Junior Worlds dream becomes reality

When the 2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships were awarded to Invercargill, Cycling Southland had a dream of what we wanted to achieve from the event. That dream (and then some) turned into reality last month as the world came to ride.

154 of the best under-19 men and women track cyclists from 24 countries descended on Stadium Southland Velodrome and, together, they put on a spectacular show.

19 world titles and an unprecedented five world record rides over five incredible days of racing. With the London Olympics fresh in everyone’s minds, our aim was to bring a world-class event to the cycling and sporting public of New Zealand.

Now, some weeks since the event, it is hugely satisfying to reflect on an experience that showcased the sport, our region and our facility around the globe in delivering what UCI has informed us were the best Junior Worlds ever.

It started on the opening evening, where world records fell on four separate occasions and New Zealand fought hard but had to be content with three appearances on the second step of the podium.

That proved to be a theme for the Championships with Australia leaving Invercargill atop the medal table with nine rainbow jerseys and the New Zealanders matching their haul from a year ago in Moscow, taking home 10 medals, including seven silvers. The only thing missing from the champs was God Defend New Zealand, as that elusive world title remained out of the grasp of the class of 2012.

After a start like that, our only concern was how the rest of the championship would live up to that standard. We need not have worried. The rest of the competition was filled with incredible story lines.

Russia’s Daria Shmeleva completely dominated the women’s sprint event to sweep all four golds and add a second world record in the Women’s Time Trial. Write her name down for Rio. Australia’s Tayla Jennings is another who seems destined for great things. She swept the Women’s Omnium with six wins from six events for the second consecutive year, all after she had already claimed gold in the Team Pursuit and Points races.
Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria fell twice on the opening night of the Men’s Omnium but patched himself together to claim gold and set the standard for post-race celebrations, riding the length of the front straight on the back wheel of his road bike with his Colombian flag as a cape.

He also featured in one of the most poignant moments of the championships when Fernando and Hayden McCormick helped Dylan Kennett on to the podium after the New Zealander had bravely fought to a bronze medal after an early fall in the Madison.

But for our organisation, whilst the action on the track was world class, it was the atmosphere inside Stadium Southland Velodrome that really sent shivers down our spines. I have never heard noise like the roar they gave Kennett during his silver-medal ride in the Men’s Kilo and the crowd didn’t let up for five sell-out days.

Huge thanks goes to our army of volunteers, all 130 of you who gave up five days to help put New Zealand on the track cycling map. Thanks too to main sponsor SIT, funding partners Invercargill Licensing Trust, ILT Foundation, Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, Community Trust of Southland, Venture Southland, NZ Major Events, Sport New Zealand and, of course, our partners at BikeNZ and UCI.

The only question now is what’s next?

Relive all the action at www.juniorworlds2012.com where you’ll find video highlights from every final.

Curtain-raiser preview to Worlds

Tom Beadle rides in the Junior Worlds Curtain Raiser

On Saturday night we were treated to a sneak preview of what to expect when the UCI Juniors World Track Championships start at Stadium Southland Velodrome in a little over a week.

The New Zealand and South Africa Worlds’ squads both fronted up to contest our Curtain-Raiser Race Night on Saturday and they duly put on a great show.
Hosting these world championships has been a four year process, dating back to the decision in 2008 to bid for hosting rights. To now be in the final straight is hugely exciting and Saturday’s event gave us all the chance to test drive our set-up and systems for the worlds as well as providing the opportunity for the New Zealanders to get some race simulation in to their build up.

I watched their morning training session which they treated as a mock qualifying session. The Men’s and Women’s Team Sprints and Team Pursuits both prepared as they would for next Wednesday’s opening session, before riding the Curtain-Raiser like a final.

The signs are very good. There are some tough selection decisions that will have to be made over the next few days and the competition but supportive environment that has been developed within the squad is a credit to the management team and gives the squad the best chance possible to recreate and exceed the success of last year’s record World Championship return.

Our velodrome is a truly spectacular facility, but to see it decked out, ready for the finishing touches this week for the world championships is something else again.

We could not be happier with the level of support we have received from all sections of the community. In typical Southland fashion our phone has been running hot with offers of assistance and enquiries from all sorts of organizations and individuals just keen to help and contribute in some way.
The enquiry we are receiving from international media is also hugely pleasing. Each year we like to think we profile Southland like no other event with the profile the PowerNet Tour of Southland receives. Next week the world will be watching, with an international broadcast package, designed to firmly put Invercargill and Southland in front of the cycling world.

So what happens this week? We’ll be in more Southland secondary schools all week long and at the Eastern Suburbs and Brewers Elbow bars on Wednesday and Thursday night respectively, with our Roller Racing. The bulk of the international team arrive this week, team trainings will be in full swing out of the track, final set-up of the velodrome will be completed, opening ceremonies and medal presentation rehearsals will be held and, with a bit of luck, we’ll move the last of our remaining tickets.

I suspect it will be both the longest and shortest week of our lives. But by this time this week, we will be ready to watch the world’s best juniors take to our velodrome. The pipe dream of four years ago is about to become reality.

Final countdown and Olympic distractions

South Africa arrive for Junior Worlds

16 sleeps until the start of the 2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships.

Entry numbers continue to rise with some countries coming out of the woodwork late to line up at the start line in a little over a fortnight. Last count was north of 160 riders and 24 countries. The Netherlands, Japan and Mexico (who will field one of the largest squads with 15 riders) are the latest to confirm attendance over the past week.

The first of our squads arrived this past week with South Africa touching down for their four week long stay. They haven't wasted any time in getting down to business, spending quality time on the track and the road including mixing with the locals in our Saturday Club Road race at Mabel Bush on Saturday. They may not harbour hopes of world titles, but we'll be doing everything we can to make sure it is a trip none of them will forget anytime soon.

This week has also seen the continuation of our Secondary Schools’ Roller Racing. Central Southland College and Verdon College both showed impressive form this week and it was great to share the fun with our outstanding sponsor at SIT's Re-Orientation as well.

If the Olympics have inspired you and you are in Years 9 to 13, come along to the Velodrome at 4pm on Tuesday and have a crack for a chance to take part in our Ultimate Ride-Off on the final day of Junior Worlds. And for the slightly older wannabe, we start our Pub Challenges this week visiting the Eastern Suburbs Tavern on Wednesday and Big Willy's on Thursday. Our mates at the ILT have put up $500 in prizes for each night.

In between the inevitable last minute preparations, there has been this quite large sporting event going on in London in the background. Thankfully, sleep isn’t important because it’s been very hard to pull yourself away from the giggle box at some ungodly hour of the morning.

The last couple of nights have been particularly taxing, trying to balance the end of the rowing and swimming with the start of triathlon, track and field and, of course, the track cycling. It’s been a mixed bag for the Kiwis on the London Velodrome, headlined by the bronze medal for the Men’s Team Pursuit and the fifth place finish for Eddie Dawkins and the Men’s Team Sprint. Both Eddie and Natasha Hansen (who was back in business overnight in the Women’s Sprint) have looked right at home amongst the elite competition and that’s a great sign for the next Olympic cycle.

It’s hard not to watch in awe at what the Brits have achieved. After winning seven golds and eleven cycling medals at Beijing four years ago, they have the chance to medal in nine of the ten disciplines at home this year. But, I know of at least two Southlanders who will already be focusing on re-dressing that balance a little in Rio in four years time.