The 39th edition of Yunca Junior Tour of Southland will be taking to the roads this weekend, with just shy of 140 of the country’s top junior cyclists set to take part.
Riders will take part in age groups ranging from under 13 to under 19, with race distances increasing for each age group to make the event achievable yet challenging.
Friday’s racing will be based at Teretonga Park, starting with an individual time trial in the morning, sponsored by World Tour professional cyclist Shane Archbold, and followed by a kermesse in the afternoon, sponsored by Creation Signs, with riders completing multiple laps of the racing circuit.
The second day will be based in Bluff, with the Harbour Fish kermesse along the waterfront in the morning, followed by the Flying Mullet individual hill climb time trial up the fearsome slopes of Bluff Hill in the afternoon, again sponsored by Shane Archbold.
The final day’s racing will start with the Wensley’s Cycles criterium around Blues Rugby Club in the morning, before riders take on the final around the Tisbury circuit in the afternoon, sponsored by Kieran O’Neill Orthodontics.
The big prize may be the coveted yellow jersey for the overall race winner, but there are also points competitions for the sprints, with the winner in each age group being awarded the Amalgamated Builders Limited Sprint Ace green jersey, and for the best climber, with the winner being awarded the Road Safety Southland King or Queen of the Mountains polkadot jersey.
“We cannot thank Terry Young enough for the vision he displayed when launching this event all those years ago. Without the continued support of Yunca it would not be possible to run events like this, which are so key to the development of cycling talent, not just in Southland, but in New Zealand,” said race director Glen Thomson of Cycling Southland.