Southland Sport
The police team claimed bragging rights with a victory over an SBS Bank team in the final of the annual corporate cycling race on Sunday.
Thirteen teams took to the boards in the 13th Architecture Unlimited Corporate Pursuit, which pits businesses against each other in an Italian Pursuit competition to determine boasting rights for the coming year.
With last year’s winners the fire service team not taking part this year, the police squad of Holly Mauheni, Anthony Hogan, Brook Armishaw, Blair Shirley, Graeme King and Kerry Russell recorded a fast 1min 15.64 seconds in the final to take out the title. The team has previously won the event.
SBS Bank Thunder was second, with a consistent Fonterra – Creaming It team claiming third spot.
Cycling Southland general manager Mark Hotton said many of the riders taking part had not ridden on the velodrome before they entered in the Architecture Unlimited-sponsored race.
“It’s an amazing event – you’ve got teams with new riders taking on experienced cyclists but the camaraderie and fellowship between the teams is amazing.
“We made some changes this year to make it a tighter event so teams had less time to recover but this just made the racing much more intense.”
Numbers were up in the Open Division, which provides an opportunity for smaller businesses or friends to compete, with the Steve Rhodes Feature Cars/Wensley’s Cycles team producing a quick 1min 14.76 to beat Fonterra – Milking It in the final, with Placemakers taking third spot over the Two Tyred team.
Hotton was delighted with how the event went.
“It’s such a great team-building exercise – one team is already talking about continuing to train – as well as a great way to introduce the sport of track cycling to new people.”
The All-Comers record, open to any composite team, was shattered by Junior World Track Championship-bound riders Sophie-Leigh Bloxham and Corbin Strong teamed up with fellow Regional Performance Hub member Conor Shearing and U17 rider Mitchel Fitzsimons to ride the four laps in 1:06.54, breaking the previous record of 1:08.378.