Napier to host Vantage Elite & Under-23 NZ Road Cycling Championships for fourth year

Riders compete in Elite Men's and Under-23 men's city circuit race 2017. Photo / Duncan Brown

Napier is set to host the Vantage Elite & Under-23 New Zealand Road Cycling Championships for the fourth time next year.

The city has hosted the championships for the past three years and has been awarded the event for a further year by Cycling New Zealand.

The championships will be held from January 4 to 6 and will form part of the BDO Summer Cycling Carnival, a popular Hawke's Bay event that's also in its fourth year.

Napier mayor Bill Dalton is thrilled to host the event for one last year.

"I am delighted at how the people of Napier have got behind this event in previous years, relishing the opportunity to see world-class cyclists at the top of their game, and next year will be more popular still.

"Napier is pleased to have the opportunity to host for a fourth and final year and to bring great cycling action into this exciting town course again. It is a great way to start the summer events season in Hawke's Bay."

The championships will include the BDO time trial championships for all grades, followed by the elite and under-23 women's road races and elite and under-23 men's road races.

This is the second consecutive year with BDO as a key partner for the Napier carnival, with BDO advisory partner David Pearson saying it is a positive move for the community.

"Signing on as naming rights sponsor of the 2019 BDO Summer Cycling Carnival aligns perfectly with this. The carnival sits very comfortably with the BDO value of making positive, tangible contributions to our local community," he said.

"Acknowledgement must also be given to the diligent teams at Napier City Council and Cycling New Zealand for bringing such a high-profile, successful event to our region. With their collective involvement, this is a partnership that we are very proud of."

Cycling NZ said it was pleased to offer a one-year extension to Napier and later this year will release an "expression of interest" invitation for potential hosts of the championships in 2020.