Unique race dynamic for hometown hero
“I think it does get a bit complicated at this race. There's a lot more people interested that maybe don't know as much about cycling."
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Southland’s Josh Burnett has pushed the pedals in some pretty big bike races this year.
It’s included a victory in the Tour de Beauce which is regarded “the biggest race in North America”.
But despite that growing experience in the cycling world, the Tour of Southland race brings with it a unique dynamic for Burnett.
He rode his debut Tour of Southland in 2021 before in 2022 becoming the first Southlander since Doug Bath in 1994 to win the race.
The 23-year-old is back for a third shot at New Zealand’s premier cycling race which starts in Invercargill on Sunday.
There’s a bright spotlight hovering over Burnett given he’s not only one of the SBS Bank Tour of Southland race favourites but he is also a hometown hero.
“I think it does get a bit complicated at this race. There's a lot more people interested that maybe don't know as much about cycling. And then you're getting messages, why are you doing this? Why aren't you doing that?
“Everyone wants to see you do well but when it's so local and everyone's out watching there was a lot [of pressure],” he told The Roar Podcast this week about his famous 2022 victory.
“I think that's why everyone likes the race as well, everyone in the community is so involved… So, I think there's pluses and minuses to it.”
James Canny has again assembled a strong Creation Signs - MITOQ - NZ Cycling Project team for this year’s Tour.
Included are Burnett, Ben Oliver (Rangiora), Craig Oliver (Rangiora), James Williamson (Alexandra), James Gardner (Dunedin), and Marshall Erwood (Invercargill).
A likely team goal will be to have Burnett in the orange jersey come the Gala St finish on Saturday afternoon.
Burnett points to the Bluff Hill and Remarkables climbs, as well as the time trial in Winton on the final day, as key stages in determining the race outcome.
He has spent a fair bit of time heading up the Remarkables and Bluff Hill in preparation.
“It's just about picking the right moments, not wasting energy when there's not much point wasting energy, and then waiting for those key moments which could be any day with the wind.
“But pretty certain that Remarks, Bluff and the time trial are the three key moments when it comes to the GC, the general classification. All three things I've been working on,” Burnett told The Roar Podcast.
Sunday’s opening day includes the prologue from 12pm - a 4.2km team time trial around Queens Park.
Stage one gets underway from 3pm with a 42km (10 lap) street race around Queens Park.
Fellow Southlanders Tom Sexton (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) and Nick Kergozou (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) will be others to look out for on the opening day as they push for an early shot at the tour's orange jersey in their home event.
Another team who could feature strongly on day one is the Japanese endurance team who are fresh from racing for the bronze medal in the team pursuit at the world track cycling championships.
The first road stage of this year’s tour gets underway on Monday, a 166km stage from Invercargill to Lumsden.
The race will finish back in Invercargill’s Gala Street on Saturday, November 9.