Sometimes in the Facebook world it is easy to miss some things that deserve recognition. Here is a bit of wrap of what has happened in Bikeline Racing of recent times.
Firstly, we have reached the 60 member mark, a great achievement for a small club. For those who are new members thank you for choosing to join Bikeline Racing. A special mention to those members who are from out of town. Helen Reid, Eddie Groom, Dan Large, and Clint Andrewartha hail from the Kingaroy district. A couple of new Junior members Taj Jones and Lachlan Hughes from Nanango recently competed in the inaugural CQ Toowoomba & Regional Schools Cup. As always we have a good Dalby contingent with Andrea Gormley, Josh Watts, Dean Russell and Michael Bond flying the Dalby flag this year. Brad Shelton moved up to the tropics but still holds his membership. Nick Vroomans and David Hacker are from down in the Lockyer Valley. Kent Wright and Phil Leyden from Pittsworth and beyond. Last but not least the Van Hoofs, Elsie and Jack, from Warwick basically has most directions covered. We appreciate your efforts to travel to Toowoomba to compete.
Dean Russell, Trent West, and Seb Scott are again riding with the Team TLD Racing team which is sitting 5th in the standings after the 1st round of the 2014 Qld Road Team Series, a great effort to be proud of. Team TLD team is mainly made up of riders from all 3 Toowoomba cycling clubs. Bikeline Racing has contributed financially to Team TLD and we which wish the guys well for the following QRTS rounds.
The Track Ratz after the State Master Champs.
One area that is going from strength to strength this year is our track team. Karl Morris and Megan Stevens recently competed in the Australian National Masters Track Championships, both successfully bringing home medals. At the other end of the age scale is Elsie Van Hoof was very competitive in her age group at the Australian National Junior Track titles. Well done Elsie. Rob Walker also has emerged as a contender and has improved in leaps and bounds, medalling at the Qld Masters Champs recently.
Our club sponsors deserve a mention, Be Better Psychology have supported our club for three years and we thank Shirley and Peter for their generous support. McWilliam Sander Accountants, Toowoomba Auction Centre, Qld Choice Meats, Signarama, The Real Estate People, Billy Bunter Auto City and Carpet Call have also provided Bikeline Racing with sponsorship over the past year. We also welcome support from Parkinson Chiropractic as a sponsor this year.
Some of our members are not of the racing kind and have chosen to take out non racing options of either Adult, Juniors or Seniors Recreational memberships or for those who don’t ride at all the option of non-riding membership is available. If you know someone who maybe keen to be a social member or rec rider see Cycling Australia website for full details on these options www.cycling.org.au/Home/Membership. Among those are Stewart Hansson, Nick Byron, and Steve Hatherell, who along with the committee members help run the local events. On the recreational ride side there is long time Bikeline Racing member Doug Graham whose long Sunday rides are legendary and provide a great training opportunity for the racers among us. Two of our committee members, Tom Galbraith and Matt Sander, are charitable fellows and will be lining up again for the RACQ Careflight Base to Base charity ride on Sunday 4th of May which will take them from the Gold Coast back to Toowoomba in one hit. Many of our number are participating in the Ride the Range event this weekend also.
Because of the strong co-operation between the Toowoomba clubs we now have a full club racing calendar here in Toowoomba with 2 events being held nearly every month of the year. These local events combined with near-by open events have filled the calendar to the brim. The calendar can be seen on the website www.bikelineracing.org/calendar .
Last year Bikeline Racing successfully put a Masters C team together for one of these open events, the Charles Coin Memorial down at Mulgowie, with the aim of club riders riding together as a team, and not so much against each other. We aim to do this again this year possibly aiming at the Ipswich Open (4/05) as the first event so look out for further info on that. We are also keen to get a women’s series happening. We have had around 20 women compete at local events over the past year or so. It would be great to give girls a chance to duke it out together. We are thinking about a 3 race series for current and new members so if you know any girls/ladies who might be convinced to have a try give them some encouragement. Let us know if someone you know is keen.
The Glenvale Criterium track is home base for road cycling now in Toowoomba and is about to become more so. Bikeline Racing, in co-operation with Toowoomba Triathlon Club and Toowoomba Cycling Club, have put funds towards the building of a storage facility by the Toowoomba Regional Council for all 3 clubs, that’s the slab you can see at the turnaround bay at the track. Bikeline Racing would like to thank the Triathlon Club and TRC for their efforts in obtaining this grant and inviting our club to take advantage of a facility to house club property.
We are always looking for ways to improve the club so if you have any good ideas let us know. Committee meetings are held every month, usually first Wednesday so feel free to come along. Sling me an email and I can give you the time and venue should you wish to join the committee and have some input or alternatively send an email to the club email address so it can be raised within the meeting.
Last of all the new Tineli kit orders are not far away now, we are told second week in April. If you are still to make payment please action it asap.
We hope you are enjoying your cycling and look forward to seeing you at the next event which will actually be at Bunkers Hill (not Goombungee) on Sunday 6th April, times & distances to be advised once a flyer is published by TCC.
Regards,
Tom Galbraith
Secretary
Bikeline Racing
www.bikelineracing.org