Makayla Smith, of Southland Girls High School emailed me a few months ago asking if I could help her out with a school speech. She had decided to write about me. Given Invercargill is pretty much second home to me with the velodrome there (and of course 3 Bean Cafe!) it was a pleasure to help her out. I hear Makayla delivered her speech very well and below is the finished product. Happy Reading.  

WHIZZ….WOOSH did you see that (puzzled look)

Fast, speedy, on track would be a way to describe the person I am going to tell you about today. One minute on the netball court next on the bike at the veledrome!

How would you feel to be named one of the worlds best sports people? Over the world, amazed, shocked, overwhelmed. Well thats just how I would imagine Alison Shanks would feel like thats right Alison Shanks.

 Alison Shanks was born and bred in Duneduin New Zealand and attended Queens High School and Tahuna Intermediate. Alison has also graduated in BSc Human Nutrition which is about dieting and health. As you probably guessed Alison is an amazing Indivisual Pursuit Cyclist whoase success levels are sky high.

Not only is Alison an amazing cyclist but she is also a fantastic netball player, so good that she was excepted into the Otago Rebels from 2001 through to 2005. However this was not Alisons only netball experience she has toured Fiji with the NZU21 netball team, but wait that is still not all Alison has played for the NZA netball team in 2004 and now shes a world champion in cycling!!!!As i mentioned earlier about Alison netball carear without being in netball as much as she was she may never have picked up a bike. Alison was in the Otago Rebels, Alison trained hard, and worked hard to be a part of the team, but for some reason Alison Shanks spent more time on the bench than on the netball court. After the netball games Alison would go for a bike. Alison commented on this and explained that this helped her to vent her fustrations away. After some time Alison realised that she was very strong on the bike. Alison just loved the fact that with cycling she was incontroll of everything. I know what you are probably thinking whats so good about her well I’ll tell you that exactly. Alison went to the Melborne World cup and was placed second but wait if thats not good enough Alison also went to the beijing world cup and was placed FIRST thats right FIRST and that was only at the start of this year!

Alison Shanks has a fantastic support team to make sure that she is always at the top of her game this includes Craig-her coach, her boyfriend and no doubt her family and fans. Alison and her team chose to specialise in one event and that event being the Indivisual Pursuit on the track. The difference between a cyclist and a track cyclist is simple- a cyclist competes in a varity or road racing, time trialling and track cycling. so as you can see Alison only does the last part track cycling!

 

I can’t persuade you to look at Alison Shanks as the goddes of cycling but I think you are crazy not to! I takes alot of talent and character to become like Alison Shanks and thats something that some people don’t have.

 WHIZZ….WOOSH - There she goes again AMAZING!

Thinking of home…….. I love to start a Saturday morning at home in Dunedin with a fresh espresso from the home machine, and sitting down to read the Otago Daily Times with the sun streaming through the lounge window. Hayden Meikle contacted me this week via email and wrote this in today’s Otago Daily Times

Alison Shanks has been a world champion but she is not expecting to be able to win a Commonwealth Games medal just by turning up in India. She talks to sports editor Hayden Meikle.

Four years. That’s about the length of time it takes to turn from a cycling rookie into a grizzled veteran.

Not that Alison Shanks, New Zealand’s queen on two wheels, would appreciate being called grizzled.

But four years ago, she certainly was a rookie. Shanks had barely got on a bike after deciding to quit netball when she was selected in the New Zealand team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. She finished fourth in the 3000m individual pursuit on the track, and seventh in the road time trial, in what was her first major international event.

“I was so new to the sport back then. I could count on one hand the number of individual pursuits I had done,” Shanks told the Otago Daily Times this week in an email from her base in the United States.

“It was an amazing experience being in the athlete village, and being part of a wider New Zealand team - not just the cyclists. There is always such a strong team buzz and support between the Kiwis.”

Two years later, Shanks was an Olympian. She finished fourth in the pursuit in Beijing. And a year after that, she stunned herself and her country and all of cycling when she produced the ride of her life to win the world title in Poland.

Oh, and followed it up by leading the New Zealand women’s team to a silver medal.

It has all happened so fast. Even Shanks says she sometimes needs to remind herself not to lose focus when she lines up on the track.

“At times it can be overawing but I always remember that, if you strip all the fluff and extras back, it’s still just a 250m velodrome and 12 laps of strength and pain.

“Sometimes it’s important to keep things as simple as possible when there is so much external stuff going on.”

Shanks will ride her specialist individual pursuit on the track in Delhi, and a few days later she will give the road time trial a crack.

There is no women’s team pursuit, which is a pity considering Shanks and her team-mates set a world record in March.

Because she hasn’t seen the full start lists, she is reluctant to predict how highly she will be ranked in her events. But with powerful cycling nations such as Australia, England and Canada involved, she believes the fields will be strong.

Shanks was disappointed to finish fourth in the individual pursuit at the world championships in Denmark at the start of the year. But otherwise her form has been good.

She won a World Cup title in Beijing, set a New Zealand record at the national championships, and helped the New Zealand pursuit team win bronze at the world championships. It is the biggest squad - 26 - New Zealand has sent to a Commonwealth Games.

Shanks said there had never been a better time to be in the national squad. “We have a very professional team structure that has been established to give us all the best training environment to enable us to compete to our best on race day.

“The competition for places in the team has also enhanced the overall programme, as we are continually being pushed to perform.

“I think cycling in New Zealand is booming. It’s a truly unique sport in the sense that anyone can get on a bike and ride together for fun, fitness, racing or recreation.”Shanks and other members of the national squad have been based on the east coast of the United States, in the small university town of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Shanks and other members of the national squad have been based on the east coast of the United States, in the small university town of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

“The students are on summer holidays, the apartments are vacant and the cyclists have taken over,” she said.

“The training is great with rolling country roads right on our doorstep. There is also an outdoor concrete track just 20min down the road in Trexlertown.

“Everything is falling into place nicely. We have a great team environment here and you can’t help but get fit with all the rolling roads and warm temperatures.”

Shanks is confident Delhi will get its act together to host the Games successfully, and she has faith the New Zealand support staff will ensure there are no security issues.

She will soon join the full New Zealand squad for a month of intensive training in France before the Games begin.

Things are ticking along here in Kutztown. I’m continuing to get some solid training blocks, mixed in with a few local club races, and track training at the outdoor 333m Trexlertown Velodrome.

Below is a picture editorial of the happenings in mighty Kutztown over the past few weeks.

Trexlertown Velodrome: I’ve had some great sessions on the track over the past few weeks. A nice change to be training outdoors in the fresh air, although sometimes 36deg and 70% humidity doesn’t feel that ‘fresh’. Working on the summer tan too - even if it is a cyclist one!

 Kirkwood Club Race: Last weekend we headed about 2hrs south of Kutztown to Kirkwood where we raced a club race with the Cat 2 & 3 men. Let’s just say it was a good training day! The men handed it to me up the little power climbs and it was a matter of hanging on!

Kutztown Car Festival: Kutztown main street shut down the other weekend and over 350 spruced up vintage cars rolled into town. Craig, Gemma and I had great fun browsing the array and picking out our own “dream car”.

Enough cars, its back to the Avanti Questa pedal power now, Vrrmmm Vrrrmmm!!

 http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/roulston-confirmed-comm-games-1-31-video-3686965

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has today named a strong team, including Pro Tour stars Greg Henderson and Hayden Roulston along with their current world championship medallists, for the cycling team to contest the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The team will be the maximum allowable with 26 riders named today with one to be added while selectors expect that some track riders will be needed to cover on road events.

The men’s road squad is headed by Henderson (Team Sky) and Roulston (HTC Columbia) who are the most experienced campaigners in the team with 11 Commonwealth and Olympic Games and eight medals between them.

They will be joined by national road champion Jack Bauer (Wellington) while highly experienced Aucklander Gordon McCauley will ride the time trial in which he won a bronze medal at Melbourne in 2006.

New Zealand has not won a road race medal at the Commonwealth Games since the gold-silver double by Mark Rendell and Bryan Fowler in 1994 in Canada.

The women’s road team is also centred on two well performed professionals in Danish-born Linda Villumsen and Beijing Olympian Cath Cheatley.

Villumsen rides one of the top two women’s teams in the world in HTC Columbia team. She was third in the time trial at the world championships last year and fifth in the road race at Beijing before switching her allegiances to New Zealand this year. Cheatley is a former world track championship medallist now racing in the USA for Colavita Baci pro team where she is currently leading the US National series.

Cambridge rider Melissa Holt makes a return to focus on the individual road race time trial where she is the three time national champion and finished fourth in Melbourne.

The last kiwi female to claim a road race medal was Susy Pryde who won silver at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

“Both road squads are very strong, one of the strongest overall that we have taken overseas to a Commonwealth Games,” said BikeNZ High Performance Director, Mark Elliott.

“The road race course in Delhi is mostly flat and it will take a real team performance if we are to cover breaks and position our best riders with a chance if it is a sprint finish.”

The track team is based around the successful contingent that won a record four medals at this year’s world championships in Copenhagen as well as an exciting and burgeoning sprint squad.

The men’s endurance track group features world pursuit silver medallist Jesse Sergent and his bronze winning men’s pursuit squad with Sam Bewley, Westley Gough, Marc Ryan and Peter Latham.

The 2008 world pursuit champion, Alison Shanks will lead the women with world points race silver medallist Lauren Ellis, former world junior medallist Gemma Dudley and Cambridge rider Jaime Nielsen. There is also some quality endurance and pursuit riders to bolster the ranks including Rushlee Buchanan and Joanne Kiesanowski, both based with pro road teams in the US, and Kaytee Boyd, training in the US with the track group.

This trio also has the pedigree to ride in support of the road team, with Buchanan the current national road champion, Boyd a former European based pro and Kiesanowski one of the best sprint finishers on the road.

There is excitement with the inclusion of a full men’s sprint squad for the first time. The youthful group is headed by Southland’s Eddie Dawkins, 21, who was fifth at the world championships in the Kilo Time Trial and joined with 2009 triple world junior champion Sam Webster and Adam Stewart to place fifth in the team sprint.

“We will look to further develop our track squad on the world stage. This is an important stepping stone for then and a real opportunity for this very young sprint group,” Elliott said.

“Overall it’s a strong squad. The Commonwealth Games is a vital part of our development and we have a number of young riders having their first taste of a multi-sport event at this level, as well as some very experienced and proven professionals who remain passionate about representing their country,” Elliott said.

“The Commonwealth countries are exceptionally strong and this will be a world class event with the likes of Australia, Canada and Great Britain, who will be potentially stronger as they break down to the home countries for Delhi.

“While there are a handful of UK riders opting for the European Championships instead, have no doubt that this is a very, very strong competition.

“We would like to think we can match our performances from the last two Commonwealths on the track and with 16 years since the last road race medal, it would be nice to break that cycle.”

Many of the road team are expected to have a final shakedown at the world championships near Melbourne a week before their race in Delhi while the track team will prepare from September in Bordeaux when a final event selection will take place.

The BikeNZ team is:

Male, track:

Shane Archbold (Timaru), Sam Bewley (Rotorua), Eddie Dawkins (Invercargill), Westley Gough (Waipukurau), Peter Latham (Te Awamutu), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland), Marc Ryan (Timaru), Jesse Sergent (Feilding), Myron Simpson (Auckland), Adam Stewart (Christchurch), Simon Van Velthooven (Palmerston North), Sam Webster (Auckland).

 

Road: Jack Bauer (Nelson), Greg Henderson (Dunedin), Gordon McCauley (Auckland), Hayden Roulston (Christchurch). One to be added.

 

Female, track:

Kaytee Boyd (Waiuku), Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu), Gemma Dudley (Levin), Lauren Ellis (Hinds), Joanne Kiesanowski (Christchurch), Jaime Nielsen (Hamilton), Alison Shanks (Dunedin).

 

Road: Catherine Cheatley (Wanganui), Melissa Holt (Cambridge), Linda Villumsen (Auckland)

All photos courstesy of Veronika Lenzi. Please visit veronikalenzi.com should you wish to purchase any

Six days of racing up in beautiful Bend, Oregon flew by. I’m back at “home” in Kutztown, PA now.The tour was a great week of racing through the majestic mountain scenery of Oregon. The second day of the tour, a 120km stage that took us up and over the McKenzie pass highway, a 30km climb which crested at 5300ft amongst a lava field and surrounding snow capped mountains. The following days were also testing with a 24km Time Trial -half up and half down, hitting speeds of 74km/hr on the way home. I finished 5th for a solid day at the office.

All photos courstesy of Veronika Lenzi. Please visit veronikalenzi.com should you wish to purchase any

We then embarked on some more mountain climbing - this time cruising past several mountain lakes before finishing up Mt Bachelor Ski Field.  The tour then rounded up with a downtown criterium on Saturday night and a final 80km circuit race stage where I managed a last final effort of the week to break free of the main peleton just before the final climb, 10km from the finish. Cath Cheatley and Mara Abbott came across to me on the climb and we reeled in the couple of riders who were off the front - well all but one. Tara Whitten convincingly won the stage 1min up the road and we stayed away from the main peleton, giving me a 4th placing for the day.

All and all a great week, in a beautiful area. We had great fun meeting and getting to know our host family the Dapranos, thanks to our good friend Ronnie (and race photographer) who linked us together. The Dapranos treated us to supurb hospitality and the whole family were absolute troopers in the volunteer feed zones on two of the long race days - those water’s were like bottles of gold in the heat.  Thank you!

So after just knocking out 12hrs of solid sleep (the body obviously needed it) I’m back into training here in Kutztown for the next few weeks.

Thanks for reading

Ali

Hi Team

I’m now up in the Cascade Mountain area in Bend, Oregon for the Cascade Cycling Classic. The 6day race starts tonight with a 2mile Prologue along the river front. I always look forward to the opportunity to get the Avanti Chrono Time Trial bike out and all the race gear - disk, aero helmet etc, and just feel fast……which of course helps you actually go fast!

Then tomorrow we hit the mountains - 120km stage with a 20km climb up McKenzie Pass to 2300ft in the middle of the stage. Craig and I drove some of the course yesterday and the McKenzie Pass climb ascends through the forest with winding switch backs and then summits among lava rocks and snow covered mountains either side. Very picturesque, although I don’t think I will be worried about taking in the scenery tomorrow! We then descend the other side, before climbing another 15km climb to finish the stage. Will be a fun and testing day I’m sure.

The third day of the tour is a 24km Time Trial - half uphill and half downhill, reaching speeds of up to 65km/hr on the way home - I’ve come prepared and geared up to a 55″ front chain ring after learning the course from last year!Following the Time Trial there is another mountain stage finishing at a Snow Park, then the downtown Criterium on Saturday night and to finish on the final day a 80km Circuit race - again with alot of climbing.

The weather up here in Bend is amazing - 30deg days, clear blue skys, surrounded by snow capped mountains and alpine forest. A very dry heat which is a big change to the 40deg and very humid conditions we have been having over on the east coast in Kutztown, PA.Well - its time to cook up a pre-race feed of rice to get me going tonight.

You will be able to follow race results and reports on www.cyclingnews.com  under Cascade Classic and I’m sure www.roadcycling.co.nz  will also cover the race.

Ali

Hi Team

Very exciting news - I have teamed up with Beef + Lamb New Zealand and am now officially an “Iron Maiden”.Beef and Lamb join my established team of loyal support who all contribute to ensure I go as fast as possible! So I think that’s going to include plenty of ‘Lamb Shanks’ dinners from now on, and maybe some experiments with some Lamb Vindaloo or Rogan Josh in preparation for Delhi’s Commonwealth Games!

Official Press Release below

 5 May 2010 - Iron Maidens’ team beefs up

Alison Shanks, 2009 World Champion Pursuit cyclist, is the latest edition to the Beef + Lamb New Zealand dream team.

Joining Sarah Walker, Georgina Earl (nee Evers-Swindell), Caroline Meyer (nee Evers-Swindell) and Sarah Ulmer, Shanks becomes the fifth member of the Iron Maidens squad helping to promote beef and lamb.

Alongside four past or present world champs, Shanks is continuing the winning record the Iron Maidens are known for.

Born and bred in Otago, Shanks still lives and trains in Dunedin, adding a deep south element to the Iron Maidens, who are geographically spread across the country.

“I’m really excited to be on board with such a great team and to be promoting products I believe in for good health and my training regime,” says Shanks.

Part of the New Zealand track cycling team for the past four years, Shanks is currently setting her sights on the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year.

“Although I couldn’t repeat last year’s World Champs success, we did come away with a world record in the Teams Pursuit and it’s given me fire to show what I can do in the Individual Pursuit in Delhi,” says Shanks.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Rod Slater, says adding Shanks to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s stable of sport champions will help reinforce the attributes of vitality, energy, iron and good health which beef and lamb have become synonymous with.

“The Iron Maidens have done a great job at making beef and lamb cool, promoting the nutritional benefits lean beef and lamb provide in a healthy diet.

“Shanks will add another dimension again. She’s another typical Kiwi girl, providing a great role model for New Zealanders, and helping to promote our products as the ‘best in the world’,” says Slater.

Hi Everyone

The 2010 World Track Champs in Copenhagen, Denmark have been and gone and they weren’t quite a rosy repeat of last year’s celebrations. I was totally disappointed with my Individual Pursuit performance. It just wasn’t my day and I certainly learnt a number of very valuable lessons on March 24th that no amount of training could have taught me. It was a different mentality being last off in the qualifying heats. Look out for my article in the upcoming VO2Max magazine - titled The Hunted verses the Hunter - the challenge of staying on top. http://www.vo2max.co.nz/

I have to congratulate Sarah Hammer (USA) who rode a superb time of 3min 27 and then backed it up to beat Wendy Hovenhagel (GBR) and take the World title. I finished a “dirty old 4th”, and boy does that put some fire in my belly!! Look out!!!

The next day I had to put my own personal  disappointment behind me and step up for the Teams Pursuit with Lauren Ellis and Rushlee Buchanan. We posted a time to qualify us in 3rd place. Which to be honest we were disappointed with as we knew we hadnt put out our smoothest ride. In the evening we were out to prove to ourselves and New Zealand that we were a classy team. And that we did - by posting the WORLD RECORD!!!!

It was a ride executed perfectly, that flowed smoothly and delivered a time of 3min 21.5sec. With the Gold and Silver final still to come we watched with baited breath to see how long our new World Record would stand for. 3min 21.7sec later and there was plenty of jumping, hugging and congratulations flying around as we realised we could walk away from the 2010 Track Champs as World Record Holders. It was the highlight result to go with the somewhat consolation bronze medal  - because deep down we knew we should have nailed the morning ride and ideally been producing a World Record time in the Gold medal final. Another lesson learnt the hard way! And Congratulations this year to the Australian Team who took the Rainbow Jersey.

 

         

I’m now home in New Zealand - doing a lot of DIY house maintenence due to a brand new kitchen that we had built while overseas. This includes, stripping, sanding, painting etc, so there has been plenty to keep busy with in the off season. Along with cooking up a storm in the new kitchen I’ve also been able to attend two weddings, and my brothers 21st, which was very special as so often party occasions and family get togethers are missed when travelling round the world.

I’m now feeling super refreshed, energized and ready to tackle the rest of the 2010 season. This includes heading to America, then on to Europe for a stint before embarking on the Commonwealth Games in Dehli, India at the beginning of October.  http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/

I will endeavor to keep you up to date more regularly with my travels and progress, but you can log on to the front page of the website where there are always regular updates via the Twitter.com application I have linked up.

Thanks for reading, and for your continued support and I look forward to reporting on what I hope to be an exciting season ahead.

Ali

Race eve here in Copenhagen, Denmark for the 2010 Track World Championships. Everything is done and I’m now just waiting till race day tomorrow. The weather has even been kind to us here and the first signs of spring are shining through, with the lake outside the hotel window having melted over the past few days and the gigantic white swans migrating back.

Individual Pursuit is on tomorrow, first day of the championships with qualifying session from 3 - 4pm and then finals in the evening session. Team Pursuit is the following day.I can’t find any live links for the championships but the following websites normally provide quick updates of results .Catch you all soon, Ali

http://www.tissottiming.com/

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-track-world-championships-cm

http://twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed

http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/

I’m down in Invercargill…..again…….my second home really at Admiral Court Motel. This time for the 2010 Track Nationals.Racing starts Thursday night for me with the 500m Time Trial, Friday the Individual Pursuit and then Saturday I will pair up with Otago team mate Katie Schofield for the Team Sprint. It’s set to be a great few days of racing and should be great fun for the spectators who are always vocal down here in Southland.I also want to say a big thank you to Tanya Carlson for her generosity in providing me with a dress for the Halberg awards last week. I definitely felt very glam, and made a nice change from lycra. It was a great evening at the Sky City in Auckland and a chance to chat to other New Zealand athletes past and present from the various codes.