Welcome to another week everyone – which in turn sees the end of another month as we launch into March madness.
This also means that our epic entourage of Age Group Track National riders and supporters are in final preparation before leaving for Cambridge on Monday. Good luck everyone with the final training and organising.
Architecture Unlimited Track Challenge
New name! Fresh approach – formerly known as the Corporate Pursuit this year it is the Architecture Unlimited Track Challenge. This six-week track competition is for teams of six with coaching and bikes provided – no previous track experience is needed.
Run in the format of a four-man team sprint (which must include one woman) this year’s challenge will feature the Battle of the Businesses, which involves teams made up solely of business/workplace colleagues vying for top spot. Then there will be the Social but Serious challenge for combined work places, or even a team of mates.
It will all kick off with some FREE Have a Go Nights on Wednesday 20 and 27 from 6-7pm where you and your mates can just rock up to the track and give it a whirl! So stick those dates in your diaries now and we look forward to an awesome event for 2019 Check out the key dates and details with more to follow.
Rotary Charity Ride
Meanwhile, it was a pretty awesome weekend of results again with the Rotary Charity Ride on Saturday, from Te Anau to Invercargill, which managed to raise a very cool $30,000. A very well done to all our members who took part in the 43-strong group, including two of our more hardy members who decided to double the distance by riding up as well Read all about it
Calder Stewart Series
Then on Sunday the first race in the popular annual series kicked off in Dunedin on Sunday with some very cool results from our Southland teams and individual riders racing in other teams.
Matt Zenovich and Hamish Keast (Transport Engineering Southland / Velosouth) finished second and third respectively. Great work champs and we look forward to the results in round two and three on April 13 and 14 in Hokitika.
Friday Night Racing
This Friday night will be just $5 entry and it’s Team Sprint night from 6-8pm. Teams of two battle head-to-head with all groups seeded. Winner moves up a heat with three runs each. Prizes for the fastest times riding appropriate gearing in U13, U15, U17, Masters and Open grades.
Road Racing
With the focus on Track Nationals recently, along with clashes with other events such as the Calder Stewart series, the registration numbers for the Saturday racing have been well down recently. Please ensure you register so we can guarantee that the race will be financially viable. If you are not already signed up with the Teamer registration system – contact me and I will sort this.
This Saturday is the Woodstock graded circuit at Mabel Bush Check out the details
Road Nationals Entries Open
Entries for the Age Group Road Nationals are open so get in and register to race against some of the country’s best Register here now!
Fight for Yellow Tour
This two-day, five stage mini tour, sponsored by long-standing supporters Vital Signs, is being raced in Eastern Southland on March 30 and 31. Registrations are online – not through Teamer – so check out the details and register now!
Schools Road Champs
We will again be hosting the Otago-Southland Schools Road Champs on the Fairweather-Mill Road North circuit around Alaister (Red) Burnett’s property on Wednesday 27 March. This is always a fantastic day out (I won’t mention the driving rain last year because it was still awesome!) but we are on the prowl for some parents or keen helpers to lend a hand with marshalling and the likes on the day. Let me know if you are keen please.
World Champs Poland
Huge good luck to our Kiwi crew and, particularly our Southland contingent of Natasha Hansen, Kirstie James, Eddie Dawkins, Nick Kergozou, Tom Sexton and Corbin Strong, who will start racing at the UCI Track World Championships in Poland on Wednesday and there is SKY coverage too! Read more here
Euro Road Circuit
This weekend will feature the first major one-day races on the Euro circuit in Belgium - 74th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite and
71st Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne – say those fast three times! Anyway these races are regarded as some riders nightmares and other riders dreams – Tom “Scud” Scully is the latter and loves this gritty stuff – so we’ll look forward to following your racing and your success on those hit-outs - good luck buddy.
We that’s enough from me to overload your senses for another week so take care out there and good luck with the racing – locally, nationally and internationally. Goodness knows we have riders competing all over the world right now and it is very exciting!