Dunedin's Ioan Fuller wins the 2017 Twizel to Timaru Classic and is one of the favourites for the two-day Tour Of Timaru.

It's hard to pick a winner of the 2018 Tour of Timaru.

Dunedin's Ioan Fuller, who won the Twizel to Timaru race in 2017, has been named one of the favourites in a high quality field for Cycling Timaru's premier two-day event.

Fuller, along with local Calder Stewart Cycling Series leader Chris Karton, and young-gun Hayden Jefferson, add to the talent who will take to the roads this weekend.

DENESE KEENAN/SUPPLIED Hayden Jefferson (front) and Chris Karton are among the local talent taking part in this week's Cycling Timaru Tour of Timaru. (File photo)

"There's a heap from Christchurch, Otago, and Southland turning up, it's very hard to pick a winner out of the A grade," Cycling Timaru president and tour co-ordinator Darren Cuthbertson said.

READ MORE: Former triathlete out cycles Twizel to Timaru field

Numbers for the event were yet again up on the previous year.

"The total we're looking about 190 which is quite significant for this tour," Cuthbertson said.

"It's probably up about 10 to 15 per cent on last year.

"We try keep it reasonably fun and we want everyone to have a good time, I think that's why everyone enjoys coming down."

Cuthbertson said the courses for the event are also a drawcard.

There's five stages across the two-day event, three on day one, and two on day two, including a 64km ride and the tough Taiko zig zag, which is part of the final stage.

Cuthbertson is expecting the last stage to be the most competitive.

"We've tried to go away from the out-and-back courses this year, until the final stage obviously which is an out-and-back, but that's a fairly outstretched one with the Taiko Hill and the Limestone Valley Hill.

"It's the one where you've got nothing left to lose at the bottom of the Taiko Hill. You've got a hill that's a short, sharp kilometre long and then it's a slight downhill for the next three kms through to the finish.

"You've just got to give it everything you've got up there and open up a big enough gap to keep the others at bay."

Cuthbertson thanked the organisers of the event.

"It hasn't just been this year it's been during the past few years that there's been quite a few people involved, and this year's no exception.

"There's a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on, and everyone does their own wee bit and everything seems to pull together on the day.

"That's what makes it such a great event."

The tour starts at Southburn on Saturday morning.