Glen Atwell
CYCLING in the south eastern suburbs is not only a
cheap transport option, but also a popular and rewarding
sport.
The Southern Veterans Cycling Club (SVCC) is one such
club, offering road and criterium racing for men aged over 35
and women aged over 30 in and around the south east.
The club is celebrating its 30th year, and captain Pat
Ruys said cycling had come a long way in that time.
“Our old home base used to be Waverley Park, now we
have moved to the Noble Park RSL for our monthly meet
ing,” he said.
The club races at the Sandown racetrack in summer, and,
while the veterans may not go as fast as their V8 Supercar
counterparts, they certainly pedal up a storm.
The club holds road races every weekend, with cyclists
travelling far and wide to climb gruelling hills and descend
steep slopes.
Racing at Lang Lang, Nar Nar Goon and Cora Lynn, the
SVCC is accessible to residents across Melbourne’s south
east, Mornington Peninsula and the South Gippsland High
way corridor.
There were celebrations at the club last month when a
new 2.2-kilometre criterium circuit was announced for Cran
bourne. To be located in a new sports complex on Cran
bourne-Berwick Road, the project is to be funded by the City
of Casey and the State Government.
Last Sunday, the SVCC peddled through Cora Lynn for
the 62-kilometre Tracker White Handicap, named after a
club legend.
Prizemoney totalling $4500 was on offer, thanks to the
support of Everclear Constructions, and provided the perfect
incentive for riders to compete.
The inaugural event generated an impressive 133
starters, the tough course embodying Tracker White and his
courageous spirit.
The flat course extended from Cora Lynn, through Nar
Nar Goon and into Bayles. With handicap rules in force, the
riders starting from scratch gained the lead with five kilome
tres to go.
At the final sprint, two riders broke away with David
Sturt claiming victory and Ron Amos recording the fastest
overall time.
This Sunday the cyclists will tackle the Crib Point cir
cuit. Anyone interested in joining the club can contact Pat
Ruys on 9548 0280.
– Glen Atwell
