First place finish the target for NSWIS cyclists at Melbourne to Warrnambool

NSWIS cycling will be hoping for a winning finish to 2016 at tomorrow’s 277-kilometre Melbourne to Warrnambool, which is the season finale of the Subaru National Road Series (NRS).

The NRS season commenced for the men in late April 2016 with the Mersey Valley Tour in Tasmania. It has since visited a further nine locations around NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT. However it is the final stop of the series that is the race that every rider wants to win.

For the Subaru NSWIS & MS team the season has been an exciting one that has included not only the NRS, but also a three-month tour to the USA and Canada to garner further experience for their young team of up-and-comers, who no doubt hope to one day be among the best in the world.

Among the NSWIS cyclists competing the Melbourne to Warrnambool will be Jake Kauffman and Stu Shaw, riders that team coach Kevin Poulton said would be strong leaders for the team in their pursuit of victory.

“The team is going into The Warrnambool to win,” Poulton said.

“We have proven performers in this event, in Jake Kauffman and Stu Shaw, who will be supported well by the rest of the NSWIS team.

“Jake Kauffman has produced some amazing performances in this race over the years and he goes into this edition with very good form.

“The younger riders in the team are fortunate enough to be guided by the experience of Stu Shaw and Jake Kauffman going into this race.”

While the event may be the highlight of the year for many riders, it is also considered to be one of the hardest tactically. Poulton continued to outline his hopes that under the guidance of Kuaffman and Shaw that the rest of the team would also fulfil the potential they have shown throughout the year.

“We have Liam Magennis and Ayden Toovey there to support the veterans of the team, along with Sam Jenner who has just returned from racing with the World Tour Academy,” he said.

“And in Scott Law we have our proven fast finisher.

“Overall the NSWIS team has had an exceptional year. The team raced in America and Canada for 3 months this season where Liam Magennis, Ayden Toovey and Scott Law all experienced wins.

“It has been a long season for many of the riders, but the motivation for this event is enormous.”

The race will begin at Eagle Stadium in Werribee at 7.30am AEDT on Saturday October 15. The peloton will make its way through Lara, skirting around Geelong before heading towards the first sprint of the day in Inverleigh.

From there it will be a further 73 kilometres until the second sprint of the day, with the third sprint taking place less than two kilometres prior to the day’s only significant climb, a category two ascent 193.3km into the race.

The peloton will then negotiate a further two spring zones in the final 83.7-kilometres before the race finishes along Liebig Street and Raglan Parade, Warrnambool.

The Subaru NSWIS & MS team for the Melbourne to Warrnambool is below

Squad for tomorrow's #M2W16 277km race: @scottylaw91 @JakeKauffmann @shawstu @AydenToovey @MagennisLiam @SJenner0 #shanewarne

— NSWIS Road Cycling (@NSWIScycling) October 14, 2016

(Pic Courtesy Subaru NSWIS & MS Twitter account)