A TALENTED field of 117 entries will tackle an iconic NSW road race that still means so much to participants 30 years after it began.
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The John Woodman Memorial Wagga to Albury Cycling Classic takes place on Sunday, starting at Tolland at 10am and due to finish in Lavington about three hours later.
Two of the organisers Ken Payne and Greg Featonby said riders from South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and NSW would join the local contingent.
“We’ve got a couple of stronger teams, St George Merida are bringing their team, Swiss Wellness will have a few out of their team riding and there’s a few guys from Oliver’s Real Food,” Featonby said.
Payne said the milestone year had helped attract accomplished riders.
“People just want to come and enjoy the history of it being 30 years,” he said.
In 1986, the then Lavington Sports Club Cycling Club revived the Wagga to Albury road race, which had been held from the 1930s until 1963.
The handicap event changed its name the following year to honour Border professional cyclist John Woodman, who was killed while training at Table Top.
Olympians, world champions and numerous professionals have added their names to the list of John Woodman Memorial winners and fastest times.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jay Sweet set the present race record of two hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds in 1994 while Dean Woods and Brett Aitken also made their marks that decade. The race could prove a stepping stone for up and comers as well.
“A lot of those scratch riders that have got up, you look at now,” Payne said.
“Some of those guys, like (2008 winner) Michael Matthews are riding the Tour de France now.”
Featonby’s son Jesse, who rode the memorial when younger, will return to the race among the back markers.
The organisers said the 135km event would challenge all entrants.
“It starts off hilly at the start and even though the hills aren’t big, you get a lot of wind and the wind plays a big factor,” Featonby said.
“Then you’ve got a slow rise coming out of Walla which really tests the riders out at the 100km mark,” Payne added.
History has shown the importance of Jindera Gap.
“The scratch guys make up a lot of ground there,” Featonby said. “If scratch has already caught them, it’s somewhere they can put the pressure on so it’s a crucial point of the race.”
The winter scheduling means cold and wet conditions often accompany the John Woodman Memorial.
“And it’s fitting for a road race, a lot of the road riders like this sort of weather,” Payne said.
