AusCycling’s head of events for road cycling Jeff Corbett and Wagga Wagga City Council recreation officer Kadison Hofert are excited about the Junior and Masters Road National Championships returning to the city. Photos: Jarryd Rowley.
More than 1000 people are expected to make their way to Wagga next September after AusCycling confirmed the Junior & Masters Road National Championships will be held at Pomingalarna Reserve.
The championships are the best-attended junior cycling tournament in the country for riders between the ages of 15 and 18.
AusCycling’s head of events for road cycling Jeff Corbett said the Junior & Masters Road National Championships would be a four-day event, with participants competing in single time trials, road racing and short-circuit formats.
“We are excited to bring the AusCycling Junior & Masters Road National Championships to Wagga Wagga, a major regional centre with a rich cycling heritage and outstanding bike-riding facilities,” Mr Corbett said.
“These championships are a prestigious event for Australian road cycling. In particular, they will showcase the young riders whom we hope will compete on the world stage in the coming years, including at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
Mr Corbett said the state-of-the-art facilities at the Pomingalarna Reserve were among the best he had seen and he was eager to see them in action next year.
The Pomingalarna Reserve will host three events across the four days of the championships.
“I’ve never seen a facility like this anywhere, and I’m pretty well travelled, so it’s an amazing facility and makes it plug-and-play for so many events,” he said.
“We are looking forward to partnering with the City of Wagga Wagga and the local community to deliver an outstanding event for the nation’s best amateur cyclists.”
Wagga Wagga City Council’s recreation officer Kadison Hofert said it would be the third year that Wagga would hold the event, providing another opportunity to bring Pomingalarna to life.
“Having the masters and juniors here is such a huge event,” she said.
“Over the past three years, we’ve proven that we can host events at this facility. A lot of businesses will benefit from it, especially our restaurants and our accommodation providers.”
The championships will also feature a community bike festival on Sunday, September 21 at the Wagga Wagga Multisport Cycling Complex, where the criteriums will be held. Locals of all ages and abilities will be invited to bring their own bikes and join in the festivities.
The junior championships, for under-15 and under-17 riders, will showcase Australia’s future cycling talents. Past winners include Giro d’Italia champion Jai Hindley, Tour de France sprinter Caleb Ewan, and Wagga Wagga’s Cameron Scott, who has just completed his first season as a professional cyclist.
The championships, to run from September 18-21, will use the entire Pomingalarna precinct, including the criterium track, BMX track, velodrome and parts of the mountain bike trail.
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