Brendon Sharratt has the small matter of defending his New Zealand cyclocross title before stepping up a gear or two for international competition on two fronts.
The 36-year-old Whanganui spray painter heads to Blenheim this weekend for the New Zealand Cyclocross Championships and safely through that travels to China for an internationally-sanctioned event in early September before tackling the first two events in North America heralding the start of a world series.
Cyclocross is basically cross-country racing on a road bicycle with the main difference the nobbly tyres.
"My preparation for the New Zealand champs has gone very well,' Sharratt said.
"I've stayed healthy all winter and won seven races in the lead up. The weather doesn't look too good for the weekend, but it is a winter sport and doesn't often get cancelled.
We are racing a venue called Auntsfield, which I think is a vineyard.