What a week! Tumultuous weather across the country, the final home games for the southern Steel and Sharks teams inside the Velodrome (well done to them both on some pretty awesome results over their respective seasons and a big Southland Go Hard and Good Luck to the Sharks as they continue their battle in the top 4!) and the announcement of new naming rights for both the SIT Veldrome and ILT Stadium Southland – so it’s not just the wintry blast making life very cool at the moment! We’re also noticing the change of vista with the back straight imminently coming into view as the scaffolding starts to come down.
On the track and road – albeit on the other side of the world – our top cyclists continue to turn heads in their overseas campaigns with Tom Scully, Stephie, Sequoia, Eddie, Matt and Tom Beadle all racking up some fine performances during their international travels! Keep up the fantastic work team - and everyone can keep tabs on the results as they come to hand on Facebook
AGM
Cycling Southland’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday July 31 from 7:00pm in the Sarah Ulmer Lounge. Further details to come.
Coaching Assistants
With Cathy now underway in her new role around the corner at Venture Southland, we are on the look-out for Coaching Assistants to assist with delivering our hugely popular schools and development sessions. This includes our weekly Wheelers, Flyers and Track-Start programmes and the increasing number of school sessions throughout the day on the Velodrome. We are also in the process of confirming a revised KiwiSport Intro to Bike programme, targeting 9-12 year olds – exciting stuff. Hours will be on a casual basis and vary week to week but we are open to options to assist with one of the major growth areas for our club. If you are interested visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/vacancies for more information or get in touch in confidence with Dale or Nick for a chat.
Senior Track Racing
We have a one-hour senior racing slot, starting next Tuesday 2 July, from 7-8pm. The aim is to get through a couple of races for each grade (A, B & C or combinations depending on numbers), with the last 10-15mins dedicated to a Madison, for those who have done the Madison training over the previous month.
This set up with continue through July and in August following the Corporate Pursuit, we will be back to a 2 hour racing slot.
Let Dale know if you have any queries dale@cyclingsouth.org.nz – looking forward to seeing you all there!
Winter-Spring Road Racing
Our road racing programme kicks off again in earnest on Saturday 6 July with the Donovan Points Graded Race Register online now
A reminder that this season sees the introduction of our new Division 1 – 5 format Read about it here
You can also download and print off the full Race Calendar here
Happy Birthday to Us
Last week we acknowledged we have a wide range of people associated with our great club throughout the years. This includes a number of amazing athletes in recent times.
Back at the opening in 2006 we had the pleasure of watching the first Trans-Tasman Challenge which included all 3 medallists from the Junior World Individual Pursuit, namely Jesse Sergent (bronze), Wesley Gough (silver) both of NZ and Cameron Meyer (1st) from Australia. Some 7 years on and these men have all represented their respective countries and medalled at both world and Olympics. Jesse has just completed the Giro while Cameron Meyer is about to debut for his Orca Green Edge team at the 100th edition of the Tour de France. Hard to believe that his visit to Invercargill saw him off scratch with his brother Travis (Criterium Dauphanie competitor) and coach on a wet windy day over 45km on the Gorge Road, Rimu circuit.
These guys are one of many who can say that the support and racing provided by the Cycling Southland centre has been a part of their ongoing development of their cycling careers.
WHK Corporate Pursuit
Thanks to everyone who took part in the recent briefing for the upcoming WHK Corporate Pursuit. We have another great field with 29 teams signed up to take on the clock on 4 August followed by the race day a week later (11 August).
A reminder that the discounted Corporate Pursuit membership forms are available to download online
As part of their preparations the teams will contest the Lonestar Roller Racing Challenge starting this Thursday night at 7pm. This will see heats held each Thursday before the finals on 24 July. Check out the website to see who will contest the various heats.
AWS Legal and Waihopai Health Services will provide their 'willing' victims for the annual Surrender Hair and Beauty Wax Off on the day of the Time Trial.
Again thanks to all of our volunteer coaches your support of this event is much appreciated.
There are still opportunities to assist with this great event. If you are available to assist then please contact either of the event directors
Julian Ineson juliansharee@xtra.co.nz or Sier Vermunt sier@xtra.co.nz
Wheelers and other Track Sessions
Following training times for WHK Corporate Pursuit, we are able to advise that all Secondary School Girls sessions between 4-6pm on Tuesdays remain unaffected, as do the Wednesday Flyers sessions from 5-6pm (with the one exception of Wednesday August 7). All other afternoon sessions continue as per usual and all evening sessions finish at 8pm until further notice.
Finally, on closure for another Tuesday, the SBS Sports House crew were very kindly circulated a great article that was recently shared through Lance Smith’s Athletics newsletter.
The Real Reason Why Our Kids Quit Sport is a fantastic bit of reading and insight into the way trends can develop among kids and their families in sport. So keep warm and enjoy the read when you get a chance – let’s celebrate our nurturing organisation and the tremendous development base we have for our young beginners and beyond.
Take care out there