SATURDAY 09 January 2:50PM: The Cup on Wheels' Saturday afternoon and evening events are postponed. Gates open at 6am Sunday with races to start at 8am.

ORIGINAL: The sport of cycling is enjoying a renaissance with the largest field in a decade about to contest the 2021 Rockhampton Cup on Wheels over the next two days.

Some 100 riders, ranging in age from under nine to over 70, coming from as far afield as Cairns and Sydney, will converge on Frenchville's Kenrick Tucker Velodrome to participate in a jam-packed 98-event racing program.

The event has been held annually for more than 50 years and excited Rockhampton cycling club event co-ordinator Brett Ruff said the 2021 cup would be the largest cycling carnival hosted in Queensland in the past year.

He said the 100 registered competitors was a significant improvement on the 70 who contested the 2020 event.

"It's going to be a great carnival. It's the most riders we've had in a few years," Mr Ruff said.

"Considering the way that sport is at the moment in the state, particularly cycling, it's been in a bit of a decline lately, to get 100 people is a pretty huge event."

Of those participants, 30 were under the age of 13.

Mr Ruff said racing started at 6pm on Friday and again on Saturday from 4pm.

"There's handicap races where riders start out spaced around the track, there's scratch races, there's kierens where they motorpace the riders for the first four laps and they race for the last two," he said.

"The two major events are the CQUniversity Rockhampton Cup on Wheels, which is the men's event and the Joncris Sentinel Services Capricornia Cup, which is the women's event."

The main events were scheduled for 6.30pm-7pm on Saturday.

All up, there is a total of $8500 in prize money up for grabs with $750 awarded to the winners of both the men's and women's headline races.

Mr Ruff encouraged locals looking to do something different and a cheap night out, to come along to the family-friendly event.

"It's $2 for kids and pensioners to get in and $5 for adults," he said.

"We run a full canteen and a bar as well."

Looking to build on the renewed interest in cycling, Mr Ruff urged those interested in taking up the sport to visit their social media page HERE.

• What: 2021 Rockhampton Cup on Wheels

• Where: 330-360 Berserker St, Frenchville

• When: January 8-9th, 2021

• Cost: Children and pensioners $2, adults $5