CYCLING Australia general manager Kipp Kaufmann believes Wagga can realise its goal of being a regional hub for the sport after announcing the city will host the Junior Road National Championships in September.
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It will be the second time the championships have been allocated to the city after a successful event in 2015, with Cycling Australia approaching Wagga Cycling Club to host again from September 11-13.
The championships will add to a huge weekend of sport in the city with the Group Nine rugby league, Farrer League Australian Rules and netball and Southern Inland Rugby Union grand finals already scheduled.
Wagga City Council remains confident construction of a new cycling multipurpose facility at Pomingalarna Reserve will begin this year, with expectations it would take 18 months to complete.
It would feature BMX and criterium tracks, and an lighted outdoor velodrome capable of hosting international and national events.
"It's a great location and certainly more (events) can come," Kaufmann said.
"We're certainly supportive of having events there and we're happy to come back.
"Certainly it can be (a regional hub). In some ways it is already with the good work the club has done there previously.
"At the moment it (national championships) is a one-off, but if they do a good job we can certainly look at it for other events."
The event is set to attract over 300 of the country's best young talent in under-15 and under-17 divisions, with a team time trial joining the road race, time trial and criterium on the schedule for the first time.
Wagga Cycling Club spokesperson Cameron Oke said it was a great vote of confidence for the sport's powerbrokers to put their faith in their hosting abilities.
"Normally clubs nominate but we were approached by them, if they're thinking about us to host events it's a nice accolade for the club," he said.
"We ran a pretty tidy event in 2015 and the expectation for us to do it again is certainly there from Cycling Australia."
Wagga mayor Greg Conkey described landing the event as a coup and said it "expands on our intention to develop the city as a regional cycling capital.
"Our track record for hosting top level fixtures in recent years is proven."
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