National Schools Road Cycling Championships this weekend

Up to 900 competitors from schools throughout New Zealand will be in the Manawatu and Horowhenua this weekend for the 2015 National Schools Road Cycling Championships.

Hosted by the The New Zealand Schools Cycling Association (NZSCA), The secondary schools racing takes place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with a Team Time Trial, Road Race and Points Race for boys and girls in five age groups ranging from Under 14 to Under 20 years of age.

The championships start on Saturday with the Sir Bernard Fegusson 16km team time trial in Levin, followed by the road race in Hiwinnui south of Feilding and the Individual points race on the Manfeild race track.

The secondary school cyclists are competing in Girls and Boys U16 (intermediate) and Girls and Boys U20 (senior) categories, as well as intermediate school (Years 7 and 8) championships.

In the team trial on the opening day, teams of four (with three to finish) are competing in the Girls U16 Summers Cup and the U16 Boys Paul Matthews Cup and teams of five (with four to finish) are competing for the U20 Girls Murray Watts Trophy and U20 Boys Sir Bernard Fegusson Trophy.

Sunday’s road races see U13, U14 and U15 boys and girls compete in one lap of the 18km course, while the U16 and U17 boys and girls and U20 girls will ride two laps and the U20 boys three laps of the course. The U20 boys road race is expected to take approximately 55 minutes.

Numerous cups and trophies are on the line in this weekend’s National Schools Road Cycling Championships.

In overall classification, champion overall boys and girls secondary schools will be crowned based on overall points. The A.J Drake Cup is on the line for the top overall girls school and the H.A Joli Cup for the boys.

Both are have been won  for the past three years by the same schools, with Auckland’s Baradene College (girls) and local contenders Palmerston North Boys’ High School both going for four-peats this year.

Baradene College and Palmerston North Boys’ High School both had a number of cyclists in good form at the recent North Island Cycling Championships.

The top junior boys and girls Schools (Years 7 and 8) will be competing for the Chris Ginders Cup and the Marie Laycock Cup.

History of the event:

Source: http://www.cyclingnzschools.co.nz/

·       The HA Joli Cup for Team Time Trial reserves was introduced in 1971.This was withdrawn in 2009 and is now used a trophy for the top school competition.

·       In 1979 a points race was introduced, and is still held on the Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding.

·       In 1986 a girl’s grade was introduced

·       Due to increasing numbers an Under 15 grade for the team time trial was introduced in 1993.

·       1999 introduction of the Road Races.

·       2000 introduction of racing for year 7 and 8 pupils.

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