Otago Daily Times reporter Adrian Seconi identifies four riders to watch in the Tour of Southland, which starts in Invercargill tomorrow.
• Hayden Roulston
Scratch his name on the trophy now.
The defending champion has won the Tour of Southland four times in the last five years and, unless bad luck strikes, the Olympic silver medallist will probably stand at the top of the podium again.
Calder Stewart team-mates Marc Ryan and Sam Bewley are among the Tour's strongest riders and will work for Roulston rather than against him.
• Scott Lyttle
Do not count out Pure Black Racing.
Lyttle and fellow riders Tim Gudsell and Glen Chadwick have had a pretty good 12 months on the professional circuit and will be looking for opportunities to get the likes of Lyttle up the road.
Lyttle won the Tour de Toona in Pennsylvania earlier this year, securing Pure Black Racing's first international tour victory.
• Josh Atkins
He is part of a promising PowerNet team which includes Tom Scully, Shane Archbold and Myron Simpson.
Atkins won the under-23 category last year and will be determined to defend it.
He rides for the Trek-Livestrong under-23 team - the brainchild of Tour de France great Lance Armstrong - and appears to have a bright future.
• Patrick Jones
The Mosgiel man will not win the tour but the under-23 rider will learn plenty riding alongside the vastly experienced Gordon McCauley.
McCauley won the Tour in 1996 and 2005, and in 2006 won a bronze medal in the individual time trial at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The master should have a few tips for the apprentice.
