Spectator viewing for road cycling champs in Hawke's Bay

CLOSED FOR THE CLIMB: Battery Road on Napier Hill, one of teh roads that will be closd for the BDO Elite and U23 Road Championships this weekend. FILE PHOTO.

Spectators hoping to cheer on some of New Zealand's top cyclists this weekend as part of Napier's Summer Cycling Festival will have a bird's eye view of the action, organisers say.

The six-day festival starts today with the BDO Elite and Under 23 Road National Championships time trial from 10am.

The time trial course starts and finishes at Church Road Winery and travels along Puketapu Rd, Apley Rd, on to Puketitiri Rd and back on to Church Rd. This is a free event for spectators.

The elite and under 23 women's road races take place tomorrow, followed by the elite and under 23 men's road race on Sunday.

Starting and finishing on the Marine Parade, near Napier Conference Centre, the Women's Road Race covers 114km travelling along both Napier Hill streets and rural Hawke's Bay roads. It includes the Fulton Hogan King of the Mountain and Fulton Hogan Sprint Prime.

Event manager Kevin Murphy said he expected Napier Hill to provide an "up close and personal" vantage point of the weekend road races.

"The key for the road race is the multi-laps we do over Napier Hill and there's a fantastic spectator spot on top of that hill, where there will be lots of spectators. There's a screen to watch live coverage, there's commentary and a whole lot of activities and fun there.

"It will give spectators a chance to get up close and personal to all the action and also have a lot of fun.

"They will also see the riders really working hard to get over that hill - eight times for the men and five times for the women."

Mr Murphy said the riders would need all the support they could by the final climb.

"It's a fantastic feature of the race and a chance for the spectators to get fully integrated with the riders, they will very much enjoy what support they get on what is a very tough part of the course."

Spencer Rd, the Botanical Gardens – and Marine Parade – outside the Napier Conference Centre, would also be prime viewing spots.

"Town course action takes place from about 10.30am to 1.30pm both tomorrow and Sunday."

A list of road closures throughout the carnival can be found at summercyclingcarnival.co.nz