Covid may have hit a number of sports in the pocket, but as far as Southlanders are concerned supporting their cycle tour remains a priority.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 65th running of the Tour of Southland gets underway this weekend with local sponsors continuing to back to the event.
16 teams will take part in the eight stage tour which starts and finishes in Invercargill and this year goes as far north as the Remarkables, over to Te Anau in the west and to Gore in the east.
And it remains as important for all the other small towns in-between.
"It's been going 65 years, it's an institution, it's part of the province," said Allan Dunn.
Dunn is a local Real Estate agent, who rode the Tour three times and for the last six years has been managing the Business South Cycling Team.
"Mums and dads are chucking in a hundred bucks and little shops in the middle of nowhere, who probably aren't getting much business right now because there are no tourists are stumping up $50-$100 each."
Everyone is recognised even though many of them won't have their names up in lights as the Tour passes through their town.
Dunn has been involved in cycling for 40 years and is a life member of Cycling Southland.
Garston school supports the Tour Photo: PHOTOSPORT
He's proud of what the Tour means for the region and what the people of Southland mean to the Tour.
Dunn was surprised with the continued support he got after last year's Covid lockdown, losing just one of his sponsors.
"That's how Southland people feel about the Tour of Southland, I had just one sponsor drop out because they were going through hard times, but they were so emotional that they were unable to help out."
He does have 21 sponsors helping his team with a budget of less than $20,000, one of the smallest on the Tour.
Dunn believes having a lot of little sponsors, especially for a Southland team, is better than having one or two big sponsors.
"We have cafe's providing us with snacks for the riders, we have three different sponsors providing us with meals each night and one of those sponsors is just a husband and wife and they turn on whitebait and venison for the boys.
"A lot of these people are doing it for no reward, they're just giving, that's what this Tour means to Southland."
Dunn's Business South team has had some success over the years, including winning the prologue time trial last year.
However the overall honours will be fought out by a few of the bigger teams.
The Tour heads to Te Anau Photo: PHOTOSPORT
An Olympic silver medalist and a rider chasing his third Tour of Southland title are the headline acts this year.
Palmerston North's Campbell Stewart, a silver medal-winner in the omnium at the Tokyo Games, leads a powerful Black Spoke team, while Cantabrian Michael Vink (Talley's) has also assembled a strong squad as he looks to win his third Southland crown after breaking through in 2018 and 2019.
National road champion James Fouche, Scottish Commonwealth Games gold medalist Mark Stewart, outstanding prospect Jack Drage, former stage winner Alex Frame and national endurance track riders including Tom Sexton and Regan Gough provide plenty of star power.
Someone else to follow is 40 year old Travis Kane of the Business South team who will ride his 22nd consecutive Tour, he is aiming to do 25.
Sunday.... 3pm prologue, Invercargill
Monday... 10am stage two, 172km, Invercargill to Lumsden.
Tuesday 10am stage three, 148km, Riverston to Te Anau.
Wednesday... 10:30am stage four, 108km, Mossburn to The Remarkables.
Thursday... 10am stage five, 154km, Invercargill to Bluff.
Friday... stage six, 10am 151km, Invercargill to Gore.
Saturday... stage seven, 10am, 13km, individual time trial, Winton.
stage eight, 1:30pm, 77km, Winton to Invercargill.
