Tour Of Southland Postponed For 2025 Due To Storms

The SBS Bank Tour of Southland has been officially postponed due to the aftermath of a major weather event that swept across the region last week. Cycling Southland made the announcement today, citing the current State of Emergency and the ongoing demands on local services.

Originally set to take place from 2 to 8 November, the annual cycling race has been put on hold as organisers prioritise the safety of participants and the needs of the wider Southland community.

Cycling Southland president Julian Ineson said the decision came after consulting with key stakeholders including sponsors, funders, local councils, and infrastructure provider PowerNet.

“This has been a really tough call to make, but we believe it’s the right one given the severity of the damage across Southland and the fluid nature of the clean up,” he said.

“These are exceptional circumstances, but we know how hard Southlanders are doing it at the moment and getting services restored has to be the priority. We will regroup and look at what’s required to find an alternative date for the event.”

Ineson added that while organisers had explored different scenarios to potentially allow the race to go ahead, community safety and the pressure on emergency services took precedence.

Tour Director Waine Harding acknowledged the significant planning already invested in this year’s event but said the circumstances left little choice.

“There are a lot of moving parts to the event and we will let everyone know as soon as we can regarding future information about the race.”

Principal sponsor SBS Bank also expressed their support for the decision. Chief executive Mark McLean said although the postponement was disappointing, the wellbeing of Southland residents had to come first during such a challenging time.

The organising team will now look at options for rescheduling the race and will provide updates when more information becomes available.