est. 1891
At our recently held Special General Meeting called by the committee , the members present voted to adopt the Velo 2000 concept as proposed.So it looks as if we are going to have a "new-look" club , throw in a new-look cycling body in Cycling SA , new address labels (thanks Willie). Exciting times are in store with a capital E.
You can diarise these dates as they are more or less cast in stone , I can’t see anything making the SACF or WPCA change the dates.
Date
29/01/00 Selection races-Bellville Velodrome
11-19/02/00 Rapport/Vodacom Tour
08-12/03/00 Giro Del Capo
10/03/00 International Track meeting - Bellville Velodrome
06-08/04/00 SA Track Champs - Pretoria
15/04/00 City Road Race - Paardeberg (this is the start of the road season)
26-28/05/00 SA Road Champs - Port Elizabeth
19/08/00 WP T/T Champs
26/08/00 WP Road Champs
The WPCA have a provisional road calendar in place at the moment , we will release details once road permission has been confirmed . The amount of development taking place on our traditional courses is making it difficult to plan races . Do traffic lights procreate when us humans aren’t looking? What's wrong with traffic circles !!!
Velo 2000
We had a quorum to commit the club to this concept which entails more or less the following:
The club would be converted to a Section 21 company with a board of directors looking after the day to day running of the club. Subs would be R300 per annum which would give you access to coaching , equipment , accessories etc etc ,the club would need to have 1000 members to have it work like a bomb , but the sponsor(s) commit themselves to the club once 600 members have been signed up , all of this will kick-in from 2001. We do have copies of the full proposal available should you wish to scrutinise it further. Road , mountain and track will be catered for.
Cycling SA
Whether we like it or not the sport is going to have itself dragged into a new era . A very reliable source confirmed that the agreement will be signed "soon" , the only dissenting voice at the moment is the Gauteng PPA. Should they choose not to be part of the bunch at the next meeting , they will be left to time trial on their own . It was also confirmed that fun rides in the summer and racing in the winter will carry on as normal for the first year. It is envisaged that more details of the set-up will be revealed once everything has been signed. Watch this space!
We had a very interesting visitor to our special general meeting at the beginning of the month in Tommy Shardelow. Tommy was a member of our club many moons ago and while under the tutelage of our Uncle Harry represented South Africa on the track in the 52 & 56 Olympics winning two silvers and a bronze. I bet the SACF will give a few body parts away to come back from Sydney 2000 with just a bronze for track or road . In Tommy’s day most of the cyclists rode track and road , meetings on the track would take place at Krugersdorp on a Wednesday , Pretoria on the Friday night and at Hector Norris on the Sunday without fail. Nowadays we have to beg for our venues from week to week , a sad state of affairs .
Paarl - Boxing Day - Monday - 27/12/99 - 1400hrs
If you are going to stuff yourself on Christmas Day and Boxing Day , Spare a thought for the ones taking part in the 102nd Boxing Day meeting on the Monday. If you want to witness some spinster clenching track racing bring yourself along to the Paarl track.
Word has it that some hotshots from Gauteng are coming down to take on the locals. With the tension between Rhadsport and Elfin cycling clubs there is sure to be a few fireworks. Action won’t be restricted to the track either , guaranteed.
Bicycle for Sale
Life member Ted Clayton who represented South Africa at the Empire Games in 1934 and the Olympics in 1936 has the following bikes to sell: 1 x 22/23" (about 55/56) Peugeot racing bike = R550.00 and 1 x Saxon Racing Tandem = R1500.00 interested?? Give Joy Clayton a call at the following number 558 8010.
Rapport/Vodacom Tour
The tour has been upgraded to a 2.4 by the UCI so that means all classes of trade teams will be allowed to participate. There have been reports that Jan Ullrich will be taking part . There will also be a mixed pro team that will include Robert Hunter and David George . This years tour will start and finish in Cape Town but will be ridden for the most part in the Southern Cape - bigger mountains and less maniacal motorists. The Western Province in conjunction with the SACF are selecting a development team to take part. This is actually a sore point because the sponsors have put up the money and the Development Officer (yes there is one , but he doesn’t have a development plan) Mr E. Kulsen , only see the team competing in the Rapport Tour and then disbanding , the WPCA development sub-committee would rather the funds be used to develop riders over longer period of time and ease them into riding stage races such as the Giro instead of throwing them into the deep end. Selection races will be held up to the end of January 2000 . So when the tour goes into the mountains spare a thought for the nondescript club rider from the Cape chopping off in 40degree heat.
PS
John Moss got a fifth place in the vets points race at the worlds in Manchester , he was involved in a breakaway and they lapped the field about three times , John will be in action at the Boxing Day meeting ,bring along your newsletter and he’ll autograph it for you.
Instead of the usual old Xmas and new year jazz , here's something different : May the road rise to meet your feet , May the wind always be at your back , May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain soft upon your fields , and until we meet again , May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Contact people and numbers:
Steve Down - 462 4190 W 58 9490 H
Graham Ward - 946 2670 W 58 0582 H
Mike Maartens - 082 46222 76
Charl Marais - 483 4789 W 99 5219 H
Gerard Genis - Astra Cycles 554 4493 H
William Newman - 903 9580 H
Want to find out any info , the above members should be able to point you in the right direction .
PPS . the less said about the double century the better.
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