Pritchard a frustrated spectator

Forgive Kirk Pritchard if he is a little grumpy this weekend as he watches the action unfold in round one of the national road bike championships at Teretonga.

The Alexandra rider will look on with arm in plaster wondering just how he would have fared in the 125cc class this season.

Pritchard finished seventh last year in the five-round series and believed he had improved enough to test frontrunners Cameron Jones, of Christchurch, and Dunedin's Tim McArthur this year.

But the the 25-year-old's goal was crushed in November when his bike had an engine failure during a club meet in Christchurch and he was catapulted through the air resulting in a broken wrist.

While his chances of competing at his favourite Teretonga track are gone, and the likelihood of him featuring at the Timaru and Christchurch rounds have also all but vanished, the Central Otago speed demon still harbours hopes of making a mark in the final two rounds.

"It's going to be pretty depressing," Pritchard said about having to watch instead of compete at Teretonga.

"It will be good, though, to see how the other guys are going and just what they are doing."

Pritchard said the injury ruled out any hope of lifting the national title this year, but he said it was important to keep his sights on competing at Manfeild and Pukekohe in the final two legs of the circuit.

"I still need to show that I'm good enough.

"It's pretty tough (in motorsport) to get sponsorship so I need to keep proving myself," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News