Traditionally staged in early November, the 69th edition of New Zealand’s longest-running stage event had to be postponed in the aftermath of Southland’s dramatic October 23 storm, which plunged the province into a state of emergency.
Burnett, however, was set to miss the November race due to a badly broken arm suffered in a riding accident, so the delay provided him with a summer to prepare.
Contractual commitments and world cycling regulations mean the professional rider will be riding for PowerNet rather than the NZ Cycling Project team he won with in 2022 and 2024.
Tour race director Waine Harding was excited to have Burnett back in the No 1 race number for the rescheduled SBS Bank-sponsored race.
"With Josh heading to Europe to pursue a professional cycling career, we thought it might be several years before we saw him racing in this part of the world again. It’s no secret how much this race means to him," Harding said.
"We are really grateful that the majority of our teams, riders, sponsors and volunteers have continued to support the race despite the postponement."
A January Tour of Southland will have a different look, with much interest in how the summer weather will impact the peloton.
Infrastructure works around Queens Park have led to the street circuit, which starts and ends the tour, being moved from the centre of Invercargill to nearby Waikiwi.
The Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project team looks the strongest on paper, with the likes of George Jackson and James Gardner and New Zealand team pursuit riders Marshall Erwood and Keegan Hornblow.
Matthew Wilson (Cambridge), who finished just under 2min behind Burnett in 2024, returns with his Advanced Personnel Cycling team, while Australian Samuel Jenner, who was third overall in 2024, is back with Central Benchmakers-Willbike.
New Zealand men’s endurance riders Tom Sexton (IBuilt) and Nick Kergozou (Open Country TES) will add serious horsepower to the race.
Whanganui’s Glenn Haden (Coupland-Cycling Tom Racing Team) returns fresh from smashing the national one hour record, and setting a world mark for a rider aged over 40, in December.
As always, the tour has a strong international flavour with riders from Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada included in the peloton.
Auckland’s Hunter Dalton will carry on a strong tradition when he lines up in the same race that his famous grandfather, Warwick, won three times (1959, 1961 and 1969).
The Tour of Southland gets under way in Invercargill tomorrow, finishing back in Gala St on January 24. — Allied Media
