Windy but warm conditions with threatening heavy rain cloud on a day that cyclone type wind and rain had been forecast. Despite the meteorologists grim predictions 29 hardy soles turned out to compete tonight making it the largest turn out of the season. The field also included three visitors from Wanganui. The wide cross section of ages again proved the universal appeal of the sport.
The night started with three graded warm up races followed by three 2 lap handicap races for each grade then mother nature called a halt to proceedings when the rain came. Given the forecast and the expectation that this is what the heavy rain and wind warnings had been about the lycra clad bike jockeys disbursed as if water exposure would have some irreversible dissolving effect. As fate would have it the rain was not prolonged but the track was left very wet and would take at least half an hour before bikes could race on it and so the nights racing was concluded on safety grounds. A track bike does not have brakes, has thin smooth tyres and a track has painted lines of different colours to help control the traffic flows, this combination gives ‘slippery when wet’ a whole new definition and makes bike racing impossible. This is why indoor velodromes are essential in building the sport of Track cycling, as the sport is held to ransom by the weather conditions. This unpredictable variable also makes event planning and athletes training programmes problematic, then if bravado should overcome safety awareness and riders continue to ride in unsafe conditions and serious injury is almost certain to occur. The disappointment of an early conclusion was further impacted by the fact that we had the largest turn out of the season so far and the Wanganui visitors had made such an effort to attend but all went home without injury. All riders and supporters are reminded that racing will be held every Sunday from 11am at the Wanganui Velodrome, for those with representative aspirations attendance is encouraged. Should the trends of this season continue we should be in for a bumper group of riders and a larger entertaining group of supporters providing lots of laughter.
These are the results:
Rider of the night James Hutton impressed the judge in the way he respected and made the most of his handicap to win his two lap handicap race.
U15 boys and U17 girls 5 lap race
1st Kate Stewart
2nd Robert Stannard
3rd Ruby Perry
B Grade Miss and Out
1st Luuk van Wagtendonk
2nd Mike McMinn
3rd Marcel Hollenstein
4th Barry Gilliland
A Grade Miss and Out
1st Matiu Kaihau
2nd Jaycob Humphreys
3rd Megan Blatchford
4th Hayley Giddens