Archives

Cheltenham Handicap Cup Race Results

by Glenys Taylor | Oct 12, 2013 | Archive(News)

After the storm that lashed the Manawatu region last night there were strong doubts that the weather was going to be kind enough to stage this years event. But with blue sky overhead and a brisk but debilitating wind riders gathered at the Cheltenham hotel.

It would be so nice for a handicap race to know who was going to turn up so that the grades and handicaps can be sorted before the event. If I had known that so many spectators were going to turn up that could have helped I could have brought my bike and ridden also. Next time I will be bold and just put my bike in.

The formulae for working out handicaps had been put to good use and the times worked out for this weeks race. A few small tweeks were given to the times to adjust for the size of the bunches.

And although no one really wants to be called E grade in reality that is what it has come down to as the A grade bunch was split in to 2 groups again this week.

(more…)

Rounding out the Keirin season

by Glenys Taylor | Oct 12, 2013 | Archive(News)

After racing in and out of Japan over the last 6 months I can sum it all up with one word- Spectacular!
For my final racing session I was assigned to Nagoya City Keirin in southern Japan along with my ‘teammates’ Scott Sunderland and Shane Perkins from Australia.
Nagoya is a special place, not only because it houses some of this planets greatest companies such as Panasonic, more importantly it has a very old and historic velodrome with extremely long straights and steep corners that encourages very exciting and dangerous racing. Since it was our last race, our governing body JKA decided to treat us with a 4-day meet. This means we are locked away for a minimum of 112 hours with absolutely no contact to the outside world. I can tell you now I must of brushed my teeth at least 5 times a day and had about 100 cups of green tea because there really is nothing else to do. The upside is we get to race 4 times and potentially ‘take home’ more cash in a brown paper bag at the end of it all.

(more…)

Essex Cup Report

by Vaughan Hunt | Oct 10, 2013 | Event Reports

Last Saturday saw the running of Bike Manawatu’s equivalent of Paris-Roubaix, the Essex Cup around the Pohangina Valley loop. The course goes straight up the Valley to Pohangina Village and out the other side on the unsealed Pohangina Valley West Rd. After turning right at Churchill Drive, the race then turns right onto Pohangian Valley East Rd and then back to Ashhurst.

A relatively small, but hardened group of riders turned up to taste some dirt and enjoy a dry and fairly windless race.

Two riders, Tamara Ross (Wanganui) and Thomas Stannard, started off ‘limit’ being given a 14 min start on the next bunch of three riders, Katherine Stannard, Toshi Yamauchi, and Michaela Walker (Wanganui). Another 12 minutes back was the largest bunch on ‘block’ containing Ross and Jordan Castle, Jake van Lienen, Cody Simpson, and Ross Rainham. Last to start, off ‘scratch’ were Paddy Daly and Steve Stannard, another two minutes back.

(more…)

YUNCA TOUR 2013

by Glenys Taylor | Oct 10, 2013 | Archive(News)

On the 3rd of October 11 Bike Manawatu age grade members travelled to

Invercargill to compete in the 30th year of the YUNCA Junior 3 Day Tour.

The Yunca Tour is known as the most prestigious age grade tour in New Zealand with a large contingent of Australiaʼs top age grade riders making the trip over to compete.

Myself and Emily Shearman contested the Under 15 Girls grade, a small field of just 10 riders but made up of NZ and Australian National Champs. I (Libby) started with my favourite discipline, the Individual Time Trial and managed to ﬁnish 3rd after a poor start. Emily ﬁnished 5th. Emily then showed her fantastic sprint form to get 2nd to Australian sprint champ Jessie Saunders in the Kermese (points race).

After Day 1, Emily was 3rd in GC with me running 4th, only 1 second behind.

(more…)