Record entries for cycling event
The fourth annual Battle of the Schools track cycling event took place at the Avantidrome and what a fun packed day it was.
Supported by local business, Mitre 10 Mega Cambridge, this year’s Battle of the Schools saw the highest number of entries since its inception in 2015 in conjunction with the Track Cycling World Cup at the Avantidrome.
Over 150 Year 5 to Year 8 students made up 37 teams, representing 14 schools from Hamilton, Te Awamutu and Cambridge areas.
Te Awamutu Intermediate took part for the first time and although they didn’t podium, they had a blast.
Two-thirds of the teams were newcomers to the event and firsttimers on the velodrome. This meant around 100 kids putting in the hard yards in training every week in the five week lead up to the event, learning how to ride a track bike from scratch and then mastering the art of the Italian Pursuit to go head to head in teams of four against other local schools.
“That’s the essence behind the Battle of the Schools competition,” says Avantidrome programme and events manager Del Woodford. “It’s a chance to introduce young kids to track cycling and the opportunity for them to experience the thrill of training and racing on a world-class velodrome — the very same track our Olympic and world champ track cyclists train and race on.”
Led by Avantidrome’s youth programme coach, Colin Dixon, there’s a huge amount of work that goes in to making an event like this possible. From the coaches who worked with the kids over the five weeks, to the volunteers and rest of the Avantidrome team.
“I don’t think the wider public realise we’re a really small team of staff here at the Avantidrome,” says Dixon.
“We’re thankful for the effort and hours the team here put in, much of it above and beyond their normal working weeks. We’re also super grateful for the support we receive from a regular group of volunteers who time and time again give generously of their time to help make events like these possible.
“For me personally however, the real rock-stars are the kids themselves. Every single one of them gave 110 per cent and I was so impressed with the support they gave their teammates.”
While the Battle of the Schools is first and foremost a fun event, about good sportsmanship and letting the kids learn and experience track cycling, Dixon says, “There’s also nothing wrong with wanting to win on competition day.”