Record-breaking week at ILT Velodrome

Somehow, in a few paragraphs in this column, I need to justice to one of the most spectacular sporting spectacles I have had the priviledge of witnessing.

Building up to last week’s WHK Oceania Track Cycling Championships, there was a feeling we could see some great action but we could never have predicted the world class performances that were laid down on the boards of the ILT Velodrome over four incredible days and nights. We watched New Zealand’s elite dish it out to their Australian counterparts all week and lower record after record with apparant ease.

The questions on who will go to London have not fully been answered. BikeNZ now has the unenviable task of sorting through the swag of personal best and NZ record times to work out which combination of riders gives it the best chance of reaching its publicly-stated target of four Olympic medals.

To have seen the Men and Women Team Pursuit combinations go as quick as they did, this early in the season is a wonderful sign. Alison Shanks, Lauren Ellis and Jaime Nielsen went within 0.2 seconds of the world record while Jesse Sergent, Marc Ryan, Sam Bewley and Aaron Gate blew their previous best to pieces and were only 2 seconds shy of the fastest time ever recorded in the world.

The international cycling community has quickly sat up and taken notice. These were the fastest times recorded in these events this year. It’s fair to say, if it wasn’t already, Invercargill has arrived on the world track cycling stage.

Times of this standard are without doubt the best form of advertising we could hope for and it adds yet another selling point to bring riders down under for next year’s Junior World Track Championships. We know Southland will put on a great competition, we know that riders, their families and supporters will be welcomed and looked after like nowhere else in the world. And now we know that world class times will also be registered during competition. We could promote the virtues of bringing the family halfway around the world for the ultimate southern New Zealand experience until the cows came home, but if the perception was we would have a dog of a track which riders would crawl around in sub-zero temperatures then we’d be pushing it up hill. This week we’ll be directly contacting every national federation around the world – and the times from last week’s champs, will be front and centre.

In all the record-breaking feats of last week, one of my finest memories was the performance of Cycling Southland’s Tom Scully. He came within half a lap of the Scratch race title and then powered his way to wins in the Madison and Points races. The finish to the Points race was particularly special – Scully and Aaron Gate going at it pedal stroke for pedal stroke all the way to the line. Tom is one of the good guys and he is back to his very best.

PowerNet Tour a Southland Showcase

Southland was once again thrust into the national spotlight thanks to the tireless efforts of a sporting club delivering New Zealand’s premier cycle race. Last week Cycling Southland hosted the 56th PowerNet Tour of Southland and captured significant exposure for the region in the process.

The event space is challenging right now and it’s hard work in the current economic environment. Considering the amount of prime time television coverage, newspaper inches, internet and radio, the Tour of Southland is a phenomenal promotional opportunity for Southland and one which we try and maximise for the benefit of the region. Sure, it’s about putting a bike race on, but it’s also about doing something for the province.

Again though, it’s the huge logistical challenge the PowerNet Tour presents which strikes me the most. Remember, it is actually an amateur not-for-profit sporting club that delivers this event. Fortunately, we’ve got a great servant in the form of Bruce Ross and his family, together with the huge amount of support we get from volunteers which just can’t be overstated. But it is a massive undertaking. I would understand if volunteers were there for the glory, high profile jobs but the reality is quite different. Scores of people take a week off work or away from families and personal commitments to do the hard yards, away from the spotlight. Their work is invaluable and they are the fabric which holds Cycling Southland and events like the PowerNet Tour all together

The level of support from officials and volunteers continues to grow and hopefully that’s an endorsement on the type of event we run. But it’s nothing you can take for granted and we need to take every opportunity to say an overwhelming thank you.

No rest though, as our attention has switched straight away to the ILT Velodrome for next week’s WHK-sponsored Oceania Track Cycling Championships.

This is going to be some week of racing. As continental championships riders and nations earn vital qualification points for the London Olympics so for New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia, there could not be more motivation. How many and who it is that goes to London could well be decided by what unfolds before us in Invercargill next week.

BikeNZ’s full elite squad will be in action and combined with a strong contingent of Australians these championships represent the best international field the ILT Velodrome has hosted in its five year history. Commonwealth Games champions, Olympic medallists, world champion and world record-holders will all be on the start line. Any wonder we are fizzing at the prospect?

The event also features the first ever Para-Cycling P1 Regional Cup event to be held in this country with riders from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Poland and South Africa all competing with four current world champions among them.

Sessions start next Monday and are held daily through until Thursday from 10:00am and 6:30pm.

So if there was any thought of taking it easy after the biggest week of the year on Tour, think again.

A Tour for all Southlanders

And so the final countdown to launch of the 2011 PowerNet Tour of Southland arrives. This iconic sporting event, which brings unparalleled media coverage for Southland is less than one week away.

Last week I wrote about the storylines that were likely to unfold on the ILT Velodrome at the ILT Track Carnival and National Omnium Championships (many did, by the way). This week I could easily fill my word count with a once-over-lightly about what the PowerNet Tour could throw up when it starts on Sunday.

Hayden Roulston goes in search of a fifth Tour title; Pure Black Racing, now a year old, is ready to make its mark at home after a successful debut season off-shore; Share The Road look to get Jeremy Yates into yellow for the end of the race as they did so expertly at the start of the week, 12 months ago; in the battle for the U23 classification – which could likely be even more competitive than the overall title - a youthful PowerNet team including Southlanders Tom Scully and Cameron Karwowski will look to get one of their number into the Pink Young Rider jersey, but the return of Mike Vink (Mico – Protrain Cycling Team) and Paddy Bevin (Ascot Park Hotel) along with the returning George Bennett (Kia Motors) will all have something to say about that. Like I said, no shortage of stories.

But my focus today is on how you, the Southland sporting public can get involved. Our PowerNet Tour Launch Party starts on Sunday (30th) from 2.30pm at Feldwick Gate, Queens Park with our traditional Ride With The Stars. Young and old can bring their bikes and helmets and ride through Queens Park with the stars of the PowerNet Tour. Then the Tour teams will be officially presented at 3.00pm before our Family fun day will take us up to the start of 2011 PowerNet Tour with the Team’s Time Trial. We have made the move to feature the opening prologue on Sunday evening to make the Tour start more spectator-friendly. Join us to launch the event in style at Gala Street.

Then, as the PowerNet Tour winds its way around every point of the southern compass, get out and support the riders. Visit www.tourofsouthland.com and click “Spectator Information” for our 2011 Viewing Guide, offering the best vantage points to see the tour peloton. Friday November 5th will also features two new additions. Our Supporters Tour will provide a behind the scenes look at the Tour. This fully escorted day of hospitality on our Supporters Bus is the ultimate Tour experience. And that night our first Legends Dinner will be held at the ILT Velodrome featuring eight-time winner Brian Fowler, cycling identity Stephen Cox, BikeNZ Track coach Tim Carswell and the stars of the 2011 PowerNet Tour. More information on both events can be found at www.tourofsouthland.com or by contacting Cycling Southland.

It is an iconic Southland event and the more ways we can get Southlanders like you involved, the better.

Storylines Unfold at Cycling Southland

The first event in Cycling Southland’s hectic October and November ended in beautiful sunshine yesterday at Mable Bush as 181 riders from all parts of New Zealand and Australia battled each other all the way to the final stage finish line in search of 2011 Yunca Junior Tour honours.

An event like the Yunca Tour can’t really be done justice in a column of this side. There are so many storylines on and off the bike during an event like this. It could be a resounding solo victory like Tom Vessey’s U19 stage win yesterday afternoon or a sprint finish with five riders spread across the line, all within split seconds of each other – like the Under 17 Girls finish yesterday.

It could be the fun and games the Tour officials get up to and the banter and camaraderie that is so apparent among the event volunteers. And it could be the unbelievable commitment by those same volunteers who are there hours after and hours before anything resembling a rider appears on the scene. Regardless of what catches your attention the most, you can’t help but be very proud of an event like the Yunca Tour.

A personal thanks to all of those who worked to make the 2011 version one of the very best. Sier Vermunt, Phil Culling, Shane Brazier and all the Tour committee and helpers – huge congratulations on what you delivered over the weekend.

Those story lines will continue this week as our attention quickly shifts to the ILT Velodrome for our ILT Track Carnival over three nights – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. These three nights will be action packed with over 200 riders registered to take part across the three nights.

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings will feature the National Elite Omnium Championships. This event alone contains enough stories to fill a week’s edition of the Southland Times. Who will take the first step by putting their name in lights and saying to the national selectors, “I am and person you want riding this event at the London Olympics next year.” All the country’s best endurance riders will be lining up against each other and even though many are great mates and have ridden alongside each other for years, when it comes to Olympic selections, mate-ship has to be put on hold for a couple of nights.

Hayden Roulston makes his return to the track for the first time since winning a silver medal in Beijing. How will he fare against World Championship medalist Shane Archbold, wily veterans Marc Ryan, Sam Bewley, Jesse Sergent or Wes Gough? How about the Southland contingent, led by Tom Scully and Cameron Karwowski? Like I said, so many story-lines. And when you thrown in our Trans Tasman Junior Challenge racing and then the Sprint supercars who turn up to ride Sunday, this column really can’t do it all justice.

Racing starts at 6pm each night. We’ll see you at the ILT Velodrome this week, where you can see the stories for themselves.

Juniors to take over Road and Track

This weekend features Cycling Southland’s 2011 edition of the Yunca Junior Tour of Southland. Over recent years this event has developed into one of the premier junior tours in Australasia and this year more than 40 riders cross the Tasman to take on the best New Zealand has to offer.

The Yunca Tour also marks the final round in the National Points Series for the Under-19 and Under-17 grades and will define who claims the honour of Series Champion. Otago’s Patrick Jones, Wakatipu’s Tom Vessey and Te Awamutu’s Scott Creighton all have a chance to leap to the top of the standings in the Under 19 Men with a Tour victory.

The Under 17 categories promise to deliver the most action, largely due to the size of the fields – 49 boys and 34 girls. Wakatipu’s Liam Aitcheson takes a slim ten point lead into the race and after Tour wins in the last two rounds in Timaru and Dunedin has excellent form behind him. With 100 points up for grabs for the Tour winner another six starters all have mathematical chance of earning the title, including Cycling Southland’s Josh Haggerty. Meanwhile Devon Hiley from Counties-Manukau has the Under 17 girls title banked with the late withdrawal due to injury of her closest rival.

In many respects the Under 15 and Under 13 categories are some of the most important. For many of the riders in this category it is one of their first experiences of multi-stage cycling events and a major milestone in their development as bike riders.

The Yunca Tour begins on Friday at Teretonga Raceway with Individual Time Trials from 11am and afternoon stage races starting from 1.30. I’d really encourage you to get out and take a look on Friday. It’s a wonderful venue for watching racing and you’ll see the entrants riding individually and in bunches over the course of the day. Saturday’s attention switches to Te Tipua for morning and afternoon stages, before Sunday sees the race culminate with a morning inner-city criterium (more great viewing) starting in Tay Street from 8.30am with the final stage at Mabel Bush to decide the yellow jerseys on Sunday afternoon.

We give ourselves next Monday off before getting straight in to our annual October Track Carnival next week (Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th). This year features the ILT Trans Tasman Junior Challenge over the first two nights of racing along with the National Elite Omnium Championships. The best Junior talent compete for Trans Tasman bragging rights while the top elite endurance track riders in the land take a vital step towards Olympic selection right in our own back yard. Then we’ll wrap it up next Thursday with Carnival racing, from Under 13s to Open riders, including the Elite Sprint stars, fresh from this weekend’s racing in Sydney. Event passes are just $20 or $10 a night for adults and $5 for students. A great couple of weeks on road and track - we’ll see you out there.

Getting Set For The Silly Season

Cycling Southland’s silly season is about to hit. Our club will deliver four major national and international events in the space of just six short weeks, starting with the Yunca Junior Tour of Southland.

The entry closing date has been brought forward with over 170 riders from both sides of the Tasman set to contest the eight age categories across three days of racing. It starts at Teretonga Raceway on Friday October 14 with a morning time trial and afternoon Kermise stage. It’s a wonderful spot for racing and although the smell of petroleum may be missing the action is sure to be as thrilling as when the V8s are roaring around the same venue.

You’ll find plenty more in this column over coming weeks about the other events on our calendar – ILT Track Carnival (including the Trans-Tasman Junior Challenge and NZ Elite Omnium Champs) from October 18 to 20, PowerNet Tour of Southland from October 30 to November 5 and WHK Oceania Track Championships from November 21 to 24.

But if you can’t wait for that, pick up our special edition magazine which we’ve titled “Come Along For the Ride.” Copies are available from the Cycling Southland office at the ILT Velodrome for just $5 with funds going to Cycling Southland’s Junior and Development programmes. It does show you just how busy our little club is going to be over the next couple of months.

In all of the excitement of this week’s spectacular All Blacks and Warriors victories it would be easy to miss the fact that one southern cycling family achieved a rare feat on Friday night. Martyn and Liz Williamson from Alexandra stood on the side of a surburban road in Copenhagen and watch not one, but two of their children line up at the World Road Cycling Championships.

First up was Sophie, fresh from her medal-winning deeds in Moscow and the Junior Track World Championships, in the Under 19 Women’s road race. She was prominent throughout the 70 kilometre race and was positioned close to the front of the bunch as the peloton descended on the finish line for an uphill sprint finish. Her effort in finishing 18th in her first tilt at an international road race was commendable. It was made even more meritorious by the fact that she was forced to ride without her team-mate after New Zealand’s only other representative withdrew following a nasty crash on the first lap.

Then just hours later, older brother James rolled off the start line in the Under 23 Men’s race. He too did everything right, positioning himself expertly over 165 kilometres before getting caught behind a crash on the second to last corner. He watched the bunch disappear as a Russian tried to remove his handlebars from James’ back wheel. To quote the man himself, “that’s good old bike racing.”  

I’m sure, like many, both Williamsons will have more bike racing tales to tell from our events over the next couple of months.

Behind The Scenes at Winter Games

On Friday I was very fortunate to be invited to take part in an Observer Tour to take a behind-the-scenes look at an outstanding international event being staged in our own back yard, the 2011 Winter Games.

The tour was coordinated by SPARC and was attended by representatives of organizations hosting major events in New Zealand, the likes of the World Triathlon Championships, Volvo Ocean Race, Coast to Coast and of course Cycling Southland’s Junior World Track Cycling Championships next year.

It was a rare opportunity to “go behind the curtain” and witness an international event in action. The fact that Event Director Arthur Klap gave so freely of his own and his team’s time, speaks volumes for the efficient way the Games run. The calm atmosphere which prevailed over our day up the mountain was one of the day’s most striking features.

As always, there was real value in sharing ideas and challenges with some of the top people in the sports event space in the country. We all share the same challenges and these are all made slightly easier by days like Friday when relationships are built and concepts are shared. The insights into the Winter Games’ international promotion, mainstream and social media liaison, volunteer management, financial management, planning and review processes was hugely beneficial and you can’t help but be impressed by Arthur Klap’s willingness to share his learnings, warts and all.

We utilized Arthur’s services last year to assist with setting up the framework and initial event planning for the Junior Worlds and we’ve been benefiting from his input every day since. To hear him speak so passionately about the event and the sacrifices (personal and financial) he has made to see the Winter Games develop was inspiring.

He was very up-front about one of the major challenges snow sports faces, the ability to generate mainstream interest both in terms of national media and genuine awareness from the general public. Never before have so many Olympic and World Champions been in New Zealand for a sporting event. Did you know? Until Friday, I have to admit to having absolutely no idea.

I draw parallels with what we will be hosting at the ILT Velodrome over October. The best of the best in the sport of track cycling will be in town, training for most of the month in what will be a crucial determinant of who goes to London to ride for gold next year. Those decisions will be played out in front of us in Invercargill. Imagine if the All Blacks were basing their pre-World Cup training at Rugby Park. Think we’d all know about it?

Nationally, non-mainstream sports can often struggle to be heard over the white noise created by rugby, netball, cricket and league. The stories I heard at Winter Games and those that I am sure will play out at the ILT Velodrome in October need to be told as widely as possible. That’s our job, so expect to hear from us.

One Year To Go for Junior Worlds

The curtain has dropped on the 2011 UCI Juniors World Track Championships in Moscow and the New Zealand squad ended the five days of competition on Sunday night with 10 medals and 3 fourth-places from 16 events entered, arguably the best result by any group of cyclists at a World Championship.

Add that level of achievement to the fact that yesterday (Monday) marked the one year anniversary until the start of the 2012 Junior Worlds in Invercargill and the excitement levels at the ILT Velodrome are rising rapidly.

True to form, Cycling Southland’s two representatives, Steph McKenzie and Sophie Williamson delivered on the world stage in Russia and return with a little excess baggage. McKenzie was a stand-out winning two silvers and a bronze along with a fourth placing in her sprint events while Williamson, Alexandra’s favourite sporting daughter, claimed bronze in last Friday morning’s Points race in her first trip to the World Juniors.

Sophie rode herself to near breaking point and only found out she had held on to claim a medal when she was warming down after the event. However, in the process, she emptied the tanks and paid something of a price over the next two days in the Women’s Omnium (six separate events over two of the longest days in track cycling). Reading her updates from the event, in true Sophie-style, she has already learned lessons which I have little doubt she will put to good use in 12 months time.

She won’t have much of a chance to reflect on her first campaign though, lining up again in the Black skin-suit for the Junior Women Road World Championships in Copenhagen from September 19-23.
Steph would no doubt have loved to change the colour of one or two of her medals into gold but she can be justifiably proud of her efforts. She went within 0.011 seconds of the world record in the Women’s Sprint qualifying before losing out to one of the power-houses in the home-town Russian squad. In the process, she became the first New Zealander to make a Sprint Gold Medal ride-off. She added a Team Sprint bronze with Auckland first-year Paige Paterson and followed it up with a powerful performance to take silver in the Keirin.

Six of this year’s squad are eligible for next year’s World Championships in Invercargill with Williamson and Canterbury’s Dylan Kennett, another bronze medal winner this year, likely to be central to the kiwis drive for medals on home soil.

Preparations will now heat up – from both an event organiser’s and rider’s perspective. BikeNZ has named strong squads ahead of the ILT Trans-Tasman Junior Track event in October and Oceania Championships in November. With Olympic spots up for grabs for the Elite riders and selection for a home Junior World Championship campaign for the Under-19 and second year Under-17 riders, the racing at these two events is sure to be some of the most-hotly contested in recent memory. The ILT Velodrome will be the place to be.

Steph and Soph Show The Way

Two of Cycling Southland’s young stars are in Russia for the 2011 UCI World Junior Track Championships which started overnight in Moscow.

Alexandra’s Sophie Williamson and Stephanie McKenzie of Invercargill are part of an 11-strong squad who will compete for world titles and the coveted rainbow jersey over the next five days. There is a further Southland connection in the coaching team with former Cycling Southland Regional Coach Ross Machejefski overseeing the campaign and mechanic Chris O’Connor completing the quartet.

For Williamson it is her first taste of World Championship racing while McKenzie, who has followed the cycling phenomenon known as the “drift south” - relocating at the start of this year to Invercargill from Auckland, is back for her second tilt.

She represents New Zealand’s best medal prospect having won silver in the Team Sprint twelve months ago in Italy along with top ten finishes in the Women’s Sprint (4th), 500m Time Trial (7th) and Keirin (9th). Last year’s experience will serve her well and she enters the competition safe in the knowledge her times are faster – she was in blistering form earlier this year at the Track Nationals at the ILT Velodrome in March.

Williamson is unquestionably one of the sport’s brightest prospects. She swept the floor at the Track Nationals in the Under 19 Omnium event earlier this year, winning five of the six events, and there is little doubt she will be in the thick of every race she starts.

She will be available for selection next year also and the prospect of seeing Soph riding for her country at World Championships in Invercargill in 2012 is one all southern sporting fans shouldn’t miss.

Racing begins early Thursday morning with McKenzie opening her campaign alongside Aucklander Paige Paterson in the Women’s Team Sprint along with the Men’s Team Pursuit, Team Sprint and Scratch Race.

It also reminds us that the 2012 Championships are now 53 weeks away. Our own Graham Sycamore doesn’t miss many bun-fights and true to form he is sweltering in the heat in Moscow pressing the flesh with the 35 countries involved, extolling the virtues of Southland and the ILT Velodrome. He informs us the Russians, Swiss and Spanish are already making plans for their trips to Invercargill.

Not only will the 2012 World Junior Championships be a wonderful showcase for the sport and facility, but it is also an incredible marketing opportunity for the region. Forecasts are for around 250 competitors from up to 40 countries with something like 13,000 bed nights and $3.2 million dollar cash injection around the event alone. This doesn’t account for the extension of stays in and around the south, which obviously is a focus of our international marketing.

And while we are on the subject of juniors, entries opened publicly this week for the 2011 Yunca Junior Tour of Southland. Demand is high and we can’t wait to host the best young talent in the country for the annual event from October 14th to 16th.

Nick Jeffrey is Chief Executive of Cycling Southland.

Corporate Pursuit Another Huge Success

Nearly 200 Southlanders took on the ILT Velodrome last Sunday in Cycling Southland’s 2011 Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit and lived to tell the tale. Again, it proved to be one of the most-enjoyable events on the jam-packed Cycling Southland calendar. It really is one big party on wheels.

As with any Cycling Southland event, there is a long list of thank yous to hand out. There are two main reasons why this event is the runaway success. One is Sier Vermunt. The other is Julian Ineson. These two do an incredible job and I struggle to recognize their incredible contribution with words on a page. Their passion and organization is the primary reason the event has grown to what it is today. I cannot thank them enough. We are incredibly fortunate to also have a sponsor who literally gets its hands dirty with the event. To Brendon, Nicki and the Harrex Group team go our thanks for all that they contribute.

Already plans are underway for 2012. We asked the teams and riders for feedback on the event. The response has been immediate and overwhelming. 100% of respondents to our feedback survey have rated the event 4 or 5 out of 5 in terms of overall experience, (a 4.67 out of 5 average). 100% have said they want to be a part of it again next year and an incredible 95% are keen to continue riding on the track and road. It’s an incredible endorsement.

Next year represents a massive opportunity for Cycling Southland and the region with our hosting of the 2012 UCI World Junior Track Championships at the ILT Velodrome in August. This year’s Corporate Pursuit intake has found out first hand just how addictive the sport is and it proves once again what an outstanding community facility the ILT Velodrome is. We’re going to make sure as many Southlanders get in here to start the cycling addiction between now and next August.

It’s become my signature saying since coming in to the role at Cycling Southland but it’s never been more true … we are just getting started! It’s incredibly exciting.

Cycling Southland coaches Matt Archibald and Dale Tye have launched follow-up coaching programmes for the entrants and a revised weekly track schedule will commence this month to handle the increased in-take of new riders at both junior and adult levels.

When you combine the incredible feedback from the Corporate Pursuit with the massive increase in numbers we are seeing at beginner level into Matt and Dale’s junior Wheelers track programmes, we are pretty happy that the craze is taking hold.

We are about to launch a new marketing campaign entitled “Come Along for the Ride” so you can expect to hear plenty more about how easy we are going to make it to get started and hooked on the sport on the road and on the ILT Velodrome. Cycling Southland is gearing up for some ride over the next few months.

Nick Jeffrey is Cycling Southland's Chief Execuitve

AGM Provides Excuse to Reflect

Cycling Southland held its Annual General Meeting this week. It provided a rare opportunity to pause and reflect on the last 15 months’ work. Each and every week I am continually blown away by the support this organization receives from such a passionate group of people and each week I am captivated by the opportunity which exists for the sport and for Cycling Southland. For the purposes of an annual report we calculate the number of volunteer hours which go into the sport – we just stopped counting when the number got above 50,000. The past year has been a transitional one with my arrival and the on-going implementation of this new structure. To trade our way to a small cash operating surplus was satisfying in a year of such great change and it points to the great things we have ahead of us.

The sheer volume of work delivered by this organization is staggering. In the last 15 month period we have hosted New Zealand’s premier elite and junior road tours, two National Track Championships, three track carnivals, an incredible corporate event and a full programme of junior and senior road and track racing. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon. Over the next 13 months we will host National, Oceania and World Track Championships along with the Yunca and PowerNet Tours as well as assisting the Wakatipu Club with the Oceania Road Championships in March. I can’t think of another club, anywhere in the world, that would have all of that on its plate. Can you?

Significant progress has been made at a development level which is something I’m most proud of. We now have a Learn to Ride fundamentals programme which has been successfully piloted in seven Southland schools with outstanding results. We have cycling accredited with NZQA for NCEA performance standards and we have increased the number the children entering our Wheelers introductory programmes four-fold. The exciting part is that we are just getting started.

The AGM also saw the end of Steve Canny’s seven and a half year stint as President. His contribution cannot be over-stated. It was Steve’s voice on my answer-phone a couple of Christmas Eves ago which changed my life and got me into this game. I have had the treat of working alongside him closely over the last few weeks as we presented to the Ministry of Economic Development in Wellington and worked with SPARC on our hosting of the 2012 Junior Worlds. Watching him at work is a sight to behold and I have now seen first-hand the skills he and his mates employed to get the ILT Velodrome built. I’ll be making sure his many skills are not lost to our organization. I am also absolutely delighted Tony Ineson will fill the shoes of another legend, Sonny Broad, as our new Patron. But ultimately it is the Cycling Southland member, to whom I offer most thanks. 

And together we’ve all got some ride ahead of us.

Corporate Pursuit Life-Changing Experience

Cycling Southland’s Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit is to be held over the next two weekends with the Grading Time Trial on Sunday and the Finals Day on Sunday 31st July. Over 200 riders in 34 corporate teams will line up to take on the clock and the competition. Last year’s winning team was YMCA Education. They were anchored to their victory by Karl Watson who today tells us why competing in the event last year was truly life-changing.

I fell in love with track cycling after participating in the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit for the past two years and riding for the YMCA.

Initially, our team entered in the competition as something fun for our staff to do as we had heard how much fun other businesses had been having. Also, I thought the concept of going as fast as you can over a short distance on an oval track was really exciting.

As Invercargill is a relatively close-knit city I knew people from the other businesses which really brought out the competitive edge and a lot of friendly banter amongst the competitors.

As the weeks progressed, we all improved and we got faster and smoother and the times kept coming down. Then on the race day, it was amazing how the crowd and the excitement of the day took more seconds off our time.

The amazing thing about the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit is that it is not just a corporate event, as it is an event that brings what would normally only be experienced by our elite athletes to normal people, with potentially a far more raucous and involved crowd.

I have since ridden at the track nationals and a number of cycling carnivals, and I believe that the corporate pursuit provided a great platform for me to do well at these events. The experience of participating in the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit has been life changing for me. I have no doubt that if I had not taken part in the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit I would not have represented Southland at our national track champs.

Come see why there is such a buzz about the town and experience this unique opportunity on the 31st July from 9:30am.
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Our 34 teams line up on Sunday from 12.30pm at the ILT Velodrome. Each will ride solo against the clock to confirm seedings for the Corporate Pursuit finals which will be held one week later on Sunday 31st. It is not only a great event to compete in, the crowd has created an atmosphere all of its own with fancy dress costumes, banners and a heck of a lot of noise. Entry fee is only $2 for adults and children are free and we’ve got a heap of activity off the track planned, including the chance to win a Specialized Mountain Bike from Wensley’s Cycles. Good luck to each of our teams as they put the finishing touches on their build-ups. To find out more visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/corporatepursuit.

Corporate Pursuit Rookie Report

Cycling Southland’s Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit is approaching fast. 2010 rookie Diane Lindsay offers a newcomer’s perspective on the event.

Well that time has come around again the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit, I undertook this daunting sport a year ago (one tick on my personal bucket list).

Our very first training session was very daunting and blooming scary as we thought about the height of the cycling track, but nothing prepared us for arriving at the ILT Velodrome and seeing the track. Oh it was so damned high. But wait, at the end of the session all of us were riding to the top of the track.

Off we went into our weekly routine of training sessions and our own personal training as well, (my legs have never looked so good). We learnt so much and really understood the word ‘pursuit’ - we really did get close to each others wheels and we looked great. That is what the coach wanted - nice and neat and he got it.

Time trial night came and as you would imagine our nerves were rather fraught, as we were all under the spot light with our co-workers and family members all present in support of us all. We had followed the instructions to the book, even eating the correct pasta!

We lined up and had our last minute advice from the coach, wow when we had finished we were all so elated, our family and co-workers were all so impressed, and so they should have been. What a great feeling – Friday night drinks comes second to that feel good feeling.

Then a week later came race day and what a festival - competitive atmosphere, and run so professionally with warm-up bikes, designated team areas and, if required, a physiotherapist.

Our team was first up and had a great race. I completed my second leg of the pursuit feeling very good with myself, went up high and promptly feel down from the top taking out another rider with me. After being picked up and looked after by officials and team members, off I went and introduced myself to the physio.

Our team had another race, which I did not race due to feeling quite sore in the shoulder. Having the opportunity to stand down and yell at the team from the side line made me very proud.

Our final race of the day, and what the hell, I had nothing to lose so I asked if I could ride again. That race we all flew and we did a new personal best time.

Coming to work the following day I asked a doctor’s opinion on my sore shoulder and the diagnosis? One broken shoulder. We do breed them tough down south. Go Waihopia Health Services!
__________

The Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit Grading Time Trial is on July 24th with the Finals on July 31st. Entry is only $2 for adults and children free. Get along to the ILT Velodrome to see business at speed.

Sports Funding - The Future

On Friday I was fortunate to act as MC for the ILT Southland Sports Awards,as we recognised the outstanding efforts of our sporting achievers.

When you bundle together the premier individual and team performances from throughout the year, it shows what this province of ours achieves year after year, often against better resourced and more highly fancied opponents.

We relived some of last year's most special moments, watching footage of Nathan Cohen powering home to win World Championship gold, Aaron Barclay holding the finishing tape aloft at the Youth Olympics, the Stags defending the Ranfurly Shield so proudly and born and bred southerners having Commonwealth medals draped around their necks.

The burning question is can we keep that up?

Around the world right now, the on-going funding of sport is in the headlines. In the United States the NFL and NBA are in simultaneous player lock-outs as team owners and player representatives negotiate terms in an attempt to fix a flawed system.

The NBA has just completed one of its most successful seasons ever. Attendance numbers, television audiences, merchandise sales and general interest are all up, yet 22 of the 30 teams will lose money - a combined total of $300 million dollars. The good news is that's an improvement on the last two seasons' deficit.

Now like most things in the US, the scale of the issue is on another planet to ours, but the principle appears the same. Those sports are trying to sustain a broken model. That's hard enough in good times let alone in the challenging revenue environment we now operate in. The major difference is that in the US billionaire owners fund these deficits. In New Zealand the red ink falls to the sport and ultimately back to those who fund the sport - in most Southland cases, our community funders.

There are two issues. One is franchise sport, vital as our shop window to the sporting nation. The other is regional sport which, as Friday showed, also does an outstanding job of generating huge success. While they are two very different scenarios with two very different challenges, they are inextricably linked.

In round numbers $10 million dollars is invested in sport in Southland each year and the pot is getting no deeper. Yet for some reason sports' only strategy (and we're all guilty of this) is to go knocking on the same doors for more money. We have been incredibly fortunate to have funders who have in the past generally answered the call positively. But that simply can't continue.

Is sport using the current investment as efficiently as it can? If we started with a blank sheet would it look like how we operate today?

The sport sector must take ownership of this issue, otherwise, quite rightly, an end result will be imposed on us and we'll be told to make it work somehow. That will bring winners and losers and we will only have ourselves to blame.

Now is a time for real leadership, otherwise it's my belief the performances we celebrated on Friday night may become fewer and farther between. I think we all agree that would be a massive tragedy.

Miles Covered During Winter Break

As Cycling Southland sits in the middle of our Winter break between racing seasons it was good to deliver the Southland Secondary Schools Road Championships yesterday at Teretonga. After the record numbers which turned up at our Mountain-bike cousin’s Mid-Winter Enduro on Saturday, Sandy Point was the place to be this weekend.

Even though the weather gods weren’t kind it was good to see the best talent from Dunedin south on the bike and giving it heaps. There were a few tired legs backing up from Enduro, but after it all Southland Girls High School prized the Schools Trophy away from James Hargest College who have had a mortgage on it in recent years. It was a great team effort by Dave Beadle’s charges, especially given they can only enter half the races.

Even though the locals dominated, Otago’s Lachie McGregor and Dunstan’s Tom Vessey both starred and showed they will be strong contenders when the South Island championships are held at Ruapuna in a couple of weeks time.

It wasn’t only the bike riders who covered some miles this week. Cycling Southland President Steve Canny and I travelled to Wellington mid-week to visit the team from SPARC ahead of our hosting of the 2012 World Junior Track Cycling Championships. It brought home the magnitude of what hosting a World Championship means. It is an incredible opportunity for the sport, the ILT Velodrome and our region and we are committed to ensuring we make the most of this opportunity. Next month we will again be promoting Southland on the world stage at the 2011 Champs in Moscow, ensuring that the best in the world will descend on our fine province next year.

Track cycling is one of our highest profile Olympic medal chances next year. The ILT Velodrome will play a key part in New Zealand’s build-up with the Oceania and New Zealand Championships to be held in Invercargill over the next nine months. From there a full squad wearing the black skin-suit will battle for gold around London’s new £93M velodrome and then, just a few short weeks after what we hope will be a significant medal haul, little old Invercargill hosts the Junior Worlds. It makes our rare opportunity even more mouth-watering.

New Zealand is fast-becoming a world championship venue of note. Following this year’s Rugby World Cup, comes our Junior Worlds, the World Triathlon Champs later next year and the World BMX Championships indoors in Vector Arena in 2013. SPARC’s expertise in event planning combined with the experience Cycling Southland has built up over recent years in event delivery give us a huge amount of confidence that the 2012 Junior Worlds will be one of the best ever.

Our trip to Wellington also provided a great chance to do some unplanned inter-sport networking. After the ash-cloud turned our plane around to Christchurch, Steve and I shared a rental car home with Southland Cricket’s Kevin Cooper and his wife, proving every cloud has a silver lining - even ash clouds.

Lifetime of Service Recognised

This weekend saw a southern contingent attend the national BikeNZ Road and Track Annual General Meeting in Auckland.

Although an AGM has many people running (or should I say biking) in the other direction, this weekend represented an opportunity to discuss the key issues facing the sport on a national and local level with representatives from BikeNZ and delegates from cycling centres around the country. As with all get-togethers of this nature, it also provided a forum to share ideas, explore solutions to challenges and continue friendships formed over many years or create new ones.

It also provides the chance to recognise the contribution made to the sport of cycling this year.

On Saturday night our own Graham Sycamore was bestowed the honour of winning the Malayan Cup for 2011. The man we all know as Syccie has contributed a life-time to the sport and Cycling Southland is delighted to see over 50 years of service recognised with the sport’s most prestigious award.

What made the night even more special was that Warwick Dalton was on-hand to make the presentation. Dalton, who often went head-to-head with Graham at Kew Bowl back in the 60s won the Malayan Cup along with his New Zealand team mates in 1957, ironically the very year Syccie took up bike riding.

Very few can tell a story as good as Dalton does and he still looks like he’d be able to handle himself in a sprint finish. He fondly recalled his most recent world championship victory, won in Sydney a few short years ago, which went to a judges’ decision following a protest by one of his beaten competitors. The Chief Judge promptly reported “there was nothing to see,” and Dalton duly won his Masters World title. The judge’s name? G Sycamore, New Zealand.

In true Syccie style the win left him speechless ... yes, of course I’m joking. Once the initial surprise at his name being read out had worn off, he recalled a few of the many highlights of a glittering career. And he was as humble as ever, paying special tribute to those who serve the sport throughout the country and singling out his wife Bernie who Graham confirmed does three-quarters of his work for him.

Every cycling club needs a Graham Sycamore. But only one has one. I’m very thankful it is us.

We also were delighted a host of other Cycling Southland members were recognised at the Volunteer Awards. Local legend Tony Ineson was a finalist in the Lifetime Official category (for ten or more years service) while our Senior Road Convenor Waine Harding featured in the list of finalists for the Newcomer category. The Faces of Cycling awards recognised those who are role models for the sport, both on the bike and as ambassadors. Sequoia Cooper, Gabby Vermunt and our Development Officer Matt Archibald were all nominated.

Nights like this provide another reminder of how fortunate Cycling Southland is to have people of this calibre in our organisation. I thank them all.

Kids These Days Don't Know How Lucky They Are

I thought it would at least another 15 years before I started to say things like, “I remember back when I was at school.”

My glorious days at Wendon Primary School in the 80s were filled with Bull-rush (I still have nightmares about trying to stop Sean Hurley in full flight), rugby (no rippa or touch – only full contact tackle), force-back and, in summer, tip-and-run cricket. To keep on-side with Stu Riordan, I should also point out it provided an excellent educational grounding as well.

Kids these days (another phrase I thought was a decade or two away) have so many options – sporting, culturally and academically. I’m not about to descend into a misty-eyed reminisce about how much better it was in the good ol’ days, tempting as that may be. Instead, I’ll focus on what Cycling Southland is doing to add to these options. We have been part of two initiatives which we’ve kicked off over the last couple of months which I’m really excited about.

The first is a “learn-to-bike” programme which is being delivered with assistance from our mates at Sport Southland via KiwiSport. Along with the Southland Mountain-bike and BMX clubs and Police, we are piloting an eight week programme across seven schools and the results and feedback has been outstanding. Children who have never pedalled a bike in their lives are riding unassisted within the very first session. The beaming faces are truly something very special. Our ultimate aim, once we successfully pilot the programme and tweak it as we go, is to see this rolled out across all of Southland. It’s a great first taste of our sport for local school children and just like swimming, running, jumping and throwing, it is a fundamental skill that we believe all Southland children should master. Plus we might uncover a few new Tom Scullys or Eddie Dawkins in the process.

Secondly, we have successfully added cycling to the NCEA curriculum. Every Year 12 Physical Education class is able to do a “performance” standard and earn credits towards NCEA Level Two. A performance standard is slightly different to other assessments in that students are graded against a national standard of excellence. With a world-class facility at our disposal, a standard based on times recorded at the last five National Age Group Track Championships has been developed, and now cycling is accredited with NZQA as a performance standard.

That means students can attend six weeks of coached sessions during school time at the ILT Velodrome, culminating in a trials day from which students can choose either sprint (500 metre time trials), Endurance (2km Pursuit) or, if they are really keen, both to test their skills, speed and fitness.

Already five schools are visiting us each week and we’d welcome more.

And finally, we start a new series of Ladies Nights for women beginner cyclists next week. We’re hosting three fun and information-filled sessions starting on June 12th. To find out more phone Cycling Southland or visit cyclingsouth.org.nz.

Even though this column hasn’t appeared online for a number of weeks you can rest assured that there has been plenty happening in Cycling Southland’s world since we last spoke.

Whilst this is a quiet time of year in terms of major events, it does present the opportunity to get prepared for what will be a hectic period to end the year.

On Friday we released the revamped route for the 2011 version of the PowerNet Tour of Southland. The feedback has been very positive with club members, supporters, teams and even our Pro-Tour riders immediately sending their support. Greg Henderson told his followers on Twitter that it is the fourth Grand Tour (together with France, Italy & Spain). There are changes to every stage including a Sunday start with the Teams Time Trial around Queens Park, the addition of an epic Te Anau to Crown Terrace stage and the return of the Individual Time Trial on the final morning in Winton.

This will add a new dimension to the race and to schedule it as the penultimate stage (a la Tour de France) means that the general classification may well be decided by “the race of truth” on Saturday November 5th. We also have a number of new plans around the PowerNet Tour including a Legends Dinner, Supporters Tours and the chance for the general public to ride. Another quality field is assured with BikeNZ confirming its Elite squad members will be lining up as a key part of their pre-World Champs/Olympics preparation.

But the PowerNet Tour is just one piece of the puzzle. Another capacity field is set to take its first steps on the ILT Velodrome this week in preparation for the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit. This is truly one of our favourite events of the year, with the inter-team banter building right up to the July 31st finals day. We’ll be keeping you up to date with their progress heading towards race day.

October’s Yunca Junior Tour of Southland is again shaping up as the country’s biggest junior road tour. Another new route and large interest from across the Tasman means that our age-group limits may well be threatened this year.

Immediately following the Yunca, comes the ILT Junior Track Carnival (October 18-19) which this year also includes the National Elite Omnium Champs. All BikeNZ’s Elite and Development riders will join the best young talent in the country in the first event of the 2011-12 track season.

And then there is the small matter of the Oceania Track Championships in November. With Olympic qualification points up for grabs it is likely that close to full strength Australian and New Zealand squads will line up over what should be four spectacular days and nights of racing. In years gone by we have hosted riders who have gone on to be absolute superstars. Given its timing in the Olympic cycle, November’s Oceanias should be no different.

Check out www.cyclingsouth.org.nz for all the information.

See, told you we’ve been busy.

Corporates Getting Ready to Roll

Last year was filled with many highlights but one of the most memorable was a day in the middle of the year when the ILT Velodrome was packed to the rafters as 34 corporate teams and their respective armies of supporters turned on one of the biggest cycling parties this city has seen.

Cycling Southland’s Harrex Group-sponsored Corporate Pursuit opens its public entries this morning and we’ve got a hard act to follow.

Already the demand has been high – last year’s entrants have been busy putting together their squads in the hope of shaving a second or two of their personal bests – and a lengthy list of newbies who have registered their interest throughout the year will be doing the same from this morning. Now the net is being cast even wider with general entries opening today.

The concept is pretty straight-forward – all you need is a team of six from your business (there does have to be some connection, however tenuous between the team members.) You’ll be coached all the way by some of Cycling Southland’s finest, so no previous experience is necessary. In fact it’s the perfect way to be introduced to the world-class ILT Velodrome if you haven’t been out there and the chance to get a look at what all the fuss about cycling is about.

Is it competitive? For some, of course it is. But for most teams the real focus is having a crack and having a laugh at the same time and, as you could guess, it doesn’t take long for the inter-team banter to reach fever pitch. Plus, if you need to sell it to the boss, you can pitch it as one of those “team-building” exercises – one of the best going around actually.

We introduced over 200 riders to the sport last year. Many have continued in the sport – some going on to represent Southland at the recent Track Nationals. So, it doubles as a decent recruitment and talent identification programme for Cycling Southland.

We will again be building on the party atmosphere on the day. I’ve haven’t yet made it to Wellington for the Rugby Sevens but if you threw a roof on the Cake-Tin I reckon we wouldn’t have been a mile away from it last year. Team supporters really got into it, dressing up (and down), bringing banners and yelling themselves hoarse – and that was only the Waihopai Health Centre supporters! This year the recipe will be the same, just up a few notches.

We have pushed the event back slightly to accommodate netball and basketball commitments so this year’s Grading Time Trial is to be held on Sunday July 24th with the Corporate Pursuit finals a week later on Sunday the 31st.

For all of the event details and to enter visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/corporatepursuit or you can text the word bike to 244 (texts cost 20c). Entries close on May 13th so get online or if you have queries contact the Cycling Southland office on 2173215.

Sunday Summarises Our Club

Sunday more or less summarised in a nutshell what Cycling Southland is all about.

It started with a 4am alarm (something for which I am paying for as I write this) to watch Eddie Dawkins line up in the final of the Keirin and Shane Archbold finish strongly to claim silver in the Omnium at the World Track Championships. Big Ed made it through to the last six from a field of 33 – a wonderful achievement and great experience, lining up alongside the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and eventual winner Shane Perkins on the biggest stage of this year.

A lot has been made of the youthful New Zealand sprint programme’s rapid development. When you consider Hoy turned 36 this week, at just 21 years of age, Eddie has a lot of time ahead of him and who knows how many more finals appearances and chances for World Championship and Olympic glory. The same can be said for Tom Scully who rode with Auckland’s Aaron Gate in the Madison overnight. Two young men who have again proved this week that the world is at their feet.

A few hours (and as many coffees) later, I departed for Wyndham, scene of the Southland Road Championships. Provincial titles shouldn’t be easy things to win and let me tell you, those who took medals at this year’s championships deserved them. There was some rain about but it wasn’t until we sent our morning fields on their way that the southerly picked up and the rain got heavier. It turned the day into a war of attrition and in the end the Senior and Under 19 Men’s fields, who had to brave the elements for three hours over their 110 kilometre journey, saw just seven of the 20 starters make it to the finishing tape.

Days like that always confirm to me how committed Cycling Southland’s club riders are. And it meant Wyndham Takeaways did rip-roaring trade in coffee and hot chips (and that was just from me).

That 12 hour period showed all that was wonderful about the sport of cycling in Southland. Elite athletes who have honed their trade at the ILT Velodrome, footing it with the world’s best in the Netherlands, our local club riders punishing themselves on the challenging course with the elements against them supported by a loyal crew of volunteers and officials making it all possible by assisting with the delivery of another safe, well-run cycling event. That’s the nutshell I referred to earlier and it’s great to be a part of it.

This Wednesday the Southland Secondary School Track Championships are being held at the ILT Velodrome with riders from Southland, Central Otago and some northern visitors lining up to ride for their school. James Hargest was able to hold off Southland Boys and Girls Highs last year. Fellow team mates from Southland’s recent dominant performance at the National Age Group Track Nationals become rivals. Should be good sport.

I better go – another early alarm awaits.

Local Focus Switches to Road

On the local front the track cycling season has come to a close and Cycling Southland members’ attention has quickly switched to the road. After months of build-up to the Track Nationals held in Invercargill earlier this month, some will crave time off the bike at this time of year. However the national calendar offers little respite with the RaboDirect Club Road nationals scheduled for Wanganui in early May.

It means that the McLeay Jewellers Southland Road Championships will be held this weekend. Saturday sees a time trial across various distances for 13 separate junior, senior and masters categories at Waianawa while the action moves to Wyndham and Seaward Downs on Sunday for the road races.

It is certainly not an easy turn-around but one talented young lady didn’t let that stop her over the weekend. Alexandra’s Sophie Williamson claimed bronze at the UCI Oceania Road Championships held in Australia on Saturday. She was outstanding at the Track Nationals, claiming three gold medals including the Omnium title where she won five of the six events. To turn around and earn a podium finish against Australasia’s best over the 70 kilometre distance on the road, shows just how bright her future is.

After all this success, it is difficult to remember that 2011 marks Williamson’s first year in the Under 19 grade. She faces a busy year with potential to represent New Zealand at both the Junior Track and Road World championships this year. Although a lot can happen in 18 months, it seems hard not to see her as the cornerstone of the New Zealand squad when the Junior World Track Champs come to Invercargill in August of next year.

This week also saw the New Zealand elite team depart Invercargill’s ILT Velodrome bound for the World Track Champs which start later this week at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. Some tough selection calls had to be made (Wes Gough, Ruhlee Buchanan and Gemma Dudley all missing final team selection) which shows the growing depth Tim Carswell and his team are developing. Cycling Southland will again be well represented with Eddie Dawkins and Tom Scully both lining up in the black skinsuit. The action starts in the early hours of Thursday morning NZ time, with the Mens’ Team Sprint and Team Pursuit medals decided on the opening night. The sprint lads have been setting some lightening quick times in training, while the Team Pursuit combination has welcomed back Jesse Sergent and Sam Bewley from their RadioShack Pro Tour commitments, so hopes are high of a strong showing to kick off the BikeNZ campaign on Thursday.

And to finish, a quick word on our next marquee event of 2011, the Harrex Group Corporate Pursuit. Entries will open soon for one of our most popular and enjoyable events of the year. This year the event is slightly later to accommodate the Steel and Sharks games at the ILT Velodrome and will be held on July 24^th and 31^st. Watch this space.

Southland Domination Complete

Southland’s domination of the RaboDirect National Track Championships was completed on Saturday night. At the end of eight days of Elite and Age Group racing Southland finished atop the National Points Shield leader board. Congratulations to Daylight who was second. For the record Southland finished on 173 points with Auckland the next best on 82. Baseball has the mercy rule, which sees a match called off early when one side gets so far ahead of the other. Should Track Cycling investigate something similar?

I jest of course (sort of). The reality is Southland, on pure numbers alone, should win the Shield. With a world class facility at our back door, there would be problems if we didn’t. The impressive thing for me was the manner in which the win was achieved.

The danger with listing individuals is that worthy names are missed out. Justifiably names like Natasha Hansen, Tom Scully, Matt Archibald, Steph McKenzie, Michael Culling, Sophie Williamson, Jacqui Dearlove, Erin Criglington and Bruce Jones have all grabbed headlines in this fine publication over the last week. Williamson does deserve particular mention. She showed just what a class act she is, winning five of the six Omnium events as a first year Under 19. There’s some future ahead of that young lady.

But, as is so often the case, some great tales lurk under the headlines. The spirit in the camp was epitomised by the story of young Laura Heywood. After featuring in the Southland Times last week, she suffered a nasty crash on the opening night of the Age Group Champs (don’t feel bad about putting the hex on her Nathan). Many of us were surprised (and more than delighted) to see her line up the very next day in the Under 17 Team Pursuit. I watched her come out of the starting gate with what I thought was a determined grimace on her face. Turns out she was being pushed to the brink by the pain coursing through her body from her collar-bone which turned out to be broken. There was no way she wasn’t going to help her team mates and she, along with mates Jen Muhl and Brooke Brazier pushed Auckland all the way and got within half a second of the gold medal - an incredible performance of courage and determination. I don’t know too many 15 year olds who would have done the same.

Nathan Burdon was right on the money in his column on Saturday regarding the volunteers and officials’ contribution to the event. Volunteer hours will push towards 5000 for these Champs. We just couldn’t do it without them and are in their debt, as always.

Like the Southland squad on the track, it’s a good feeling to be a small part of a great team effort to deliver one of the best National Championships. There are no medals or trophies for our volunteers and, aside from Saturday’s column, too little recognition.

We’re going to do our best to change that.

Points Shield Defense Underway

I write this from inside the ILT Velodrome watching some of Cycling Southland’s junior riders put the finishing touches on preparations for this week’s Age Group Track Championships. After three days of Elite Champs, there has been enough action to fill this column many times over.

Natasha Hansen’s absolute domination of the Women’s sprint events has been something to behold. Much has been made of the men’s sprint programme’s development over the last 18 months but Tash has shown that the fairer sex will be joining them sooner rather than later, competing on the world stage.

The BikeNZ sprinters came out to play last night with powerful Southland and Auckland Team Sprint three-somes going at it. Simon van Velthooven and Southland’s Matt Archibald have been trading blows all weekend and have proved a class above the rest, squaring off last night in the Men’s Sprint Final.

The Elite Men’s field may be missing some big names – but one big man loomed large over the event this past weekend. Jason Allen hasn’t had an easy time recently. Even though he rides for Tasman, he is a Christchurch resident. Somehow he was able to put his recent personal turmoil to one side to take out the Individual Pursuit, ahead of Cam Karwowski and then back up on Saturday night to also claim the Scratch race title from another Southland rider, Lee Evans.

The Women’s events have been notable for the total domination of the Points Race on Saturday night by NZ representative Rushlee Buchanan who took three laps on the field to take gold in style. Her battle with Gemma Dudley and Southland’s Sequoia Cooper in the Omnium has been a feature of the championships.

Special mention also to Phillipa Gray and Laura Thompson who lowered the National record in the Para-Cycling Tandem 1000m. Under the tutelage of master coach Nick Harris, their recent development has been rapid and their confidence will have been boosted significantly heading to the World Champs in Italy in a few weeks time.

In many respects the past three days of competition has been something of a dry run for this week’s Age Group Champs when over 220 riders will compete across age categories ranging from Under-15 to Masters 55+.

Southland has taken an early lead in the battle for the National Points Shield. But with another five full days of racing, we are only just getting started.

The Age Group Championships start Tuesday and run through until Saturday. Sessions are to be held daily from 10am and 6.30pm. Tickets are available from Stadium Southland with discounted Seasons and Family Passes available.

You can also follow all of the action with live track-side text commentary, updated as it happens, along with full results, race reports and photos at the Cycling Southland website – cyclingsouth.org.nz.

We are very proud of what our Elite riders have achieved. Now it’s over to our young and not so young riders to keep that shield under lock and key at the ILT Velodrome.

Dawkins Story Latest to Captivate

Rarely a week goes by in the sport of cycling where there isn’t something that captivates you.

This weekend it was an incredible finish to the UCI World Cup Men’s Keirin final featuring our own Eddie Dawkins. Big Eddie was powering to the finish and looking good for the silver medal, behind the legendary Sir Chris Hoy when some carnage behind him brought down all but two of the final field. Despite fighting hard, Dawkins couldn’t stay upright after having his rear wheel clipped and he hit the track hard at 70kph. But you can’t keep a southern man down and he somehow picked himself up and ran (or perhaps more accurately limped), dragging his bike, down the straight to the finish line. Ultimately he was given fifth place, but there is no doubt that in terms of guts and determination, it was a gold-medal winning performance. If you visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz you can see video footage of the dramatic final stages of the race.

Eddie now has a lot less skin on his right shoulder than when he started the final so it may not be a comfortable flight home, but he has proved why you should be buying your tickets to the National Track Champs which start this Friday in Invercargill. You just never know what will happen.

The performance of the NZ team in Manchester over the past three days has again shown the depth growing at an Elite level and has provided the perfect lead-in to the RaboDirect-sponsored Nationals this week at the ILT Velodrome.

Over 280 riders and over 80 team officials from the 11 cycling centres around New Zealand will descend on Invercargill at week’s end. When you add in family members and supporters you get a sense of the input this event has to the local economy. Here are some more numbers for you; eight days of racing, each with day and evening sessions; 92 national titles to be decided across 14 age groups; over 50 event volunteers per session and close to 4000 volunteer hours to deliver these championships. Makes me tired simply thinking about it.

The Southland team got together on Friday night, to lay out preparations for its defence of the National Points Shield. It is certainly the largest squad we have put together and each of our 75 riders has earned their spot on merit. The more heartening news is that it is also the best-prepared team we have ever put out. There’s a great feeling in the squad and even though there are some high profile names among them, the focus is on team performance. You can look through every age group from juniors to masters to elites and know our province will be well-served.

There’s no doubt home track advantage plays its part and the bigger the crowd and better the atmosphere, the faster they ride.
So that’s where we all come in. Grab your tickets. If you don’t, as Eddie again proved yesterday morning, you will more than likely miss something special.

Points Shield Defense Looms

The largest ever Southland track cycling team was last  announced to defend the National Points Shield at the RaboDirect National Track Championships at Invercargill’s ILT Velodrome later this month.

A total of 76 riders will wear the Southland skinsuit over the Elite and Age Group Championships, each looking to help the host centre retain the symbol of regional track cycling supremacy. The country’s 11 Cycling Centres suit up with points awarded to each Centre for the top three riders in each event over the eight days of competition.

Last year Southland wiped the board registering a total of 110 points from Auckland (61) and Canterbury (42). This prompted some new upstart CEO to claim it one of the most dominant Southland sporting performances of all time (incidentally I still stand by that).

Although final entries close today, word from further north is that those big centres have had enough of the southerners’ domination and are bring large contingents south. So this is something of a call-to-arms to get along to the ILT Velodrome and give the hometown heroes your support.

The Elite Champs run from Friday February 25th to 27th with sessions starting at 11am and 6.30pm while the Age Group Champs run from March 1st to 5th with daily action starting from 10am and 6.30pm.
Tickets are on sale now at Stadium Southland – adult prices are $10 for evenings and $5 for day sessions while kids are free. Plus there are discounted family and season passes available. Short story is ... it’s as cheap as chips.

To deliver an event like this takes the definition of a team effort. Our riders, coaches, team officials and event staff and volunteers have prepared well. Now all that’s left is a little fine-tuning over the next fortnight before the campaign for the Points Shield defence begins.

I hope you can give us a hand too.

The Southland squad is:

U 15 : Madeleine Gough, Makayla Smith, Bronwyn Graham, Josh Carpenter, Liam Haggerty, Hamish Beadle, Hayden Strong , Tom Sexton.

U 17 : Laura Heywood, Jennifer Muhl, Brooke Brazier, Libby Bayne, Michael Culling, Josh Haggerty, Jeremy Presbury, Liam Aitcheson, Nick Kergozou.

U 19 : Sophie Williamson, Kelsey Timpany, Sarah Tomlinson, Kate Dunlevey, Paigan Marshall, Georgia Timpany, Stephanie Mckenzie, Pieter Bulling, Tom Beadle, Jamie Culling , Marcel Baird , Paddy Daly, Ethan Thwaites, Tom Dawkins, Matt Zenovich, Chris Sexton.

Masters Men 3: Peter Grandiek, Ray Robinson, Bruce Jones, Colin Horton.

Masters Men 2: Richard Eade, Neil Jamieson, Wally Kopae, Neil Familton, Sier Vermunt, Ant Leathart, Roger Nicholas, Grant Toomey, Simon Lusk.

Masters Men 1: Michael White, Jerard Stock, Garry Smith, Derek Tan, Andrew Lienert.

Masters Women 1: Erin Criglington, Kylea Gough.

Masters Women 2: Marie Muhl, Sandra Kopae, Jac Dearlove.

Para-Cyclists: Phillipa Gray/Laura Thompson.

Elite Women: Sequoia Cooper, Dale Tye, Natasha Hansen, Kylie Young, Emma Gibb, Gabby Vermunt, Rebecca O’Donnell.

Elite Men: Tom Scully, Eddie Dawkins, Cameron Karwowski, Matt Archibald, Hamish Tomlinson, Lee Evans, Brehan Cairns, Dillon Bennett, Sean Fox, Matt Dodds, Karl Watson.

ILT Velodrome Future Assured

BikeNZ has this week reaffirmed its future support of the ILT Velodrome.

Cycling Southland Chief Executive Nick Jeffrey confirmed that he has received positive feedback from both SPARC and BikeNZ following formal notification that Southland would not submit a bid to host a National Cycling Centre of Excellence in Invercargill.

"We wanted to make clear that whilst we have no intention of committing significant local funds to further developing an already world class facility like the ILT Velodrome to fit the classification required by SPARC, we do wish to continue to play a significant role from both an events and training perspective in the future," Jeffrey said.

He and Stadium Southland General Manager Nigel Skelt co-signed a letter to the national organisations overseeing the Cycling Centre of Excellence tendering process on behalf of the Bike Southland consortium, which also included the Southland Mountain-bike and BMX Clubs and Sport Southland.

"We believed it was important to formally register our future aspirations. There can be no debate about what the ILT Velodrome has done for the sport of track cycling in New Zealand. We are now a world power. We are pretty proud of the contribution we have made to the High Performance end of the sport. I'm delighted BikeNZ have recognised that in their reply and re-emphasised the key role the ILT Velodrome will play in the future," Jeffrey said.

"We also left the door open for discussions, should a successful tenderer not be forthcoming or if a less financially-straining solution was sought," he said with a smile. "Anything we can do to help."

Jeffrey believes a number of positives have come out of the process.

"Obviously the recognition on the support we have given in the past is pleasing, but it's also got a great group of people together. Dave Brookland (MTB) and Ginge Burnett (BMX) have added a huge amount over the last few months and there are some exciting things ahead for all of the bike codes in terms of facility development, programmes and events through closer collaboration."

"Plus it has been a timely reminder that Cycling Southland and the ILT Velodrome's top priority must be serving and developing our grass-roots membership. Our facility and activities have been developed for Southlanders first and foremost. A wonderful by-product of what we have in the south, in terms of facility and people, is that we have been able to play a role on a national or, in the case of the 2012 Junior World Track Championships, international scale. But one should follow the other. If we go out chasing the national and international glory stuff then we have our priorities a little out of whack."

BikeNZ's High Performance squad has been again put through its paces this week at the ILT Velodrome. The team departs for the final UCI World Cup in Manchester this weekend before returning south in time for the RaboDirect National Elite and Age Group Championships from February 25th.

A copy of the Bike Southland letter can be found by clicking here.

Next Stop National Champs

Another full week for the southern cycling fraternity as Cycling Southland hosted the annual McLeay Jewellers Southland Track Champs. Close on one hundred riders from Southland and Central Otago, along with some travellers from points further north, made the ILT Velodrome their home over three days this week, looking to impress selectors and build up to the National Track Championships at the end of next month.

Naturally there were some stand-out performers from familiar names who are making their presence felt on the national stage; Piet Bulling, Matt Archibald, Steph McKenzie, Sophie Williamson, Michael Culling, Tom Beadle, Sequoia Cooper, Kylie Young, Lee Evans - all talented athletes with wonderful careers ahead of them.

There were also other names added to that list. Laura Heywood would have to go close to being the star turn of the week. Having only taken up the sport little more than 18 months ago, she is showing massive potential and is unquestionably one to watch.

Some of the best results (as usual) came from our Masters categories. I have written before about the growth of our sport amongst the age-group loosely described as middle-aged. If you wanted proof, the Southland Champs provided it. Michael White, Erin Criglinton, Jacq Dearlove, Neil Familton, Richard Eade, Simon Lusk and the ever-green Ray Robinson all had gold (or in many cases golds) draped around their necks. Our Masters cyclists are one of the major reasons the National Points Shield has been under lock and key at the ILT Velodrome for the last three years. Watching the action on the weekend, our “more mature” riders will again be Southland’s trump card in 2011.

And of course there were other great stories; Peter Grandiek, competing at 79 years of age and off to do the same at the Masters Games in Wanganui over coming weeks. And little Madeleine Gough was doing the same at the age of just 10. Any sport that features a 69 year span between its youngest and oldest competitor must be in great heart.

We were also blessed to host some of the country’s top Para-Cyclists, building up for their tilt at medals at the World Champs in Italy in March. Their efforts are truly inspiring but it is obvious they are not just content with their significant victory in simply making it to the start-line. They are focused on performance and on winning.

With such a wealth of talent, it is likely the selectors will this week name the largest ever squad to compete at the upcoming Nationals. The RaboDirect-sponsored Elite Champs, which will also include Southland’s national representatives Eddie Dawkins, Tom Scully, Natasha Hansen and Cameron Karwowski, run from February 25th to 27th. We then have a solitary day off before we get straight into the Age Group Champs from March 1st to 5th.

And to finish the week, a quick congratulations to Cam Karwowski and Hamish Tomlinson for their top 20 finishes at the Tour of Wellington - brilliant efforts in a tough event.

Nick Jeffrey is Chief Executive of Cycling Southland

Frenetic Start to New Cycling Year

The cycling year has begun and what a frenetic start it has been. Cycling Southland’s ILT New Year Cycling Series featured the country’s elite cyclists lining up alongside local Club and representative riders in road, track and criterium racing and BikeNZ’s High Performance programme hosted its largest ever track training camp – 31 riders in total were smashed by their coaches on a daily basis at the ILT Velodrome. Throw in Saturday’s headlines regarding SPARC’s proposal to site a National Cycling Centre somewhere in the country, this week’s upcoming Southland Track Champs, our hosting of the National Champs from late next month and the small matter of planning for the year ahead and Junior Worlds next year ... let’s just say we have found enough to keep us busy over the last couple of weeks.

Brilliant news came out of the Beijing World Cup over the weekend. Tom Scully’s international comeback is complete with his fourth place finish in the Omnium. There are no easy events at that level but the Omnium is one of the most demanding - six events contested over two days for which riders earn points which are totalled at the end to decide the winner. Our boy “Scud” was ultra-consistent with five top-10 finishes, including a win in the Elimination Race.

His faultless and focused return from what could (and possibly should) have been a crippling injury was unquestionably one of the sporting comebacks of 2010. From the moment Tom wrapped his leg around an Irish power pole in the middle of last year, he set his sights on getting back to competing on the international scene. To see all his hard work, determination and will pay off over the weekend was outstanding. It would also be remiss not to mention a top Northern Southland lad by the name of Mark Hollands, who is the unsung hero of the Scully comeback. His watchful eye and guidance during Tom’s rehabilitation played a massive part in its success. Their combined efforts mean one of the south’s true sporting champions is ready to rip in to his biggest year ever.

Off the bike, yesterday a Sunday newspaper reported that eight centres have expressed an interest in hosting a National Cycling Centre of Excellence. While the process, the politics and the possible outcomes could fill any number of columns, one thing has been made abundantly clear to me. The foresight of those involved in designing and building the ILT Velodrome last decade cannot be overstated. Southland would not be able to afford to build the quality facility we can now all enjoy, were the concept being floated for the first time today. No matter what decision SPARC makes, or how many velodromes are built around the countryside, thanks to that visionary group, Southlanders will always have something world class at our back door. Then it’s over to us to make sure that even if we don’t have the country’s only indoor velodrome, we continue to have the best one.