Isn’t it great to be back climbing into the kilometres for the summer season of cycling.
So many events to choose from up and down the country and of course Taupo is looming large at the end of the month. Good luck for all our club members and potential club members as they prepare for what will be for many the biggest ride of the year….and a little luck is worth a tonne of hard work….but you still need to do the hard work!
To all our members, track nights at Feilding have been a revelation this year. We have over 45 riders now competing regularly. The club has hired over 30 bikes to budding track cyclists. If you have not tried it and you want to improve your strength and speed then Tuesday nights at Feilding’s Johnston Park is a happening thing.You will be kept in a group of your own ability!
Also Wednesday night time trials at Kairanga School are underway and proving very popular again….see you there.
A questionaire has also been put on the website around the Saturday afternoon racing programme and how we can might attract more of our riders.Whilst numbers are good, it would be great to see more give it a go…if you don’t try it you will never know! Be sure to add your input…it will be listened to.
Our Coaching group has also been active ,initiating a BNZ coaching seminar to be held early December. They also organised a nutrition evening on Monday night with a very interesting and informative presentation by our own expert, Professor Steve Stannard. There was a great turnout and lots of questions were asked.
A major announcement has recently been made by BikeNZ around the appointment of Chris Foggin to this area as a dedicated Development Officer for cycling. Chris has totally embraced the vision to “ be the best place in NZ to ride a bike” and is an important conduit to BikeNZ. He will certainly be a wonderful asset to the cycling fraternity and the Club. His credentials are huge….almost as big as his goals to get more people on bikes. Go Chris!
Our club members have also recently featured in various national teams and Sports awards. Jesse Sergent and Kate Stewart won awards at the Marist Sports Awards : Jesse, Simon van Velthooven and Mark Findlay were nominated to the Manawatu Sports Awards. Many have suggested that Jesse should have been the overall winner given his awesome achievements this year across the globe! Jesse, Simon and Matiu Kaihau will be racing next week at the Oceania Championships in Invercargill, an important step towards Olympic qualification.
Now is the time to be renewing your club membership.
For the recreational riders, the Board has this year been able to reduce your membership cost to just $50 after protracted negotiations with BikeNZ and WCNI. It is important that as an affiliated club we keep our relationship strong with BikeNZ. The Board acknowledges the multiple benefits that we as an affiliated BikeNZ club has, particularly around Public Liability for club sanctioned events, cycling advocacy and promotion, Government funding for our sport etc.
In any event, the Board recognises the importance of providing all it’s members with relevant services so that each and every member can feel an important and integral part of a club that delivers what the riders want.
Paul van Velthooven