It's shaping up to be a great season of road cycling already in the Yukon.

The VeloNorth Cycling Club held their first time trial Wednesday evening, with riders setting out from the South Alaska Highway and Klondike Highway junction.

The riders did their first turn of the course Wednesday, and will build on their times all season.

VeloNorth has seen a change in direction with Mike McCann stepping down as president following the 2009 season.

A new president was elected in October at the club's AGM.

McCann will remain part of the club, and will focus on maintaining its website.

Stepping up to the plate as president is Scott Kerby, who has spent several year serving on the club's board of directors.

Kerby is beginning his first term as club president by switching some of the club's focus from racing to more social rides, in part to help generate more members.

"It's more to appeal to those who want to ride, but don't necessarily want to race,” Kerby said.

McCann adds that the rides will start from a good location.

"We'll start at a place where they sell coffee and end at a place where they sell coffee,” he said.

But the new president assures those who want the competitive edge, that they will still have opportunities with the club.

"We will still be offering a variety of road races and time trials,” he said.

The new focus will see Saturday morning club rides, with this week's edition leaving from the Baked Café at 10:30 a.m., with registration at 10 a.m.

The route is set to go up Robert Service Way and up to Granger, but Kerby said they could alter that for less experienced riders.

He said the group may be split into two, one for beginners or those just setting out on their bikes for the first time, and those with a bit more experience and training under their belts already this season.

The club held its season opener last week, and both McCann and Kerby were happy with the turnout of around 17 riders.

"It was actually a good turnout of 17 people out,” Kerby said.

"I think it's been one of the better starts to the season,” McCann said. "It was great for this time of year.”

It may be too early to tell how membership will shape up for the year, but Kerby is encouraged.

"Judging by the turnout on the first couple events it seems some new people have come out to the club already,” Kerby said.

McCann said the beginning of the season sometimes doesn't foreshadow what membership will be.

"Membership sort of grows through the season,” he said.

In his time as president , McCann said he has seen anywhere from 60-90 members. He compares the cycling club's membership to a ski season, where a good snow season will bring in a large amount of skiers. A good riding season will also draw in more members to the road cycling club.

One big change being implemented for VeloNorth this year, is the change of date for the club's big event, the Tour de Whitehorse that is usually held in late July.

This year they will be moving it to the first weekend in July, in a hope to capture cyclists who tend to taper off after the Kluane/Chilkat International Bike Relay.

"A lot of people seem to switch out of road cycling after the Haines to Haines,” Kerby said. "(We want to) move out event up to try to capture the interest in road riding,” Kerby said.

It will now be held July 1 to 4 in downtown Whitehorse, and Kerby said they will include a Canada Day criterium. He says the Tour is a short-course, more intense cycling event.

"We could see far more people participating in it,” McCann said.

To participate in VeloNorth events, cyclists must be a member of the club. A membership can be purchased for $15, and insurance is an additional $25. Insurance is transferable to the Contagious Mountain Bike Club.

McCann said the insurance fee is a great deal, because it is not only liability insurance for the club, but personal injury insurance for the individual rider.

"That is incredibly cheap,” McCann said, adding that in other provinces similar insurance plans are much more expensive.

When an event is held as a club ride, the insurance is in place, whereas a cyclist riding solo does not have that same coverage.

More information on upcoming events can be found on VeloNorth's website located at www.velonorth.ca

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VeloNorth Wednesday night time trial results

Expert men

1. Jonah Clark 25:30

2. Ian Parker 26:07

3. John Berryman 26:43

4. Steven Ball 27:00

5. Jerome McIntyre 27:23

6. Anthony Delorenzo 27:36

7. Joel Macht 27:51

8. Glenn Iceton 28:13

9. Brian MacDonald 28:28

10. Jonathan Kerr 29:23

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Expert women

1. Kerrie Peterson 30:07

2. Trena Irving 30:32

3. Sierra Vander Meer 30:35

4. Nadele Flynn 31:05

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Sport men

1. Nathan Leenders 29:57

2. Bill Curtis 31:03

3. Randy Lamb 31:28

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Sport women

1. Shannon Meekins 34:14

2. Pauline Craig 35:47

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Recreational men

1. Joe DeGraff

2. Ted Dean

Recreational women

1. Jennifer Curtis