Another weekend passes with more outstanding performances by Southland cyclists on the international scene. It’s early in the track season and for many of our elite athletes the Oceania Championships which ended over the weekend in Adelaide was the start of a long season which they hope will end with success next March at the World Championships in Holland.
For others it was a chance to send a message to the BikeNZ High Performance Programme that theirs is a name to consider. That’s exactly what Pieter Bulling has done. He raised eyebrows for all the right reasons as he trained with the squad at the ILT Velodrome over the past fortnight. Then, when the decision was made to give Tom Scully more time on his comeback from injury, Piet delivered the perfect example of taking one’s opportunity by lighting it up in Adelaide to claim a spot in the Elite team for the Melbourne World Cup starting Thursday. This is one young man going places and I’m told he is leaving many more experienced members of the squad in his wake.
I am also particularly delighted with Tom Beadle’s effort to claim silver in the U19 Keirin, a matching pair of medals after his second-place finish in the U19 Team Sprint on opening night. Tom is another prodigious talent to roll off the Cycling Southland production line and we will watch his age group with particular interest over the next 18 months as they will wear the black skin-suit when the Junior World Champs are staged in Invercargill in 2012.
Our Development Officer Matt Archibald got his first taste of international competition over these championships and finished his debut campaign by leading out his three-some to fifth place in Saturday’s Team Sprint qualifications. Matt has only been in the sport for a handful off years but has a work ethic and raw power which guarantees his choice to change his oars for a bike was a wise one.
The most exciting news is that all of the guys and girls who starred at the Oceanias along with the full BikeNZ Elite and Development squads and internationals will be lining up in the ILT International Festival of Speed next week.
We’ve had a lot of fun putting this event together because it has been about a lot more than track cycling. Our entertainment includes stunt BMX rider Paul Langlands and friends. Having seen video online of this guy, I can’t wait to see what he and his mates deliver next week. We’ve got live music from The Heartleys and Lipstick to complement the adrenaline pumping track cycling.
Yes, I’m biased. But if you have never been to a cycling event before, this is the one to come to. $20 gets the whole family in for two or three hours of awesome entertainment. And if that’s not enough we’ll offer an unashamed bribe by putting you in the draw to win a weekend to Adelaide in January. Sold? I sure am.
Cycling Southland CEO's Blog from inside the Stadium Southland Velodrome
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Privileged To Be Part of Tour Family
I feel very privileged to have been involved with the 2010 PowerNet Tour of Southland. Having now been part of this iconic event, I understand why the huge army of volunteers put their hand up year after year to be involved. It is truly something quite special.
I am wary of trying to do justice to all that is good about the event in this column. Space limitations mean I can only touch on a few highlights from the past week. So many more serve to be mentioned.
One does stand out though. The major highlight for me was the people. The event is served so well by people who love what they do. Whether it is driving a vehicle, standing on a corner with a flag, setting up the stage finishes, officiating in a pressure-cooker atmosphere for days on end or being part of a team’s support crew , every single one is there because they are passionate about the event and about the sport. A “family” atmosphere like this can’t be manufactured. It happens naturally or it doesn’t at all and the Tour family is recognised by officials and riders alike as the key reason for the PowerNet Tour’s continued success. I’d heard about it, but hadn’t realised what a factor it was until last week.
I spent the week out in front of the event, getting the school kids along the Tour route hyped up and amped for the arrival of the riders. I apologise to the teachers of Southland for any classroom carnage that followed our visits. The kids were great and it is this kind of community support we want to foster even further in coming years.
Then came the emotional rollercoaster of the race itself. Watching 100 plus riders descending on the finish line in Tuatapere at over 70 kilometres per hour will live long in the memory banks, as will the sportsmanship of Hayden Roulston, waiting for then Tour leader Jeremy Yates to rejoin the race following his fall on the Crown Range road. The raw power of Roulston and Jack Bauer over the final stages of Friday’s grind into Te Anau turned the race and set up an incredible finish on Saturday where the perfect race plan was completed to perfection by Roulston, Greg Henderson and their Calder Stewart/BikeNZ team mates. And that was the bike race. After nearly 900 kilometres incredibly, it came down to just two seconds.
To hear the Police say it is the easiest race they have been involved with, Bruce Ross label it the best Tour of his time and Hayden Roulston say it is the sweetest victory of his four means things went pretty well. Even Mother Nature played her part.
But all of it would not be possible without the unwavering support from the whole PowerNet Tour “family”. Special thanks to PowerNet, our volunteers, Police, sponsors and community funders, the riders and of course Bruce and Pam Ross and family. Bring on 2011.
I am wary of trying to do justice to all that is good about the event in this column. Space limitations mean I can only touch on a few highlights from the past week. So many more serve to be mentioned.
One does stand out though. The major highlight for me was the people. The event is served so well by people who love what they do. Whether it is driving a vehicle, standing on a corner with a flag, setting up the stage finishes, officiating in a pressure-cooker atmosphere for days on end or being part of a team’s support crew , every single one is there because they are passionate about the event and about the sport. A “family” atmosphere like this can’t be manufactured. It happens naturally or it doesn’t at all and the Tour family is recognised by officials and riders alike as the key reason for the PowerNet Tour’s continued success. I’d heard about it, but hadn’t realised what a factor it was until last week.
I spent the week out in front of the event, getting the school kids along the Tour route hyped up and amped for the arrival of the riders. I apologise to the teachers of Southland for any classroom carnage that followed our visits. The kids were great and it is this kind of community support we want to foster even further in coming years.
Then came the emotional rollercoaster of the race itself. Watching 100 plus riders descending on the finish line in Tuatapere at over 70 kilometres per hour will live long in the memory banks, as will the sportsmanship of Hayden Roulston, waiting for then Tour leader Jeremy Yates to rejoin the race following his fall on the Crown Range road. The raw power of Roulston and Jack Bauer over the final stages of Friday’s grind into Te Anau turned the race and set up an incredible finish on Saturday where the perfect race plan was completed to perfection by Roulston, Greg Henderson and their Calder Stewart/BikeNZ team mates. And that was the bike race. After nearly 900 kilometres incredibly, it came down to just two seconds.
To hear the Police say it is the easiest race they have been involved with, Bruce Ross label it the best Tour of his time and Hayden Roulston say it is the sweetest victory of his four means things went pretty well. Even Mother Nature played her part.
But all of it would not be possible without the unwavering support from the whole PowerNet Tour “family”. Special thanks to PowerNet, our volunteers, Police, sponsors and community funders, the riders and of course Bruce and Pam Ross and family. Bring on 2011.
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