Southland’s Magnus Jamieson will be one to watch in the elite ranks at the New Zealand Track Cycling Championships in Invercargill.
Twenty-two Cycling Southland riders from the under-15 ranks to masters will get to line up at their home velodrome during a massive seven days of racing starting on Sunday.
Invercargill’s velodrome is hosting the 2026 New Zealand Track Cycling Championships, with a morning and night session to be held each day.
Disappointingly, the country’s top cyclists won’t line up in Invercargill with the national elite team’s focus on preparing for World Cup meets in Hong Kong and Malaysia in April.
Cycling Southland president Julian Ineson, who will have commentary and coaching duties throughout the week, would have loved to see the elite team riding in Invercargill.
“You see it with a lot of sports now, unfortunately, international demand outweighs the national [championships], which I don’t totally agree with. I do think you need your best on show, but it does give an opportunity for others,” Ineson said.
Ineson said there will still be plenty of intriguing action to watch for those who venture down to the velodrome over the seven days.
Included will be how the 22 Southland riders fare.
Magnus Jamieson should be prominent in the elite men’s ranks, while Neil Familton will be after more success in the masters racing.
Familton will be looking to break the national masters pursuit record again.
Benson and Lucia Boys will be ones to watch in their respective age-groups, with Benson in the U19 age-group and sister Lucia a U17 rider.
Some riders in the U19 ranks will be vying for potential selection for the World Junior Track Cycling Championships later this year.
“Some of those age groups, there will be some great battles,” Ineson said.
Ollie and Lily Keast, who are Southland-based but represent Canterbury, should also be prominent throughout the week.
Benjie Shayler is another young Southland rider showing promise. He will compete in the U17 boys’ racing.
“He’s been going very well in recent times,” Ineson said.
“He did well in the Southern Cup, the South Island Champs, back in December. And he just recently rode off scratch in the Invercargill to Browns race and got first and fastest, and did well on the grass track, so he’s ticking along quite nicely.”
Benjie Shayler won the Invercargill to Browns Road Race.
Ineson encouraged anyone interested to get a long for a look from Sunday through to next Saturday.
The morning sessions will start at 10am and the night sessions at 5pm.
“There’s no entry fee for the grandstand, so we certainly encourage people to come down and watch.
“Given the history of the place, with cycling down here, it would be good to see some great numbers supporting these riders.
“It’s one of yet of another of our major events we are hosting in our 20th year in the velodrome.”
From Sunday through to Tuesday will be masters and junior racing, Wednesday will be the teams events across all age-groups, before the U19 and elite racing from Thursday through to Saturday.