A mild night with a heavily overcast sky and a light North Westerly wind greeted the 23 riders that made the trip to the Johnston Park Velodrome on Tuesday night. Most of the riders had competed at the West Coast North Island track championships held at the weekend with nine Bike Manawatu riders gaining selection to the 16 person West Coast North Island team to contest the Rabodirect Age Group Track Cycling National Championships to be held in Invercargill at the end of February.

The nights programme was adjusted after Cameron Gibbons required assistance after he fell heavily at speed as a result of a miscalculation in his heat of the two up sprint. Fortunately Cameron is made of sturdy stuff and after being assessed at Hospital he was free to go home with 5 stitches and grazes. It was a reminder to all that accidents can happen without the need for reckless riding. It was important for the riders to get back onto the track after the accident, and so the longer handicap races finished off the programme.

The race of the night was the under 15 Boys and Girls 8 lap handicap race. The limit man was Thomas Stannard with a lap and 100 metre start over the scratch riders of Cody Simpson, Michaela Drummond and Chris Denholm. Thomas Stannard is very proud of his teeth or he must be trying out for a toothpaste commercial as he was showing every tooth each time he rode past the spectators. Thomas’s effort was clear to all with the gritted teeth and his ability to maintain a healthy margin back to the chasers. Each of the chasing groups were working well together with clean and sharp lapping and so making the most of their advantage to be able to work as a team to chase down the solo rider in Thomas. With two laps to go Thomas was still out on his own but the gap was closing fast. The three scratch riders continued to impress with their team work and pace but they still had work ahead of them. At the final bell Thomas was being swamped by the faster finishing bunches and it was his brother Robert that was leading the front bunch. Robert was leading Jake van Lienen and Emily Shearman, at the 200 metre mark Robert reached for the sprint and found it to blast clear to a comfortable victory from Jake and then Emily with the scratch riders finishing fast.

Results for Tuesday 31^st of January.

Under 15 Boys and Girls 4 lap handicap

1^st Emily Shearman

2^nd Libby Arbuckle

3^rd Michaela Drummond

4^th Cody Simpson

Under 17 Boys and Girls 4 lap handicap

1^st George Roberts

2^nd Jordan Castle

3^rd Kate Stewart

4^th Liam Barber

A & B Grade Women’s 5 lap handicap

1^st Kelsi Eccles

2^nd Teagan Roffe

A & B Grade Men’s 5 lap handicap

1^st Matiu Kaihau

2^nd Cameron Gibbons

3rd Luuk van Wantendonk

4th Jaycob Humphreys

Two and Three up Sprints

Heat 1

Libby Arbuckle 16.73 sec

Emily Shearman

Thomas Stannard

Heat 2

Robert Stannard 17.545sec

Chris Denholm

James Cuff

Heat 3

Cody Simpson 15.92sec

Jake van Lienen

Heat 4

Michaela Drummond 15.48sec

Carne Groube

Heat 5

Liam Barber 16.24 sec

James Denholm

Heat 6

Jordan Castle 13.94 sec

George Roberts

Heat 7

Kate Stewart 15.73 sec

Ruby Perry

Heat 8

Teagan Roffe 15.33 sec

Kelsi Eccles

Under 15 Boys and Girls 8 lap handicap

1^st Robert Stannard

2^nd Jake van Lienen

3^rd Emily Shearman

4^th Cody Simpson

The Rest 10 lap handicap

1^st Matiu Kaihau

2^nd Jordan Castle

3^rd George Roberts

4^th Luuk van Wantendonk