Australian road cycling series under review

Concerns around rider safety, cancelled races and a protracted, arguably illogical, calendar have triggered a formal review of Australia's domestic road cycling series.

Robbie McEwen, a product of the National Road Series Photo: Getty Images

It's understood a working party convened by Cycling Australia chief executive Nick Green will consider merging some races in a new annual program so there is male and female competition at every instalment of what's presently known as the National Road Series; a competition credited with grooming the likes of international champion Robbie McEwen.

Cyclists have already made concerns about sub-standard conditions at certain NRS races known, with complaints ranging from dangerous experiences on road to much broader criticisms of some events overall.

NRS events, meant to be a breeding ground for emerging Australian cycling talent and a pathway for some to lucrative professional careers abroad, are held all over Australia. But this year's program spans 10 months.

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The first women's event, the Adelaide Tour, was in January and raced in conjunction with the men's World Tour status Tour Down Under. The last NRS men's race, the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool, is not until October.

The Tour of Toowoomba, a four-day road race scheduled to start on April 28 and open the men's 2016 NRS series, was cancelled. Race organisers have cited financial issues around rider safety among the problems and a lack of sponsorship. The first men's NRS race of this year is not until May 7 with the one-day Grafton to Inverell.

Green, who is chairing the working party, wants the NRS review complete by mid-year so a more commercially viable, athlete and broadcaster-friendly series can be launched for 2017.

The working party includes current track UCI hour world record holder Bridie O'Donnell, former elite rider turned race director Scott Sunderland, coaches Donna Rae Szalinski and Andrew Christie-Johnson and erstwhile pro racer now veteran race director John Trevorrow.

When the initially 15-race 2016 NRS series was announced by Cycling Australia in January highly respected coach Christie-Johnson, who has helped groom some of Australia's brightest cycling road stars including Richie Porte, said: "The NRS has been the most important series in the development of my riders and it has been the starting point to many top professional riders careers."

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