Pros ready for Darren Smith Cycle Classic

Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto), Matt White (Discovery Channel) and Henk Vogels (Toyota-United) are just some of the professional riders will contest the Darren Smith Cycle Classic on November 25. The race has been an annual event since 1993 in honour of promising CATS Cycle Club member Darren Smith, who was tragically killed in a road accident in 1992 just months after he competed at the Barcelona Olympic Games.

"The line-up for this year’s race is world class and it's also a great opportunity for selected amateurs from clubs across the country to race the same circuit as our elite athletes," said Gold Coast CATS Cycling Club president Luke Lucas.

The race, run by the Gold Coast CATS, will be supported by title sponsor Salt Village for the second consecutive year and will again be held in the Salt Village prescient on the Tweed Coast. "The beach side track at Salt Village provides an excellent environment for sprint racing, with technical and high speed cornering sections for the riders to negotiate and lots of great vantage points for the crowd," said Lucas. "We are looking for a lot of support from locals and travelling guests to the area to come and watch the race."

This year’s event will feature two races including a one hour criterium style event with sprint bonuses for competitors from the international racing circuit and a 45 minute competition for regional cycling club members. The event will get underway at 9 AM New South Wales daylight saving time, 8 AM Queensland time, at Salt Central Park.

"The field is much deeper this year with the addition of the amateur race, and it’s great to see a lot of the elite riders returning to compete in the event," Lucas said. "Prize money for the day will be well over $10,000 and this should attract a very high calibre of riders to come and watch and even compete against some of their cycling heroes."

For further information visit CATS Cycling Club's website www.goldcoastcats.com.