the women’s champion with a time of 11:13.38.
Windsor is back to contest both the hill climb and the long course this weekend.
He may not be in peak condition following a gruelling triathlon season but the Bathurst competitor said he couldn’t miss out on this year’s event.
“This is probably the biggest cycling event Bathurst has ever had, which is saying something considering what’s been hosted here before,” he said.
“It’s exciting to be a part of this since it’s part of the world series for the hill climb.
“This is something I didn’t want to miss out on even though I’ve taken it easy after the triathlon season. Given the history of the race at the Mount I had to be in it.
“The hill climb should be an amazing event for people to watch.”
Jim Lavis is the other Bathurst rider who will be defending a hill climb victory this Saturday.
The men’s masters S8 competitor reached the top in 12:02.80 last year.
The B2B is once again a UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Qualifier, a status the race gained for the first time at the 2017 event.
Bathurst is one of just two Australian qualifiers.
The top 25 per cent of finishers in each age category will qualify for the 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, which will be held in Varese, Italy between August 30 and September 2.
