Update from Aaron Gate

Hey Team!

The training in Perth has been going really well, its taken me a little bit longer to come onto some form but I'm really starting to go fast now.

Yesterday we were entered in a Track Racing Carnival here. It was really hard and fast racing, as the NZ Team was all put into A-Grade, up against Aussie's such as Graham Brown; holder of 2 Olympic Medals, member of the Australian Teams Pursuit Team to ride at the Olympics this year, and member of the RaboBank team to race the Tour de France this year; and Travis Meyer; who won 5 Junior World titles during his 2 years as a Junior. We worked as a team in the 5 lap wheel race to get the win in the 5 Lap Wheel Race, and I picked up a couple of 5th places in 2 of the other races.

Sam Webster has also been going really well, he, Ethan and Sam Steele were a close 2nd to the Senior Western Australia Team Sprint team, and he qualified fastest in the 200m sprint, to not quite get around the Senior Australian sprinter in the final (who's name escapes me).

Tomorrow is a big day as well, as it is the trials day when the whole team is put through a number of individual time trials to select the places for racing in the Final competition of the World Champs beginning on the 12th of July. My goal is to ride in the Team Pursuit team, as some of the lap times we've been doing in training indicate that we have a pretty strong chance in Cape Town. We fly out of Perth on Sunday the 6th of July to finish off our training and familiarise ourselves with the track we will actually be racing on, which we have been told is rather rough and bumpy (being concrete rather than wood), as well as having really steep corners.

I had a crash last Monday in training as well, which was caused by my chain coming due to a faulty front chain ring. I managed to write off the $8000 BT track frame on loan to me from BikeNZ by cracking it, and destroyed a $3000 rear disc wheel... (Luckily covered by the team's insurance...) I only suffered some grazing and quite a few splinters that the team masseuse had to pick out of my right bum cheek with a needle... which wasn't the most pleasurable experience for me or her no doubt, but it could have been a lot worse.

I'll try to stay in touch,

Cheers

Aaron

Yellow Hoodies / North Islands

Yellow hoodies are IN! $72. See me with dollars in your hand. Cheques to AGS Cycling. Twelve people ordered them.

If you have told me within the last two weeks you will be not attending North Island Championships (there are three), you must repay the entry fee for individuals ($5) and suffer the ignominy of letting down the other riders on your team.

Commitment to school, team and yourself figure large in Cycling at AGS. Cycling is not a sport where you can pick and choose when to train. There is no hiding. There is a large team of adults behind each and every rider, donating time, energy, personal effort on your behalf. You need to respect that.

Dale Johnson

North Island School Cycling Championships

NORTH ISLAND SCHOOL CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

5^TH AND 6^TH JULY 2008

UPDATE

June 2008

Teams Time Trial – Saturday 5^th July

Gordontown School

Manager's Meeting 9.30am

Start Time 10.30am

Order of Events -

Junior Girls

Junior Boys

Senior Girls

Senior Boys

Individual Road Races – Sunday 6^th July

Due to major road works the large circuit course has been changed

Racing starts in Kent Street and proceeds along River Road to Lake Road, then Howard Road ,Driver Road, River Road which forms the circuit where cyclists complete the 13.5km laps as below then back along River Road to finish in Kent Street.

Order of Events -

Morning -

These races on new circuit

8.00am Under 17 Boys 2 laps

8.05am Under 16 Girls 2 laps

9.30am Under 16 Boys 2 laps

9.30am Under 17 Girls 2 laps

10.45am Under 20 Girls 2 laps

11.00am Under 20 Boys 3 laps

Afternoon –

These races on small school circuit

From 12.45pm Under 14 Girls 6 laps

Under 14 Boys 6 laps

Under 15 Girls 6 laps

Under 15 Boys 8 laps

Please note - start times may be changed – Team Managers and Riders please check in the School Hall on the day.

Scratchings –

Scratching for Sunday's events to be notified to Sandra Carter in the hall on Saturday by 2.30pm.

Prior to that
John Young can be contacted on Phone 07 8247416

Parking –

Teams Time Trial – Saturday 5^th July 2008

The field beside the school will be used for this purpose, this year with a cost of $2.00 per vehicle. The reason for this being that unfortunately there was damage to fences last year and so a hireage fee has been charged to the organisers this year.

If the paddock cannot be used due to weather conditions, parking will be available prior to the one way bridge before the school and down an adjacent side road. This will mean a short walk of 300-500 metres to the venue.

Marshalling –

Sunday Morning only -

Ten people are still required for this important task on the large circuit. These persons would need to be on site by 7.45am through until approximately 12.15pm but even an hour and half would be of assistance. It has been suggested that if school do not want to assist they supply a reasonable donation to cover hiring a group to do this job.

Lead Cars – All of Sunday

Cars and drivers are required for the ten Individual Road Races on Sunday. The Race Organiser will make sure there is some help to these drivers.

Food –

There will be food on sale both days, please support these fund raising efforts.

Any questions please do not hesitiate to contact John Young

Phone 07 8247416 or email younalan@ihug.co.nz

Junior squad update

Well done on the turn out on Saturday morning for the ITT and on the many improvements. There will be some changes for the next TTT that I will outline for you on Tuesday as we look to that race and the North Islands.
 
Good to see Daniel P, Kirk Sowter, Alec Cairney and Adam Smith out at Auckland Half Distance Champs.
 
Tuesday training is back at Abbott's Way. See you then.
 
Alwyn


Regards

Richard

Sent from my Blackberry (ph. +64 21 223 4741)
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Individual Time Trial

Some seem not to have heard, so here it is:

ITT Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m. for Juniors first, then Seniors, alphabetically in both cases.

Is it time for an after-school Wind Training session on Monday? Let's give it a go this Monday, 3:45, under shelter by the bike trailer. Music can be arranged, but whose, is not yet clear.

Don't forget, those St Cuthbert girls are keyed up to ride with us after time trials tomorrow. So wear your most flash gear.

Cheers,


Dale Johnson
AGS Cycling 
d.johnson@ags.school.nz

I'm mad!

Good training guys……..but……….riding home safely and considerately is a huge part of training. Following a particular group home that was two or three abreast, holding up traffic, riding no hands, falling off at an intersection, etc. It takes one car to get mad, swerve past you or into you and you have caused and been a part of an accident. You need to get this aspect right. Superman is bullet proof – you are not. Enough motorists are fed up with cyclist – don't add to it. And don't be the next statistic.
 
Many thanks to the parents who rode tonight and helped on the corners.
 
Alwyn


Regards

Richard

Sent from my Blackberry (ph. +64 21 223 4741)
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Coach’s Comments on Junior Performances

Hello Spinners

For results from Sunday see:

http://www.avantiplus.com/Auckland_Secondary_Schools_Cycling/assc.aspx


Junior A 23:00 2nd place (33secs down)

BIG improvement. Well done to all four. Lots of progress and you would have surprised the other teams by what you have achieved in two weeks. We will keep up the hard work and look to halve the gap again (at least) by TTT 3 and then aim for gold at North Islands.


Junior B 24:47 6th place (13secs down on St. Kents JB)

A solid ride guys (10secs slower but in harder conditions). You held your place. We have to really get those legs spinning fast and in each of your programmes you have components for that. We should be aiming top 4 in Auckland but you will need to work to achieve it.


Junior C 26:12 10h place (51secs down St. Kents JC)

A ride we need to improve on. Pity to lose Hugo early. Well down Jackson on stepping up and putting in a solid effort. Endurance is important but in a race as short as a 16km TTT you need speed (through leg turnover/cadence) first. Keep working on this. The Senior A guys tell me that on the way out they had their cadence up around 140 for sections of the course.


Junior D 27:07 13h place (55secs down St. Kents JD)

This is solid compared to your TTT 1 ride and you held your place. A really positive effort after losing Simon early and a long way ahead of where you guys were as individuals last year. Keep up the hard work.


Junior E 29:42 24th place (1:17secs down St. Kents JE)

Not as bad as it looks men. Well done Andrew on getting out there for the first time and really riding hard through to the end. Lots of ability here and you will all improve a massive amount during the year.


See you Tuesday afternoon. I would love to get an F team out there and given that James Watt, Misha, and Michael were not there on Sunday we are close to it when all are fit and well. Keep asking around – 2 or 3 more riders would make a huge difference.

Thanks

Alwyn Poole

Junior training this Tuesday 10th June

Well done this morning on what looked like a much improved effort throughout the teams. We are making progress. More on this when I see the times.
 
This Tuesday we will train at One Tree Hill. Meet at the car park beside the observatory by 4pm. It would be very helpful to have a couple of parents there as marshalls for a couple of the points on the hills.
 
See you Tuesday.
 
Alwyn



Regards

Richard

Sent from my Blackberry (ph. +64 21 223 4741)
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Junior Teams for Sunday 8th June

Hi Men (and all of those attached to them).

 

The following are the teams for this Sunday. On the attached sheets are the timetables for Sunday. Please click on the tab that applies to you. Get back to me with any questions. If I have missed anyone (or you should not be on my list) get back to me on that also.

We won't set place aims for this one as we are still settling in given the punctures, etc, from TTT one.

With Seton Hill no longer available everyone moves up a click. Keep in mind the individual TT next Saturday morning at the airport – it will strongly determine teams for TTT 3 and the North Islands. As you get relatively faster – you move up. If you are disappointed in the team that you are in at present – show me why this Sunday with a great ride for your team and then really demonstrate it on your own next Saturday.

Andrew – even though you are listed as reserve come along ready to ride with the E team as there is still some illness and injury and it is very likely that one or two riders will be missing.

Don't forget that the parent of the team captain gets the lucky job of being team manager.

 

Thanks

 

Alwyn Poole

 

Junior A

Matt Foreman – captain

Sam Morreau

Daniel Poole

Adam Smith

 

Junior B

Damien Hill - captain

Sam White

Daniel Gate

Kirk Sowter

 

Junior C

Alex Best - captain

Alec Cairney

Hugo Bloor

Jackson Staub

 

Junior D

George Albury - captain

Misha Tosswill

Tony Sun

Callum Sweeny

 

Junior E

Andrew Russ - captain

Sam Brothers

Simon Stafford-Bush

Gabriel Metcalf

 

Reserve

 

Andrew Cribben

 

Richard’s Crash

Dear Grammar Cycling Community,

Just to fill in the gaps for those of you who don't already know -yes I received that phone call on Sat afternoon that nobody ever want to get - "Mum - Dad has had a crash and is in hospital". I was in Auckland and this was all happening in Taranaki - many miles away. I flew down on the first flight Sun morning.

Richard crashed on Sat afternoon while sprinting in the last 500m of the second event of the B grade of the Tour of Taranaki - Tom Williams was just within his grasp. There was a 10 person crash - 3 people being taken to Hawera Hospital. Richard has a fractured left clavicle, 2 broken ribs eventually discovered on Tues and multiple abrasions on his left side - including his arm, hip and his entire left leg.

Many thanks to the Grammar Cycling Community for their care and support - not to mention individuals but - John and Joy Williams for taking care of Max - mentally and physically - James and Meren Webster - for only being a phone call away, Blair James - Hawera Hospital would not have been the same without you being there, and Mike Sowter for directions around Taranaki.

Aaron and Sam leaving this weekend - may the wind always be at your back - have a great time and enjoy the experience - make us proud boys.

Cheers lorraine j

Provisional Start Times Race 2 June 8th

Time		Number	Grade
6:45:00	Auckland Grammar A	1	SB
6:45:30	Westlake Boys A	39	SB
6:46:00	Auckland Grammar B	2	SB
6:46:30	St Kentigern College A	29	SB
6:47:00	Massey High School A	18	SB
6:47:30	Sacred Heart College A	26	SB
6:48:00	Macleans College A	15	SB
6:48:30	Westlake Boys B	40	SB
6:49:00	St Kentigern College JA	99	JB
6:49:30	Westlake Boys JA	112	JB
6:50:00	St Kentigern College B	30	SB
6:50:30	Takapuna Grammar A	36	SB
6:51:00	Auckland Grammar C	3	SB
6:51:30	Kristin School A	13	SB
6:52:00	St Kentigern College JB	100	JB
6:52:30	Pakuranga JA	87	JB
6:53:00	Diocesan A	7	SG
6:53:30	Auckland Grammar D	4	SB
6:54:00	Rangitoto College A	22	SB
6:54:30	Glendowie College A	12	SB
6:55:00	Massey High School B	19	SB
6:55:30	Auckland Grammar JA	63	JB
6:56:00	Auckland Grammar JB	64	JB
6:56:30	St Kentigern College JC	101	JB
6:57:00	St Cuthberts College A	27	SG
6:57:30	Macleans College B	16	SB
6:58:00	Rangitoto College B	23	SB
6:58:30	St Kentigern College C	31	SB
6:59:30	Auckland Grammar JC	65	JB
7:00:00	Macleans College A	17	SG
7:00:30	Diocesan JA	72	JG
7:01:00	Baradene College A	6	SG
7:01:30	St Kentigern College JD	102	JB
7:02:00	Diocesan B	8	SG
7:02:30	St Kentigern College A	33	SG
7:03:00	Westlake Boys C	41	SB
7:03:30	Kristin School A	14	SG
7:04:00	Sacred Heart College JA	89	JB
7:04:30	Westlake Girls A	43	SG
7:05:00	Macleans College JA	81	JB
7:05:30	Pakuranga A	21	SB
7:06:00	Epsom Grammar A	10	SG
7:06:30	Whangaparoa JA	118	JB
7:07:00	Takapuna Grammar B	37	SB
7:07:30	St Kentigern College JA	106	JG
7:08:00	Howick College JA	80	JB
7:08:30	Auckland Grammar JD	66	JB
7:09:00	Sancta Maria College JA	93	JB
7:09:30	Westlake Boys JB	113	JB
7:10:00	Sacred Heart College JB	90	JB
7:10:30	Whangaparoa JB	119	JB
7:11:00	St Kentigern College JE	103	JB
7:11:30	Macleans College JA	83	JG
7:12:00	Westlake Boys JC	114	JB
7:13:00	St Cuthberts College JA	95	JG
7:13:30	Takapuna Grammar JA	109	JB
7:14:00	Auckland Grammar E	5	SB
7:14:30	Diocesan JB	73	JG
7:15:00	Rosehill College A	24	SB
7:15:30	Macleans College JB	82	JB
7:16:00	Diocesan C	9	SG
7:16:30	St Kentigern College D	32	SB
7:17:00	Epsom Grammar JA	77	JG
7:17:30	Auckland Grammar JE	67	JB
7:18:00	St Peters College A	34	SB
7:18:30	St Peters College JA	107	JB
7:19:00	Takapuna Grammar A	38	SG
7:19:30	Baradene College JA	69	JG
7:20:00	Diocesan JC	74	JG
7:20:30	St Cuthberts College JB	96	JG
7:21:00	Rangitoto College JA	88	JB
7:21:30	Glendowie College JA	79	JB
7:22:00	Whangaparoa JC	120	JB
7:22:30	Sacred Heart College JC	91	JB
7:23:00	St Cuthberts College JC	97	JG
7:23:30	Westlake Girls JA	115	JG
7:24:00	Westlake Boys D	42	SB
7:24:30	Auckland Grammar JF	68	JB
7:25:00	St Kentigern College JF	104	JB
7:25:30	Sancta Maria College JB	94	JB
7:26:00	Takapuna Grammar JA	111	JG
7:26:30	Takapuna Grammar JB	110	JB
7:27:30	Diocesan JD	75	JG
7:28:00	Massey High School A	20	SG
7:28:30	Westlake Girls JB	116	JG
7:29:00	St Kentigern College JG	105	JB
7:29:30	Massey High School JA	84	JB
7:30:00	St Marys/Marist Composite	35	SG
7:30:30	Sunderland Sch & Col JA	108	JB
7:31:00	Massey High School JB	85	JB
7:31:30	St Cuthberts College JD	98	JG
7:32:00	Sacred Heart College JD	92	JB
7:32:30	Rosehill College A	25	SG
7:33:00	St Cuthberts College B	28	SG
7:33:30	Diocesan JE	76	JG
7:34:00	Whangaparoa A	44	SB
7:34:30	Epsom Grammar B	11	SG
7:35:00	Epsom Grammar JB	78	JG
7:35:30	Baradene College JB	70	JG
7:36:00	Westlake Girls JC	117	JG
7:36:30	Baradene College JC	71	JG