Schools riders throng to major events in Cambridge and Christchurch

More than 700 riders from 140 schools have dusted off their bikes for three major schools cycling events over the next week throughout New Zealand.

These are the first events on the 2022 schools’ cycling calendar staged by Cycling New Zealand Schools this year after the respective North and South Island mountain bike events were cancelled in March because of the Covid pandemic.

The events comprise the Skoda North Island Schools Road Cycling Championships at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge and the Skoda South Island Schools Road Cycling championships at the Ruapuna Motorsport Park in Christchurch, both on Saturday and Sunday.

The North Island Road Cycling Championships have attracted 450 individuals from 60 schools with the team time trial and road race on Saturday with a criterium on Sunday.

Meanwhile there are 155 riders from 43 schools heading to Christchurch for the South Island Road Cycling Championships for an Individual Time Trial, Team Time Trial and Road Races.

Attention then turns to the Skoda North Island Schools Track Cycling championships at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge on Monday and Tuesday 11 and 12 July.

Many of the riders will swap their road bikes for track bikes with 120 riders from 36 schools competing on the track in Cambridge.

This includes five riders preparing for the UCI Track Cycling Junior World Championships to be held in Tel Aviv from 23-27 August comprising Luke Blackwood, Lewis Johnston (St Peters Cambridge), Edward Pawson (Auckland Grammar), Jaxson Russell (Cambridge High School) and Georgia Simpson (Feilding High School).

Racing includes team pursuits and team sprints on Monday, with the individual omnium style events on Tuesday.

Spectator entry for all events is free and encouraged.

Click here for more information for the Skoda South Island School Road Championships 

Click here for more information for the Skoda North Island School Road Championships 

Click here for more information for the Skoda North Island School Track Championships