Fresh from a sixth at the world junior women's championship, Wanganui's Jessica van Bentum is favoured to retain her premier title in the Rivercity Tour this weekend. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Fresh from a sixth at the world junior women's championship, Wanganui's Jessica van Bentum is favoured to retain her premier title in the Rivercity Tour this weekend. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
The best speed skaters from all around the country descend on Wanganui this weekend for the fourth running of the Wanganui St John's Club-sponsored Rivercity Tour.
The biggest field ever is entered with around 65 skaters to compete. Although the faces will be familiar the last year has seen somebig advances in status for some of the title contenders.
In the premier men's class defending champion Antony Nalder will be back along with 2012 runnerup Ollie Jones. Jones has spent the winter campaigning in Europe and comes home as the Junior Mens' European Inline Cup champion. European-based skater Kierryn Hughes flew back into the country yesterday and is a possible starter along with an unidentified European skater who is accompanying him.
New Zealand world team members Josh Whyte and Mark McDonald will also be fronting up to ensure a top quality field. The premier women's class should see a repeat of last year's battle between locals Jessica van Bentum and Rebecca Smith. Last year's winner Van Bentum is hot off a sixth place finish in the junior women's 1000m world championship and her confidence will be running high, but Smith and former Wanganui Skater Judah Kelly of Timaru will be determined to put up a fight for the title.
With the exception of Timaru professional Nicole Begg, all the country's top female skaters will be present. Other top contenders include Manawatu's Daina Gibbs, Valley In Lines Georgia Hurley, Wanganui's Nicole Travers and Mellisa White and Timaru's Analiese LeRoy. Wanganui's Eden Smith should be a contender for the men's B class and Monique Cleeve will be defending her B title against experienced Timaru competition as well as her younger clubmates Sophie Tang, Georgia Reynolds and Euginia Lee.
The juvenile class is up for grabs with area champion CJ Dillion in doubt with a broken arm from a training accident and last year's nationals silver medallist Renee Teers still on the comeback trail from a crash.
This year's tour will see stages 1 and 2 at Kowhai Park count as qualifying rounds for 2014 world championship selection. Racing start at 9am at Kowhai Park on Saturday morning with racing continuing at the Velodrome at 1pm and moving to Mitre 10 at 6pm. The final stage is at Jubilee Stadium on Sunday at 9am. There is no charge for spectators.
