It started with a casual conversation at the ILT Velodrome in Invercargill in March with New Zeland Track cycling coaches Tim Carswell and Dayle Cheatley who were about to take their charges to Copenhagen for the World Track Cycling Championships. In between their tortuous final training sessions down on the track we collared the two of them to unashamedly mine them for information on the types of track events which really pack in the crowds around the world.
Early in the conversation Tim piped up, “there’s a window of opportunity later in the year between World Cups,” he said. “When we’re over at the Worlds, why don’t I tap a few guys on the shoulders and see if there’s any interest in some of them coming over for an event between the Melbourne and Cali World Cups in December.”
“Righto” we said, while at the same time wondering how he’d ever find the time to follow through with that statement. A few weeks after he’d returned from his successful Worlds campaign, true to his word he phones and said, “Mate, the response was huge.” And so the ILT Festival of Speed was born.
Over the last four years the ILT Velodrome has been privileged to host some top international talent, but nothing like this. Thanks largely to the work of Tim, Dayle, Justin Grace and co, we have a tremendous opportunity to bring together one of the greatest international track cycling fields ever assembled in New Zealand. Interest is already being fielded from Europe, America, Asia, Australia and of course here at home, guaranteeing some of the best endurance and sprint racing imaginable. We’ve lined up three full nights of full-on racing from December 7th to 9th including the National Madison Championships on the first night of competition.
But the ILT Festival of Speed is about more than just what’s happening on the track. Our aim is to turn this into one major party for three nights. Being a long time sports fan and a relative newcomer to cycling, I don’t think I’ve found a more addictive spectator sport. Certainly the world class facility we are lucky enough to call home in Invercargill helps, but when the gun goes, few sports can match the thrill of track cycling. The ILT Festival of Speed offers a unique opportunity to get up close with some of the world’s best.
Add the calibre of riders to a thumping atmosphere, live music, corporate hospitality options in the track centre, lighting, prize draws and fireworks and we believe we’ve got the perfect combination to launch the sport as a true spectacle to the wider sporting public.
Tickets will go on sale over the next month so keep an eye on www.cyclingsouth.org.nz. You can also register to stay up to date with the event and receive all of the information on the ILT Festival of Speed as soon as it is available by emailing office@cyclingsouth.org.nz or by phoning 03 2173215. It’s going to be some ride.
Cycling Southland CEO's Blog from inside the Stadium Southland Velodrome
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Recreational Debut Proves Point
Cycling Southland’s road racers descended on Mabel Bush on Saturday for an 81 kilometre Handicap race around the Woodstock circuit.
Kylie Young was able to hold off Tony Raggett over the final 500 metres to snatch a deserved victory with Mike Matheson in the points again in third ahead of a fast finishing bunch. Garth Cooper was the first scratch rider home in sixth place overall to also claim the fastest time of the day, 2 hours 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
Three weeks in to the new season and our Points Series leaders are Robert Huisman (A Grade), Ray Robinson (B Grade) and Mike Matheson (C Grade).
Given the rather chilly conditions and the absence of our Junior riders who were in camp in Heriot for the weekend, numbers were again strong and included a great group of recreational riders. It was great to be part of that bunch on Saturday and I can now speak from experience when I say this Recreational Ride is the perfect way to get into cycling. We had some experienced heads to guide us in Nick Harris, Graeme Irvine and Neil Jamieson and they even offered a tow up the hills if required (although I’m still waiting for mine).
As someone who hasn’t done any competitive cycling in my life it was great fun and proved to me yet again what a great recreational activity cycling is. The bunch travelled at the speed of the slowest rider, you could have a chat along the way and an hour later you were off the bike and watching the competitive cyclists hammer their way around the circuit to the finish line. The best news is you don’t wreck your body in the process. Even I woke up the next day feeling fresh ... a minor miracle.
The recreational ride has quickly become an important part of our Club activities. I’d encourage you to contact the Cycling Southland office for details on how you can join the ride on Saturday afternoons and try road cycling in a fun, safe and supportive environment.
This weekend we host our annual Memorial Weekend. This is unquestionably one of our Club’s most important weekends. It provides the chance to remember and recognise the contributions made by our cycling forebears. The 100 kilometre handicapped race follows the course of the old Glengarry 100 Club Classic. A Grade competes for the McLeay Memorial, B Grade for the Bunty Hewitt Memorial, C Grade for the Martin Verbeek Memorial and the Juniors race for the Curtis Dunn Memorial.
Each has a special place in our Club’s history and identity and this weekend offers the chance to salute their memory is the most appropriate fashion possible – by going out and racing hard.
This year we are also fortunate to have close to a full complement of the McLeay family in town to either ride or support the event. We are very appreciative of their personal effort to be part of our Memorial event on Saturday.
Kylie Young was able to hold off Tony Raggett over the final 500 metres to snatch a deserved victory with Mike Matheson in the points again in third ahead of a fast finishing bunch. Garth Cooper was the first scratch rider home in sixth place overall to also claim the fastest time of the day, 2 hours 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
Three weeks in to the new season and our Points Series leaders are Robert Huisman (A Grade), Ray Robinson (B Grade) and Mike Matheson (C Grade).
Given the rather chilly conditions and the absence of our Junior riders who were in camp in Heriot for the weekend, numbers were again strong and included a great group of recreational riders. It was great to be part of that bunch on Saturday and I can now speak from experience when I say this Recreational Ride is the perfect way to get into cycling. We had some experienced heads to guide us in Nick Harris, Graeme Irvine and Neil Jamieson and they even offered a tow up the hills if required (although I’m still waiting for mine).
As someone who hasn’t done any competitive cycling in my life it was great fun and proved to me yet again what a great recreational activity cycling is. The bunch travelled at the speed of the slowest rider, you could have a chat along the way and an hour later you were off the bike and watching the competitive cyclists hammer their way around the circuit to the finish line. The best news is you don’t wreck your body in the process. Even I woke up the next day feeling fresh ... a minor miracle.
The recreational ride has quickly become an important part of our Club activities. I’d encourage you to contact the Cycling Southland office for details on how you can join the ride on Saturday afternoons and try road cycling in a fun, safe and supportive environment.
This weekend we host our annual Memorial Weekend. This is unquestionably one of our Club’s most important weekends. It provides the chance to remember and recognise the contributions made by our cycling forebears. The 100 kilometre handicapped race follows the course of the old Glengarry 100 Club Classic. A Grade competes for the McLeay Memorial, B Grade for the Bunty Hewitt Memorial, C Grade for the Martin Verbeek Memorial and the Juniors race for the Curtis Dunn Memorial.
Each has a special place in our Club’s history and identity and this weekend offers the chance to salute their memory is the most appropriate fashion possible – by going out and racing hard.
This year we are also fortunate to have close to a full complement of the McLeay family in town to either ride or support the event. We are very appreciative of their personal effort to be part of our Memorial event on Saturday.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Piet Shows The Way
It’s great to be a Southlander. On Saturday evening we watched another gutsy Southland Stags’ effort and 12 hours earlier, 18,000 kilometres away in Italy, Southland’s Pieter Bulling was just as courageous, coming within an ace of standing on the podium at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships.
I awoke Saturday to a text from coach Stu Macdonald in which he used the term “pure Southland pride” to describe Bulling’s ride in the Points Race. Piet was one of five riders who lapped the rest of the field and finished just a point behind the bronze-medal winner. With two fourths from his first two events, (his final ride is this morning NZ time in the Madison) Bulling will certainly not lack for motivation as he eyes a second shot at the Worlds in 12 months time.
Without wanting to buck the trend of Aussies claiming credit for a Kiwi when it suits them, we can also claim a small piece of the performance of our Trans-Tasman neighbour. Again Australia has shown its class as a world cycling powerhouse at the Junior Worlds and over recent years a number of its 2010 Junior team has spent time around Southland in the Yunca Junior Tour and on the ILT Velodrome. It’s a pointer to the quality events and facilities our young riders are blessed with in the south and the wonderful opportunity it presents Southlanders to achieve on the world stage.
Already a large Australian contingent is lining up for this year’s edition of the Yunca Tour. With renewed focus over recent years this event has enjoyed a real growth spurt. It has always provided a launching pad for top southern talent, Glenn McLeay, Matt Randall, Glen Thomson have all cut their teeth in the event, but more recently it has quickly become one of Australasia’s premier Junior events. This year it also has the honour of being the last event in the National Junior Points Series and like all of the events in the Cycling Southland calendar, it is only possible thanks to the unwavering support of an army of parents and Club volunteers. This year’s Yunca Tour runs from October 1st to 3rd and is followed by our OctoberFest Track Event on the 5th and 6th.
Saturday also saw another record turn-out for Cycling Southland’s Road Race at Woodlands. A total of 114 riders lined up at the start line across Junior, Senior and Recreational Divisions. The major lesson I have learnt in my four months in this role is that Cycling Southland is first and foremost a sporting club. The single most important thing we do is provide the best opportunities for our Club members to ride. While hosting major national and international road and track events is wonderful, it is merely the by-product of a strong local riding scene. If we continue to do the best job possible for local riders, everything else will follow. And the really exciting thing is that we are just getting started.
I awoke Saturday to a text from coach Stu Macdonald in which he used the term “pure Southland pride” to describe Bulling’s ride in the Points Race. Piet was one of five riders who lapped the rest of the field and finished just a point behind the bronze-medal winner. With two fourths from his first two events, (his final ride is this morning NZ time in the Madison) Bulling will certainly not lack for motivation as he eyes a second shot at the Worlds in 12 months time.
Without wanting to buck the trend of Aussies claiming credit for a Kiwi when it suits them, we can also claim a small piece of the performance of our Trans-Tasman neighbour. Again Australia has shown its class as a world cycling powerhouse at the Junior Worlds and over recent years a number of its 2010 Junior team has spent time around Southland in the Yunca Junior Tour and on the ILT Velodrome. It’s a pointer to the quality events and facilities our young riders are blessed with in the south and the wonderful opportunity it presents Southlanders to achieve on the world stage.
Already a large Australian contingent is lining up for this year’s edition of the Yunca Tour. With renewed focus over recent years this event has enjoyed a real growth spurt. It has always provided a launching pad for top southern talent, Glenn McLeay, Matt Randall, Glen Thomson have all cut their teeth in the event, but more recently it has quickly become one of Australasia’s premier Junior events. This year it also has the honour of being the last event in the National Junior Points Series and like all of the events in the Cycling Southland calendar, it is only possible thanks to the unwavering support of an army of parents and Club volunteers. This year’s Yunca Tour runs from October 1st to 3rd and is followed by our OctoberFest Track Event on the 5th and 6th.
Saturday also saw another record turn-out for Cycling Southland’s Road Race at Woodlands. A total of 114 riders lined up at the start line across Junior, Senior and Recreational Divisions. The major lesson I have learnt in my four months in this role is that Cycling Southland is first and foremost a sporting club. The single most important thing we do is provide the best opportunities for our Club members to ride. While hosting major national and international road and track events is wonderful, it is merely the by-product of a strong local riding scene. If we continue to do the best job possible for local riders, everything else will follow. And the really exciting thing is that we are just getting started.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Bulling To Lead Charge
The World Junior Cycling Championships are being staged in Italy this week. The Road Championships have already begun but from a Southland perspective our interest will focus on the Track Championships in Montichiari, where on Thursday morning our time, our own Pieter Bulling and the rest of the Kiwi Track squad will line-up for the start of a busy five days.
Bulling is unquestionably one of the most talented all-round riders in the Men’s squad and even though this is his Junior Worlds debut he represents New Zealand’s best medal chance in a majority of the endurance track events.
However, due to the congested nature of the programme, team management have been forced to make some strategic decisions about which events he enters to ensure he is at the peak of his powers when he lines up in the black skin-suit. The question for coach Stu MacDonald and co is where to focus Piet’s attention to give him the best chance of emulating Southland’s Cameron Karwowski’s medal winning effort in Moscow 12 months ago.
Bulling will start his campaign in the early hours of Friday morning our time when he lines up in the Teams Pursuit Qualifying. Early Saturday he will compete in the Points Race, before teaming up with Canterbury’s Alex Frame in the Madison on Monday morning.
Bulling adds another name to a long list of Southland youngsters who have represented their country on the World Junior stage. Last year Karwowski won gold in the Team Sprint, while Hamish Tomlinson just missed out on a podium finish in the Teams Pursuit.
In 2008, Southland’s Cathy Jordan and Sequoia Cooper teamed with Gemma Dudley to claim silver in the Women’s Team Pursuit in South Africa and in 2007 Jordan had a couple of Southland lads by the name of Dawkins and Scully who have gone on to be reasonable bike riders.
The build-up to Piet’s trip to Italy has also provided a reminder that Invercargill’s hosting of the 2012 event is now just two years away. This week’s UCI Management Committee meeting should provide us with confirmed dates and our planning will then be able to begin in earnest.
If you are going to host any World Championship the Juniors is the one to get. Depending on how optimistic you are, there could be anywhere up to a thousand international visitors descending on Invercargill in a couple of years.
Already we have engaged the service of Arthur Klap to assist with our initial planning and organisational structure. If there is a major event to be staged in New Zealand, Arthur’s normally involved somehow. His insights have already been invaluable and our international promotional campaign begins this week in Italy. We are making sure New Zealand (and Southland) is on the radar a long way out.
Seeing a young Southlander in the silver fern on the top step of the podium sometime over the next week would provide a nice helping hand to our efforts. Go hard Piet.
Bulling is unquestionably one of the most talented all-round riders in the Men’s squad and even though this is his Junior Worlds debut he represents New Zealand’s best medal chance in a majority of the endurance track events.
However, due to the congested nature of the programme, team management have been forced to make some strategic decisions about which events he enters to ensure he is at the peak of his powers when he lines up in the black skin-suit. The question for coach Stu MacDonald and co is where to focus Piet’s attention to give him the best chance of emulating Southland’s Cameron Karwowski’s medal winning effort in Moscow 12 months ago.
Bulling will start his campaign in the early hours of Friday morning our time when he lines up in the Teams Pursuit Qualifying. Early Saturday he will compete in the Points Race, before teaming up with Canterbury’s Alex Frame in the Madison on Monday morning.
Bulling adds another name to a long list of Southland youngsters who have represented their country on the World Junior stage. Last year Karwowski won gold in the Team Sprint, while Hamish Tomlinson just missed out on a podium finish in the Teams Pursuit.
In 2008, Southland’s Cathy Jordan and Sequoia Cooper teamed with Gemma Dudley to claim silver in the Women’s Team Pursuit in South Africa and in 2007 Jordan had a couple of Southland lads by the name of Dawkins and Scully who have gone on to be reasonable bike riders.
The build-up to Piet’s trip to Italy has also provided a reminder that Invercargill’s hosting of the 2012 event is now just two years away. This week’s UCI Management Committee meeting should provide us with confirmed dates and our planning will then be able to begin in earnest.
If you are going to host any World Championship the Juniors is the one to get. Depending on how optimistic you are, there could be anywhere up to a thousand international visitors descending on Invercargill in a couple of years.
Already we have engaged the service of Arthur Klap to assist with our initial planning and organisational structure. If there is a major event to be staged in New Zealand, Arthur’s normally involved somehow. His insights have already been invaluable and our international promotional campaign begins this week in Italy. We are making sure New Zealand (and Southland) is on the radar a long way out.
Seeing a young Southlander in the silver fern on the top step of the podium sometime over the next week would provide a nice helping hand to our efforts. Go hard Piet.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Record Field To Start New Season
Frenetic racing and big numbers marked the start of Cycling Southland’s Road and Track Club racing this weekend.
Friday night featured the sixth round of the Baxter and Neilson Junior Track Points Series at the ILT Velodrome, followed by the first roll-out for our more experienced senior riders in our new Senior Racing Night.
After an eight week break over winter, Saturday saw the first of the new season’s road races with 100 riders descending on Winton to stretch their legs and blow-out any cob-webs from the break. I have only been on the scene for five minutes but I am reliably told by those who have been involved in the club scene for a lot longer that this was one of the biggest fields ever assembled.
That support is heartening, but don’t think we are about to finish there. This Saturday will see the launch of our Recreational Rides, on the same course as our Club races. This is designed for those new to the sport or those who just want a quiet roll over some fabulous country-side. We will only be riding as fast as the slowest rider (which will likely be me) so check out cyclingsouth.org.nz this week for details. And yes, we will be starting early to let you get to Rugby Park in time for kick-off.
Friday night at the ILT Velodrome was just as large. The junior racing was fast and furious and shows how highly sought-after the Yellow Baxter and Neilson jerseys are. Remarkably both Under 17 Men and Women categories has to be split by count-backs with the top three in each age-group tied together at the end of night. Tom Beadle and Georgia Timpany took the honours courtesy of their Time Trial victories. The Under 15s were clear cut. Both Michael Culling and Sophie McMurdo kept their unblemished Baxter and Neilson seasons intact with comfortable wins. The Under 13 Boys continued an arm-wrestle that has swung back and forth all year between Hamish Beadle and Josh Carpenter. Beadle was able to but another couple of points on his rival in the overall standings with a narrow win on Friday. And if the points table wasn’t proof enough of how evenly matched the two are, on Friday their 250m Time Trial times were separated by one one-hundredth of a second. 22.72 seconds played 22.73. Congratulations also to Madeline Gough who rode well to claim the U13 Girls jersey. Mark in the last Friday of the month for the next exciting chapter.
The seniors then suited up to start their Friday Night series. Features of the night included Brehan Cairns drawing first blood in the 8km A-Grade Motor-Paced scratch race, covering the distance in 9’44. Karl Watson showed why he has such a fine future in the sport, holding off the rest of the A-Grade field for a debut win in the 2.5k Scratch.
I can’t wait for more of the same this weekend. Hope you can enjoy the ride with us.
Friday night featured the sixth round of the Baxter and Neilson Junior Track Points Series at the ILT Velodrome, followed by the first roll-out for our more experienced senior riders in our new Senior Racing Night.
After an eight week break over winter, Saturday saw the first of the new season’s road races with 100 riders descending on Winton to stretch their legs and blow-out any cob-webs from the break. I have only been on the scene for five minutes but I am reliably told by those who have been involved in the club scene for a lot longer that this was one of the biggest fields ever assembled.
That support is heartening, but don’t think we are about to finish there. This Saturday will see the launch of our Recreational Rides, on the same course as our Club races. This is designed for those new to the sport or those who just want a quiet roll over some fabulous country-side. We will only be riding as fast as the slowest rider (which will likely be me) so check out cyclingsouth.org.nz this week for details. And yes, we will be starting early to let you get to Rugby Park in time for kick-off.
Friday night at the ILT Velodrome was just as large. The junior racing was fast and furious and shows how highly sought-after the Yellow Baxter and Neilson jerseys are. Remarkably both Under 17 Men and Women categories has to be split by count-backs with the top three in each age-group tied together at the end of night. Tom Beadle and Georgia Timpany took the honours courtesy of their Time Trial victories. The Under 15s were clear cut. Both Michael Culling and Sophie McMurdo kept their unblemished Baxter and Neilson seasons intact with comfortable wins. The Under 13 Boys continued an arm-wrestle that has swung back and forth all year between Hamish Beadle and Josh Carpenter. Beadle was able to but another couple of points on his rival in the overall standings with a narrow win on Friday. And if the points table wasn’t proof enough of how evenly matched the two are, on Friday their 250m Time Trial times were separated by one one-hundredth of a second. 22.72 seconds played 22.73. Congratulations also to Madeline Gough who rode well to claim the U13 Girls jersey. Mark in the last Friday of the month for the next exciting chapter.
The seniors then suited up to start their Friday Night series. Features of the night included Brehan Cairns drawing first blood in the 8km A-Grade Motor-Paced scratch race, covering the distance in 9’44. Karl Watson showed why he has such a fine future in the sport, holding off the rest of the A-Grade field for a debut win in the 2.5k Scratch.
I can’t wait for more of the same this weekend. Hope you can enjoy the ride with us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)