North Island Secondary Schools Cycling Champs update Day 1

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.

The North Island Secondary Schools cycling championships based in Cambridge, in which 7 Palmerston North Boys High teams, 2 Palmerston North Girls High teams and 2 Palmerston North Intermediate Normal teams competed in a team time trial and road race over the course of this weekend.

Stand out performances were the PNBHS Junior A squad consisting of Chris Denholm, Campbell Stewart as Captain, Connell Leahy and Josh Kendall winning the junior boys team trial classification with a time of 24:3, winning by 22 seconds. A comfortable win with a top quality improvised speech at prize given by Campbell Stewart. While the Boys High Junior B’s coming in with a solid 5^th and the Junior C’s a reputable 7^th.

In general the junior team punched well above their weight and is a good sign of what is too come. The seniors had considerable weight on their shoulders following the success of the previous years, and after the with drawl of so many seniors this year due sickness and prior overseas arrangements, the seniors knew they had big shoes to fill and being such and inexperienced team they were backed into the corner from the start coming in at a modest 6^th. While the senior B team going in with no expectations, came out with a respectable performance coming in at 14^th

The Palmy girls Senior A team consisting of Kate Stewart, Ruby Perry, Kelsi Eccles as Captain, and Charlotte Brenkley worked well as team and came out with a respectable 10^th in an estimated time of 28:15. The Junior A’s had a team of only three consisting of Emily Shearman, Simone Davie and Amelia Horne finished in a respectable 7^th

Michaela Drummond represented Freyberg High School and was in a composite team in which some of the best U15 girl riders were present. These riders were Lakein Cottam from New Plymouth and Jessica Reid from the Waikato, with this team coming in a respectable 8^th.

The little guys of Manawatu Cycling, from Palmerston North Intermediate Normal punched well above their weight and caused quite a stir within some of the Auckland teams with the girls’ team consisting of Gorgi van Lienen, Libby Arbuckle, Anna Robson and Megan Gardner coming at an impressive 2^ndposition and the boys team made of Flynn Yates, Harrison Kinghorn, Daniel Kendall and Adam Martin coming in at a very respectable 4^th place.

It is safe to say that everybody is well settled here in Cambridge and everyone is well looking forward to the road race tomorrow, more results to come tomorrow J

By Jaycob Humphreys