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.
Cycling Southland CEO's Blog from inside the Stadium Southland Velodrome
Monday, October 24, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 10, 2011
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)