Goddards Lane used to host the old drag racing events last century but these days has slightly calmer traffic with new industrial sites being opened up near the Tamworth Saleyards and various abattoirs.

It is now the venue for the TCC’s criterium racing, previously held in Taminda and then around Riverside.

Yesterday about 20 cyclists turned up on a busy weekend when the Tamworth Triathlon Club began its new season at Kootingal and Gunnedah hosted a round of the State the Pro Tour Triathlon Series.

The Goddards Lane course is a 830m loop and judging on yesterday’s races on the smoother surfaces they will be quick.

Riders were clocking around 40km/h on the smooth surface with Ben Clarke winning the Division 1 race (30mins +3 laps) from young star Sam Spokes and Port Macquarie visitor Ben Fox.

Michael Swain won the Division 2 (20mins+1 lap) race from Port Macquarie’s Steve Dever and rising star Alex Nicholls.

The TCC will also hold its annual general meeting at West Tamworth League Club from 7.30pm on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Tour de France champion Alberto Contador would like to race with a Spanish team next year but refused to rule out staying with Astana until his contract with the Kazakh-funded outfit runs out in 2010.

Astana has not yet been granted a ProTour licence by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for next season and the 26-year-old Spaniard told sports daily AS his lawyers were “studying” the possibility that he would leave the team next

season.

“Of course I would like to race for a Spanish team and Caisse (d’Epargne) is incomparable, we will see what is going to happen,” he said.

“But I would also like to get to know Astana’s project. The new directors seem serious to me, even though they (Astana) don’t yet have a ProTour, and there are still some very good riders at the team.”