To mark the end of its first series of criteriums at the Auckland waterfront "tank farm", the CYCO Auckland Criterium Championships this Thursday night will offer fast and frantic turns of speed from a showcase field of riders � many of them NZ representatives.

The men's event is at 7pm and the women will race at 6.15pm.

In the men's race it will be interesting to see if  the up and coming, younger criterium exponents like Thomas Hanover, Mike Northey and Josh England will take it to the older riders or will experience in what is expected to be a thrilling finale for the series in 2006 win on the night?

Sponsored by Grammo Sram, and with DB Breweries putting up money for primes along with Allpress Coffee, the Auckland Criterium Championships offers some exciting action for spectators with Commonwealth Games time trial bronze medallist Gordon McCauley in the field along with Hayden Godfrey, a member of New Zealand pursuit team, ex-Olympian Stu Williams and bound to be well placed riders like Karl Murray, Matt Gilbert, Matt Haydock (a member of the NZ team for the Tour Downunder) and Logan Hutchings.

The Red Bull girls will be in attendance dispensing free drinks from the Red Bull car to accompany the "energy" that will be expended as the field flies past.

The women's race will start at 6.15pm and with the fairer sex increasing their numbers each week as the first of the CYCO series ends, some interesting tussles might be evident with European rider and Commonwealth Games representative Toni Bradshaw lining up on the start line along with Brei Gudsell, Marina Duvnjak, Amy Mosen, Carissa Wilkes and Lauren Koedyk � all of whom have ridden overseas in the past 12 months.  Auckland University student Alice King will not be lost in this mix either.