Member Profile Janneke van Wagtendonk

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

Janneke Being born and raised in Holland means we pretty much do everything on the bike: grocery shopping, going to school, and usually even to work.

So strong biking fitness for whatever you choose to do later in life! My earliest road cycling experience is from alternative training for rowing at university with many hours on a trainer in the hall of our student flat! In rowing, I made it to the world champs for under23 in double skulls and still benefit from the fitness and life skills such as planning and discipline I developed during these years.

Many cycling holidays in France with friends followed. Sjoerd, our eldest son, chose cycling as his sport when he was 8. After moving to New Zealand, he picked it up again in Cambridge when he was 11 and you know the rest. Luuk, our second son, is now also an avid cyclist in the PNBHS team and in Bike Manawatu. Mees, our youngest son, is a golf player, but you will see him on occasion on the sideline of a cycling event.

Mat, my husband was the chair of the Marist Cycling Club before Bike Manawatu was founded, and I had been a committee member of the Feilding Cycling Club from 2005/6 onwards. We are very pleased that Bike Manawatu finally is a force to be reckoned with, with a strong membership base and exciting annual calendar. No need to say we are passionate about cycling, the Manawatu is the best place in New Zealand, if not the world, to raise a family and to ride your bike!

Apart from being on the board of Bike Manawatu I sit on the Vision Manawatu board, and I work at Fonterra Research Centre opposite Massey, looking after Fonterra’s shared global research and technical functions. I bring governance experience, vision, energy and drive to whatever I do. As long as you learn, make a difference and have fun, life is good!