AN EXASPERATED local cycling figurehead has condemned Cycling Australia for loading the calendar with national events and leaving country clubs high and dry.
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This comes after the Wagga Cycle Club canned one of its most prestigious events due to a significant downturn in nominations.
The club received 69 senior nominations for its 2016 Golden Wheel, an annual event which normally attracts between 150-200 cyclists to Wagga.
Cyclists are abandoning the country track races due to a heavy travel burden according to Wagga club president James Vickers.
“There’s too much going on, they’re always on the road,” Vickers said.
The National Junior Track Series has been expanded from two to four events in recent years, requiring trips to Launceston, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Considering 70 per cent of cyclists in the junior state team live in country areas, Vickers would like to see the NJTS scaled back to two events to allow more time for “grassroots” cycling events.
“The 10-15 local riders who were going to do their first carnival in Wagga, they’ve missed that opportunity, they won’t do another one till we reschedule it,” Vickers said.
“We need to be able to develop our local riders in country carnivals.”
He is concerned that once the velodrome is constructed for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, another event will be added to the NJTS.
