Team cycling for Taranaki

Will Johnston

 Road cyclists are gearing up to compete at the prestigious Dynamo Team Championships in Cambridge.

The championships comprise six road races to be held around Waikato between September and February with the first race this Sunday. Teams can contain up to eight riders who do not have to race in the same grade. 

Taranaki’s team features the region’s top riders plus two others. Manawatu rider Glenn Kirk, originally from Taranaki, and Auckland Grammar student Matt McClune help form the six-man team. 

Kirk rides regularly in New Plymouth’s events and team manager Rex Cumming said he was happy to include him.   

“He is very, very fast and very experienced. What I like about the guy he is willing to help the young ones through. That’s what I want to achieve.”  

Aucklander Matt McClune joins the team after making contact through Cumming’s son.  

“It’s basically a Cycling New Plymouth team, but I was approached by a young rider from Auckland who was involved in my son’s team. We thought he was a good fit, so we added him to the team,” Cumming said.  

Also competing for the team this weekend are three young riders. McClune, Denay Cottam and Flynn Barrett are all 16 and will compete in the Under 19 category in race events. 

Locals Sean Marfell, Gonzalo Teinado and Flynn Barrett make up the rest of the team.  

Logan Gieni and Campbell Jamieson are non-traveling reserves and are on standby. 

“We can name eight riders,” Cumming said.  

Cumming said all riders in the team were fast with Cottam a previous top track cyclist who competes in road events to keep fit.  

On Sunday, the team will compete in a 40-kilometre team time trial in the morning, followed by a 70-kilometre road race in the afternoon.  

“I’m quietly confident our team will do very well. We have a good all-round mix with hill climbers, sprinters and solid riders who can cover for everyone else. We have a good broad mix,” Cumming said.  

Preparations have included being involved in the club scene as a team and racing as a team.  

“On two occasions we have managed to get everyone here.

“We haven’t had Matt here, due to Covid restrictions but he’s a noted team time triallist so there hasn’t been an issue him fitting in.” 

Cumming hopes that the team will give the junior riders something to aim towards by racing in the prestigious event.  

“It’s the biggest team event in the country. In the elite category there are New Zealand champions.” 

Event organiser Nathan Cox says Category 3 is a very competitive category and the largest in the event and Taranaki's Spoken Cycles Team will be tough to beat along with CRM who are traveling over from Tauranga.

"Both of those teams fought out the series last year and imagine they will be right in the mix again."

Dynamo Events Team Championship 2020/21 schedule: 

Race 1: Sunday, September 20

Race 2: Sunday, October 18

Race 3: Sunday, November 22

Race 4: Sunday, December 13

Race 5: Sunday, January 24, 2021

Race 6: Sunday, February 28, 2021