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