Cycling Wrap: NZ Track Champs to return to Invercargill in 2026
The current plan is to include the New Zealand Masters Championships into a proposed seven-day programme to comprise all age-groupings riding in Invercargill in 2026.
NZ Track Champs to return to Invercargill in 2026…
Invercargill will host back-to-back New Zealand Track Cycling Championships with Cycling New Zealand confirming the event will return to the deep south in 2026.
Added to that is confirmation Invercargill will host the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in 2028.
The six-day 2025 New Zealand Track Cycling Championships wrapped up in Invercargill on Saturday.
With Cambridge - home to New Zealand’s second indoor velodrome - being awarded the Oceania Championships in 2026 it means the 2026 New Zealand Championships will again be hosted by Cycling Southland.
The current plan is to include the New Zealand Masters Championships into a proposed seven-day programme to comprise all age-groupings riding in Invercargill.
RTX (Road, Track and Cyclocross) president Rachelle Spencer said: “RTX is excited at the opportunity to bring all riders together, for the first time in a number of years, to compete at one event.
“We believe the initiative is a great opportunity to build support and relationships across all age groups and across Aotearoa New Zealand.”
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Why Ellese Andrews lined up in Invercargill…
Ellesse Andrews’ decision to ride at the 2025 New Zealand Track National Championships was as much about inspiring the next generation than her personal performance.
The 2025 New Zealand Track Cycling Championships wrapped up in Invercargill on Saturday with the double Olympic Games gold medallist providing the event with some star power through her presence.
While some of New Zealand’s elite cyclists skipped the event, for various reasons, Andrews was keen to ride on Invercargill’s velodrome boards.
The Invercargill velodrome is a special place for Andrews given she started racing there at about 11 years old and was where much of her early development happened.
“I actually haven't managed to do a track nationals for a little while because of injury and a few little things like that, so it's actually quite cool to be back down here and be back doing a nationals,” Andrews told The Roar Podcast.
“I think it's really important for us for many reasons but one being because this is kind of the showcase event for the younger riders as well, and so they get to see what we get up to and our behaviours we put into our race days. I think that's really important for the sport.
“It’s also good for us to come down here and come to Invercargill, this is where track cycling started for me, I remember coming here for the first time when I was probably 11 years old. It's quite cool to get to be back.”
The next generation…
One of those youngsters who Ellesse Andrews dished out a fair bit of inspiration to throughout the week was Southland’s Lucia Boys.
Lucia produced a remarkable six days of racing at the New Zealand Track Cycling Championships. She finished with an impressive haul of six gold medals while competing in the girls U15 grade.
She claimed gold in the 500m time trial, elimination race, the derby, scratch race, points race, and team sprint.
Lucia’s gold in the derby race came within minutes of her older brother Benson’s gold medal ride in the U17 500m time trial.
Cycling Southland riders combined to rack up 14 gold medals, five silver, and seven bronze throughout the 2025 New Zealand Track Cycling Championships.
One of the highlights was in the elite men’s scratch race when Southland’s Magnus Jamieson (gold), Mitchel Fitzsimmons (silver), and Marshall Erwood (bronze) produced the trifecta.
Riley Faulkner provided another highlight with her performance in the U19 sprint event to win gold.
