Bathurst Cycling Club are keeping focused on their home region this time around as the best riders from all corners of the Central West aim for glory at the velodrome.

Under 9s through to senior riders will be hunting for wins, with the event culminating in the women's and men’s open wheelraces.

“We’ve got some great local performers so we can run a regional event like this and still enjoy a really high level of competition,” President of Western Division Cycling, Mark Windsor, said.

“You look at riders like Eliza. You lose nothing by having someone like her turning up,” he added, in reference to Bathurst’s recent Oceania track champion.

“It’s disappointing to not have the open up and running, but by having this regional competition we’re leaving the door open to step back up to that level at some point again.”

In particular it’s the junior stocks of the Central West who stand out on the track.

“Marian Renshaw, as coach, and Tracy Robinson, on the junior committee, are doing a wonderful job with our juniors. This event allows them to target the development of those juniors up to an even higher level,” Windsor said.

“If the big guns come to an open event then we usually focus on those riders but with this event we can target the younger riders, who are coming along just as well.

“It’s amazing looking at how well those riders went at events like the Clarence St Cyclery Cup.”

Bathurst’s racing will start with time trial and scratch races before the junior sprint derbies and 200m qualifying.

Handicap and mystery lap events will add an element of uncertainty to the junior races.

The open wheelraces will feature $1000 in prize money and carry sponsorship from Bathurst UCI World Tour rider Mark Renshaw.

Bathurst Cycling Club president Mark Simons echoed Windsors enthusiasm about the positives the event switch brings.

“It’s slightly lower-ranked than a state open but it’s keeping more with the feeling and the theme of a regional club,” he said.

“We need to cater for people in our region. To have the same type of feeling as the recent Clarence Street Cup at Dunc Gray Velodrome but in a regional facility is something we’re lucky enough to provide.”

Sign on is at 9am Saturday with racing commencing from 10.30am.

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