The Alpine Classic's race director is predicting a fifth win for Pure Black Racing Team cyclist Scott Little on Saturday in the race from Queenstown to Wanaka and back.
The New Zealand cyclist has won the 140km slog for the past four years and director Bill Godsall said if he entered this year he had every chance of taking another title.
"We expect him to show up again this year."
Little set the race record of 3hr 44min last year.
Fifty cyclists had entered the race so far, but Godsall said he expected plenty of last-minute entries.
"Quite often people enter on the day."
After last year's good turnout of professional cyclists from further north, he expected a few more might show up.
The race begins in Queenstown and this year racers will take Frankton Rd, bypassing Arrowtown, rather than Malaghans Rd as was the case last year.
Cyclists will return to Queenstown via the Crown Range, New Zealand's highest state highway, which offers challenging hill climbs as well as exciting downhills.
