After last years beautiful weather for the Feilding Festival of Cycling, this years “cold” was a new challenge for the 90 registered riders who braved tough windy conditions to complete their rides.
The Joe Allen Classic has been raced since 1949 and has been won by some of NZ cyclings household names including Gary Anderson and Sam Morgan. Our FFOC booklet was a really good read on the history of the event.
Current Girls High coach Brett Tivers scorched the course in 2007 to get inside the top ten times recorded while in 2016 Robert Stannards time of 2.01.31 holds the record. Congratulations to young Thomas Stannard for his 1st placing this year.
Weather conditions were a true test for everyone and we thank and congratulate all those riders who took part is our long standing event. Bike Manawatu want to also acknowledge the incredible work by event Manager Austin Smith and his team of volunteers that made sure the day was run smoothly from registration through to traffic management, timing and the prize giving.
Tim Whitehouse as our Race Director and Dave Elgar as chief Commissaire teamed up to manage the race superbly for a safe incidents free event with plenty of sound advice to riders at the start line. Timona Park once again proved a very good setup and all four courses catered well for riders of all ages and abilities to challenge themselves which is what events are all about. The barbecue and prize giving afterwards that forms part of your registration fee topped off an excellent club day. Cold weather had a number of people not ride the event on the day and some riders were too wet and cold to stay for the barbecue prize giving but all and all another successful club event until our next event.
FFOC Results.
Joe Allen Memorial Classic:Start 8.30am Feilding to Apiti return(17 and over licensed riders only)
Line Honours: 1st Thomas Stannard 2nd Glenn Kirk 3rd Kevin Laskey
Fastest Times: 1st Madi Hartley-Brown 2nd Ben Earnshaw 3rd Thomas Stannard
The 90k recreational Ride:Start 9.30am Feilding to Rangawahia return
1st Kyle Hoskins 2nd Ben Knight 3rd Erik d’Arbois
The 50k recreational Ride:Start 10.30am Feilding to Kimbolton return
1st Fergus Lloyd 2nd Mike Dunn 3rd Ben Orr
The 20k fun ride all ages( Free).Start 10am Feilding-Colyton loop.
1st Holly McInnes 2nd Joshua Mulcahy 3rd Tom McInnes
Check out all results on Facebook Bike Manawatu Page.
Bike Manawatu thank sponsors Sprockets NZ, Morgans Property Advisors, Property Brokers, Bulls Medical Centre for there valued support.
NZ National Schools Road Championships -September 30th to October 2nd
The best of New Zealand’s schools riders are in our region to compete for their school over three days.Over a thousand people will be based in the region to witness schools racing from years seven to thirteen.Team time trials,Road Racing and Criterium racing will be exciting to watch here in our patch.Showcasing our talent and our region is worth watching. If you can take time to watch all or some of it.The Manfeild Criteruim on the 2 October is often passionately contested by all schools as it all comes down to the final points races on the last day to see what schools win or are placed in the top three schools in NZ.
Novice Tour of Manawatu- December 9th-10th
A proud forty four year old multi-stage Manawatu Tour highlighting some of New Zealand’s best rising stars racing for individual and club honours. We will keep you up to date.
Palmfeilds Motors October 15th Recreational Ride
Check out upcoming Bike Manawatu Events Calendar
Spring is the start of many club events for cyclists.If you own a bike and want to experience something new and different and get fitter, be sure to check out the clubs ride calendar online and try something different.
The club and event organisers would love to see you give different events a go this year. Cyclists can do anything and many masters riders tried different club events last year which resulted in their feedback being positive and are the same cyclist keen to return this year. How fantastic is that.
Check out other cycling interests:
Kairanga Time Trail Series- From Horizons yard on Kairanga-Bunnythorpe road in October on Wednesdays from 6pm this flat 12Km weekly time trail points series has been a huge success with approximately 50 riders biking out to the course and registered from 5.45pm. A great way to exercise before dinner.
Club Road Races for Everyone:
On Saturdays in October we have medium distance graded club races for all ages and abilities on different courses in our beautiful manawatu countryside. Open to everyone and masters riders can enjoy riding with your mates and finish of with a coffee or a real drink at the end which is great fun and whom many enjoyed at our recent Bike Manawatu Tui Brewery ride for there first outing.
Feilding Track Riding: Hire a track bike from the club for a modest amount of money from November and have fun racing different events on a balmy Tuesday night and Sunday afternoon at the Johnston Park cycling track in Feilding under the watchful eye of legend Ian Gray and his team.Fun.
Manfeild Criterium: On Tuesday’s from 6pm for the Month of November the popular Criterium series is on again.Safe off road fun graded riding for all ages.Last year people loved it and the improvement in their cycling was huge.Pencil this one in.Its contagious.
Weekend Festival of Cycling- Saturday January 27th and 28th 2018:
Gravel and Tar Classic- 27th of January- This is an incredible coup by Bike Manawatu and event founder Steve Stannard to bring elite International Racing Teams to Palmerston North to race a physically and technically very difficult road and gravel 125km race.The Elite riders love this tough and very different event and our scenic region.Having them in Palmy is the start of something special for the region.
Gravel and Tar Gran Fondo- Saturday 27 January- This event has been designed for all recreational riders of all ages and abilities to give people a taste of something different and to feel party of the regions weekends festival of cycling.The Gran Fondo will offer two distances in 2018 1) the 70km Gravel and Tar course and the 2) 30km course.There is something for everyone young and mature,male,female rider. Give it a go and support our Weekend Festival of cycling which will grow in our region.
Manawatu Mountain Bike Club Entertaining supporting Weekend Festival of Cycling
Bike Manawatu and our good friends the Manawatu Mountain Bike club are considering supporting the Manawatu Festival of Cycling Weekend with possibly running the Kahuterawa Challenge mountain bike ride on Sunday the 28th of January. Wouldn’t that be mouthwatering for all cyclist riding The Gran Fondo in the Saturday and the Kahuterawa Challenge on the Sunday.We will keep you informed.
Whanganui Gets $6 Million for Velodrome
Big news for cycling fans and the wider Whanganui and Central North Island Community with the National Government funding for the project to add a roof to Whanganui Velodrome. Bill English confirmed helping the final design and construction underway. Bike Manawatu have supported the project over the last two years and are pleased that our talent and leading track cyclist will only be 50 minutes away from a first class training and racing Velodrome. Fantastic news.
Valued Sponsors of Bike Manawatu
Ken Young -Bulls Medical centre
The pride of Scotland is a mad keen masters cyclist and part of our Bike Manawatu Sunday Groups ride committee as well as a Regular on our Wednesday Ride group. A man of few words (normally colourful) and as direct as you like has been a valued sponsors of our club more many years. Giving back is a pleasure says Ken and we do appreciate Ken and his Bulls Medical Centre support.
Glenn Kirk-Oral Surgeon
Glenn is a committed cyclist who supports and sponsors many of our Bike Manawatu club Events. This tall, lean and quiet Oral Surgeon rides a bike with ease and races events all over the country with passion in a sport he loves. If you need an Oral surgeon next time call Glenn, he would be welcome to help you.