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Junior Worlds Sneak Preview on Saturday

Friday 10 August 2012, 2:30PM

By MJ Media

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INVERCARGILL

Riders, spectators and organizers will get the chance to test drive Stadium Southland Velodrome ahead of the 2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships with a Curtain-Raiser Race Night this weekend.

10/08/2012 - Southern sporting fans will get a sneak preview of what they have in store when the UCI Juniors Track World Championships are held in Invercargill later in the month with a number of the riders set to compete in a one-off Curtain-Raiser race night in Invercargill on Saturday night.

The full New Zealand and South Africa junior squads will be in action across a range of events, along with a large number of local and regional riders from all age groups.

Cycling Southland Chief Executive Nick Jeffrey is excited by what is in store. “Our hosting of Junior Worlds has been four years in the making and we are now in the final straight which is hugely exciting. These champs are all about showcasing the sport and the region so we have developed Saturday’s Curtain-Raiser event to give southern punters an extra chance of seeing some world class racing.”

“It also gives our event team the chance to fine-tune some systems that will be in place for the World Championships and, of course, it will give the two squads we have in town already, New Zealand and South Africa, the chance to simulate a race night, 11 days out from competition.”

The programme will start at 6:30pm with the Men and Women NZ Team Sprints combinations and then feature the New Zealand Women’s Team Pursuit against a Southland combination. The South African men will then race against Southland before New Zealand’s powerful Men’s Team will then take on the clock with a demonstration ride.

The sprinters will test themselves against quality opposition in Men’s and Women’s keirins while the endurance riders will do the same in invitational scratch races.

Racing starts at 6:30pm and spectators are encouraged to get there early to take in the opening events which feature the New Zealand squad. Tickets are available at the door for just $10 for adults and $5 for students/children.