Women's cycling programme to benefit from extra funding

BikeNZ is delighted with the additional investment into the organisation’s high performance programme which will increase by $400,000 per year in 2014.

Initial funding levels announced in April, coupled with significantly increased costs demanded by the new UCI qualification process forced BikeNZ to cut programmes for 2013 that included the women’s endurance track programme, with the hopeful aim to resurrect the campaign next year through to the 2016 Olympic Games.

This additional investment will be a significant boost that will allow BikeNZ to fully support the women’s endurance programme through to Rio.

“Our women produced world class times in their first track outing recently at the Oceania Championships,” BikeNZ High Performance Director, Mark Elliott said.

“This additional funding is a reflection of the commitment by our riders and staff to constantly strive to greater levels of performance on the world stage.

“We have had an excellent year with all of our targeted programmes having riders on the world podium.  This investment will allow us to take these performances to a new level for 2014 and beyond.”

Elliott said the decision highlights excellent strategic thinking by HPSNZ to invest forward and will enable BikeNZ to resource the women’s programme, including five-time world championship medallist Linda Villumsen.

The news of the funding comes at an exciting time for the sport with the imminent opening of the Avantidrome in Cambridge.

“Combining this support from High Performance Sport New Zealand with the benefits of a centralised programme at the new velodrome will see a significant step up in the performance of our riders on the world stage.”