SPORT Cycling
MiC: Dr Tom Hawkins
over a distance that wasn’t ideally suited for Jack) to get Michael into the top three most weeks. Racing at the South Island Championships was fast and furious. It was a step up for some of the team, who dug deep and showed great perseverance to race hard for each other and represent College with character. Michael performed strongly in the individual time trial and Jack finished in the leading bunch in what was a very fast U20 race. Training continued into Term 3, with the boys putting some good distances under their wheels as we built towards the climax of the season –
the Southern Tour in Blenheim. With Jack racing at the high-performance cycling hub on the weekends, Michael and Fearghus Bratten led the boys on weekend rides. Sprints along the hilltops and lung-busting climbs to the Summit Road kept fitness levels up and, as a result, the new guys were beginning to ride like seasoned road cyclists. The College van rolled into Blenheim with the boys’ mood upbeat and optimistic. The experienced riders had built good relationships with the new guys and the team ethic was tangible. The first day was a baptism of fire, as the frantic criterium (several laps around a short street
The first few weeks of the 2019 season involved getting new riders Michael Taylor, Sam Willems, Archie Franks and Thomas McEwan up to speed on group riding and time trialling techniques. The boys were seasoned rowers and their fitness showed as they took to the roads with gusto. Racing at Tai Tapu began in earnest mid Term 2, with senior riders leading by example and showing the new boys how to step up to the challenge of racing. Sam and Thomas began to show promise in the U17 grade (regularly finishing in the top five) and Jack Drage and Michael Audeau worked well together (and
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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