There will be some exciting changes to the 2021 edition of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland, with more stages and more varied terrain sure to challenge riders and excite followers of the event.

Even though the event will have to run another edition without the presence of international competitors, one need only to look at the highly competitive nature of the 2020 race to realise that there is more than enough depth in local cycling to make the event a spectacle well worth following.

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Even successful events need to keep evolving, and this year the SBS Bank Tour of Southland will introduce a couple of new innovations, including a new stage.

One thing that has not changed this year is the title sponsor, with SBS Bank returning once again.

“We’re delighted to be the Principal Sponsor of the 2021 SBS Bank Tour of Southland, for our ninth year. The past 18 months, due to Covid-19, has created so much uncertainty around travel and events. This makes the amazing effort from the whole team to remain focussed and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to the SBS Bank Tour of Southland this year even more special! We’re looking forward to welcoming volunteers, riders and teams to our beautiful Southland province once again,” said SBS Group CEO Shaun Drylie.

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The tour will start with the traditional Riverside Rentals team time trial around Queens Park on Sunday 31 October, but this will take place in the morning, to be followed by a new street race of 42km, comprising ten laps of Queens Park. This will bring more racing into the heart of Invercargill, promising a great spectacle for spectators, should alert levels allow.

The new stage will also draw a new sponsor to the race, with The Langlands Hotel stepping in as stage sponsor.

“The timing around the new leg being introduced when we are just completing our beautiful new hotel couldn’t be better and we are delighted to extend our involvement with this prestigious international event. Congratulations to Sally and the Tour of Southland team and best of luck to the riders; we can’t wait to cheer them on,” said Angee Shand, ILT Marketing and Innovation Executive.

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Although the Southland District Council second stage will have its traditional start in Invercargill and finish in Lumsden, what comes in between is anything but traditional, as the route takes riders over a couple of gravel sections, including a challenging gravel climb. This marks the first foray onto gravel roads for the tour, with Race Director Sally Marr saying the time was right for the introduction of gravel riding to the event.

“Gravel has become part of mainstream cycling, from classic races in Europe to the rise of gravel racing, and with an abundance of great gravel roads in Southland, it brings additional interest and challenge to the race,” she said.

The rest of the race will follow a traditional pattern, with the Distinction Hotels stage three taking riders from Riverton to Te Anau, while the Aotearoa Gaming Trust stage four sees the return of the iconic climb up The Remarkables as riders make their way from Lumsden to finish on its fearsome slopes. The BDO Invercargill stage five will take riders from Invercargill, via a less than direct route to the top of Bluff Hill, before the Mataura Licensing Trust stage six takes riders on a tricky stage from Invercargill to Gore. The final day of the tour again features a double stage, starting with the McConachie Shearing individual time trial in Winton, and concluding with the Ascot Park Hotel stage eight from Winton to Invercargill, finishing with circuits around Queens Park, and the crowning of the 2021 SBS Bank Tour of Southland champion.

SBS Bank Tour Of Southland Spiced Up For 2021

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