Saturday update:
The NSW Grand Prix criterium, between Elouera and Wanda, got underway this morning under sunny skies. See more here later and click on the comment link to tell us what you think of the event.
The racing will be in Wollongong Sunday and televised by Channel Nine
Thursday story:
IF anyone has the pedigree to succeed, it is Skoda team cyclist Jay Dutton, one of the 70-odd male riders taking part in the NSW Grand Prix, starting with the Cronulla International criterium on Saturday.
The Mortdale rider who just turned 20 is the son of Brett Dutton, an Olympic bronze medallist and a world and Commonwealth Games cycling champion.
Brett also won national surf titles for the Wanda surf club, where his brother Stuart won the coveted Australian Ironman title as a 17-year-old for Wanda — finishing ahead of some of surfing’s greats.
Jay’s grandfather, Alan Dutton, also raced at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in cycling.
‘‘Jay is going OK, mixing road and track at the moment,’’ said Brett at the launch of the Cronulla International Grand Prix yesterday at Summer Salt Restaurant, Elouera beach. ‘‘He knows it’s a tough business.’’
Jay Dutton has been travelling particularly well in the national road series and finished in the top 20 in the Grafton race last week.
‘‘I had a couple of fourths in the state track tiles as well,’’ he said.
‘‘It has been hard mixing it up so I don’t know how I’ll go on the weekend. We only have a small [Skoda] team, but it does include my mate Jack McCulloch [brother of Olympian Kaarle McCulloch].’’
Race organiser Phill Bates joined NSW Minister of Sport, Gabrielle Upton, and Cronulla MP and parliamentary secretary, Mark Speakman, for the launch, and past Cronulla winners, shire internationals Chris Sutton (Team Sky) and Commonwealth Games champion Rochelle Gilmore, along with two of her Honda Wiggle team riders: 2012 world champion Charlotte Becker and exciting new addition from the shire, Joanne Tralaggan.
Sutton was due to fly to Mayorca for a Team Sky training camp but delayed his trip to see if he could win the Grand Prix for a record third time against a classy field which includes multiple world champion, fellow Australian Mark Renshaw.
Becker, one of 40 female riders competing, enthused about the waves and Sydney’s brilliant weather. ‘‘I’m happy to be here instead of freezing cold Germany,’’ she said looking over Elouera beach.
‘‘I’m going to get a swim in and a sail, for sure, before I leave next week.’’
Cronulla’s Grand Prix criterium, between Elouera and Wanda, starts with the masters race at 11am, then the women’s race at 12.10pm and the men’s race at 1pm. Channel Nine will be televising. The racing on Sunday will be in Wollongong.
