Mid-Season Shift see’s NRS in decline

With a number of organizers pulling out of the second half of the Subaru National Road Series (NRS) hopes for an expanded season have been quickly dropped as the total race days on offer drops down to 27 for the men and a scant 18 for the women, down from a total of 58 race days — 33 for men and 25 for women.

While it’s not all bad news for the NRS with The Tour of Tasmania now scheduled to take place from November 10-15 in conjunction with the StanSiejlka Class and the previously cancelled Battle on the Border, rescheduled and renamed to Battle Recharge to take place from September 22-24, female racers still loose out overall with the cancellation of the women’s NRS level, Melbourne to Warrnambool.

While the event will still run and women are encouraged to race, it won’t be under the umbrella of NRS. Similarly, the Tour of Margaret River was scheduled to be on the NRS calendar for both men and women, however has since been removed.

Following the insolvency of its promoter Capital Cycling, the National Capital Tour will not operate in 2017. In a statement to the press Cycling Australia Sport Manager Kipp Kaufmann said he was disappointed at the result, stating:

“Cycling Australia is committed to bringing an NRS event back to Canberra and is working with Cycling ACT to ensure national events will continue in the capital.”

The final alteration to the 2017 season will see reversal of the Camden to Goulburn (to begin in Goulburn and finish in Camden) after consultation with NSW Police.

The Subaru NRS will resume from its mid season break when the Tour of the Great South Coast begins in Mt Gambier on July 26.

2017 Subaru NRS schedule (July-November)