Girls are a toughie, that's for sure.

I don't think physiology will be as much an issue for the lads as chicks and booze...pays to be ugly or shy.
Is it burn out or goal shifting?

Most girls have their heart set on a University degree and a career while many boys expect everyone who goes to Junior Worlds or Canberra is assured of getting a Pro contract and cycling will pay their way for life

Hi Hamish, Craig here. Yeah but mum and dad have to pay out thousands especially the South Islanders just to get those boys to Canberra which includes the up-coming Te Awamutu tour followed by a week long camp and then the Rotorua tour and then we have to get the boys back up to Hastings for the NZ road champs AND THEN MAYBE CANBERRA??? that's if they get picked of course.

We can't see there being any change out of $8,000 on Dylan and that's just till late July. It's still going to cost plenty after that with him. Jesus he'll need to get a contract in Europe to pay us back as we might be living in a caravan by then. LOL

There is a NPS for Juniors. 7 Events: Hawkes Bay Tour, TeA, CRI, Club Nats, Sail Timaru Tour, Ricoh Dunners Tour and Yunca Southland Tour. Points from Top 4 races count. Not going to be applicable for those who want to go to Canberra. There will be a Track Camp after Yunca which will be of benefit for those who plan on doing Oceania Games in Adelaide in November. One of the U17 squad named has withdrawn because of costs and possibly because of age (a 1st year) so riders and parents do need to do a cost v benefit analysis. These camps and trips are valuable as it gives the squad coaches a chance to develop riders with higher honours in mind and we also get to see how these kids travel and interact with others (I took note on final night of Track Nats of the U17s who were drinking just as I watched the riders in the gear check at Yunca to see which ones got lippy if they rolled over). The difference between Dylan (1 track nats under his belt) and riders like Kristof Ford and Tayla Harrison (1st time) was huge. How big a role will all these little experiences play in the next two years when these guys front up for NZ at the 2012 Junior Worlds. Will some even be riding a bike then??? Is it worth the cost? Will it matter what they did as U17s and U19s in the big scheme (Joanne Kiesanowski did not win a NZ title till age 21 and Eddie Dawkins first Nat title was a 2nd year U19 despite having raced for years prior)? All fair questions. It's nice they have invited Dylan and another U17 rider to the Wanganui Camp but I assume this is at the cost of the riders (and therefore the parents). Craig here's hoping you have the same success training horses as I have preparing cyclists to fund Dylan's potentially exciting cycling career.

Well guys, this year development funding is down from $110,000 last year to aprox $75k this year due to funding for the com games worlds etc, as all minor sports go, and you seasoned coaches should know by now, its all self funded all the way :-( unless your rider is so outstanding, and sponsors will fall over them selves to support him/her, yeh right sounds like a tui add.
We hear about one hit wonders at the junior worlds, but really as a developing under 19 rider you ARE expected to do two junior worlds, on top of other road development tours, and training camps along the way. they are not one hit wonders, this years junior worlds indicative cost is $12k + expenses and add on charges(excess luggage etc), go back to back worlds(2 years as an under 19, oceanias, + nationals, ex north island. the $$$$$ start to mount up, that is more the real reason why riders drop out. with out real financial support the family bank tends to dry up.:-(

even if the riders have a real ability to hit the big time, and set not just nz records, oceania records, but com games and world records, if the family does not have bottomless pockets of folding, the reality will never happen.

Hey Hamish, Dylan just got in from his St Andrews race with the seniors and he won it off scratch and got 50 bucks. It all helps. He reckons he feels stronger after last week.

trakffan wrote:Hey Hamish, Dylan just got in from his St Andrews race with the seniors and he won it off scratch and got 50 bucks. It all helps. He reckons he feels stronger after last week.

However by the time he pays for fuel,tax ,gst,his manager,coach and 20% to the Handicapper there wont be much left.Funny enough last night was the first time I've put a group on scratch at 6min .30sec chasing the front in a 16km race.And even then they allowed time to sit on the leading bunch with 2km to go.Unfortuantly for Kennett,Gould and Stanifold .You three forgot to collect the handicapper on the way past.Not even a whisper.Clearly showed to me that you scratch guys have had it to easy all summer.

I personally thought that the age group Nationals were an outstanding success.For once the age group riders were able to use the velodrome without the hassle of the senior riders.Last year there was never a chance for some of the lesser riders to get the chance to use the track because there were no quarter/semi final and Elimination races.Even this year allowing children to race of for 7th-12th was great.However as much as I am in the Dylan Kennett camp.It was great to see other riders perform well.I was extremely impressed with the performances of Tom Beadle and Daniel Rafferty.Daniel I have been told has only been back racing a month before the Nationals and is 2nd year under 17 next year.Another excellent thing I seen was the introduction of the mixed teams events which gave the average cyclist the chance to ride with other stronger riders.I for one say keep the two groups Elite and Age group separate. Unfortunately with the positives do come negatives.I thought the disqualification of the Auckland under 19 rider was fear.Although his management thought otherwise ,From the naked eye your boy caused the crash.Take it on the chin and get over it.One had to feel sorry for the two injured Southland riders.
And finally I seen some riders had handlers who simply didn't no what they were doing and one person in particular should be aware that a hold is a hold and not a shove with the palm of the hand.

Well well well, the track sprinters have done it again, but this time they have not settled for just a nz record in the womens u19 team sprint, hey we haven't had a possible junior world record set by any kiwi rides in the history of the JUNIOR WORLDS, so when an Auckland pairing of dedicated sprinters do some thing really special, was our age group nationals a uci sanctioned event, now that they have been split away from the elites????
Sorry due to no drug testing any great times will not be ratified:-( oh well it seems that it takes time for such minor planning detail to fall into place.

I have to step in here and say a few things..having been a part of the BikeNZ HP program...

When Michael Flynn and I were running the program we were aware of the expense incurred by parents and so I put an add on various websites asking who wants and thinks they can be a world champion. We had parents, coaches and riders all apply.

From there we laid out 2-3 major qualification events them being Track Nats, Youth Olympics, and Youth Commonwealths/or Oceanias. We made it clear that we were looking at world class times and gave out the times we are looking for..so it was crystal clear what was required. However there was absolute nonsense put out there that TA was a selection race, Tour of Napier, and road nats and the likes which was just bollocks. I remember a roadie who went to Junior Worlds whose parents spent 15 k getting him to all sorts of supposed qualification races..which was bullshit, and then 15k to go to the worlds.

Its a simple formula BikeNZ must take...inform everybody of 3 events in priority that the rider has to put in a world class performance and then select them. Then klet them and their personal coaches get on and prepare for worlds before heading into camp prior to worlds...it has become cost prohibitive...ask the Vinks or McLeods what it cost them the past 2 years...

agree fully Terry, it has to be clear and attainable to all riders, not just those with well off parents.
we have the same crap in MTB where there are some any races listed as priority 1, 2, 3 and these all make up selection for worlds. Whats wrong with National champs and Oceania being the only ones in NZ. And leaving International racing for other to gain selection.

And while im at it whats this crap about a NZ junior points series on the road, how good was the elite and U23 one. And its great that out CRI tour has been included but now we have to come up with $3 per rider to give to ROAD AND TRACK NZ. Would have been nice to have been asked if we wanted to be included!!!!!!

Dont get me started on the NZ Road Points series..what a joke...

BikeNZ have used "fun rides"such as Taupo, Graperide, Brunner etc where entry fee is cost prohibitive, and for no return to athletes or teams in terms of financial reward.

If they were truly going to run a proper series, they should have worked with Greg Hume in building the benchmark series and make it true classic races. If we are to find NZs premier road rider it has to take in Elite Road Nats, Tour of Southland, Wellington, and maybe 2 single stage classics in each island...not those bullshit fun rides...

Hey guys and gals, sorry to drag up this old thread, but having done a few searches havent found much. Where do the paralympic athletes get their trikes/bikes from? A friend of mine has spina bifida and cant use his legs. His arms on the other hand are fine. To start with we would like to find a cheapish bike and see how he gets on with it. It would be nice if we could find somthing that is tailorable to him.

Cheers

Brian Gilbert at Levin Cycles.

Fergie wrote:Brian Gilbert at Southend Cycles in Levin.