Cycling life members view special memento

by DOUG SAIL.  05 Feb 2020

A cycling bunch to remember gathered in Timaru on Tuesday evening.

Marc and Colin Ryan, Shane Archbold, Graeme Howes and Peter Gilchrist are Cycling South Canterbury's (CSC) life members and the five were together for a rare meeting to view a specially framed memento created to mark the amalgamation of Timaru Cycling Club and Cycling Timaru into CSC.

"It was just too good an opportunity to miss," CSC president Darren Cuthbertson.

"With Shane and Marc both based overseas it is bloody hard to get all our life members together at once.

Archbold, who won gold and bronze medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games medallist and a silver at the world track champs in 2011, is home from Europe where he will ride for the top-rated Deceunick-Quick Step team in 2020 after competing in the New Zealand road championships in Cambridge from February 13.

Marc Ryan has also been based overseas, coaching in Asia recently, after retiring from a riding career that included winning Olympic bronze medals in London 2012 and Beijing 2008 along with a world championship team pursuit title and four Commonwealth Games medals.

Marc's father, Colin, was "almost unbeatable" in his day according to Cuthbertson. A sprinter of the highest level, Colin Ryan was dominant, winning 19 New Zealand senior sprint titles in a row, winning close to 100 national titles.

Cuthbertson said Howes was a key member of the Timaru Amateur Cycling Club which became Timaru Cycling Club, and a commissaire for Cycling New Zealand while also being a handy rider.

Gilchrist, a former patron of Cycling Timaru, has over 50 years service to the sport. Cuthbertson described him as an inspiration, always helping out while also being a good rider in his day.