Australian cycling legend Charlie Walsh heads honour board of Port Noarlunga Classic Handicap
NORWOOD Cycling Club’s Port Noarlunga Classic Handicap is celebrating 100 years in SA, making it the oldest consecutively run annual bike race in the world.
THE oldest consecutively run organised bike race in the world is celebrating 100 years in SA.
Norwood Cycling Club’s Port Noarlunga Classic Handicap is the only race with an official UCI category attached to it that has lasted a consecutive century, says long-serving official Barry Skinner.
Race director Skinner was voted as Norwood, Payneham and St Peter’s council citizen of the year in 2014. He has been involved with the race for 62 years.
“It’s the only know race that the UCI know of that has run for 100 consecutive years,’’ Skinner said.
He claimed six-time winner, Australian cycling legend Charlie Walsh was among the best to win the coveted prize which hits the tarmac on November 4.
Walsh’s father, Arthur Robert was born in SA when the race made its debut in 1919.
“I just been to see my dad in hospital,’’ said 77-year-old Walsh.
“He’s not doing so well, he raced a couple of years on the bike.
“He was the one that told me that this race once started at the Elephant & Castle (Hotel, West Tce, Adelaide).
“I don’t ever remember starting the race and being beaten.”
Winners have included current UCI world individual time trial champion Rohan Dennis, 28, Walsh, Pat Marcucci, Chris Turtur, brother of Tour Down Under race director Mike, and Andrew and Tim Roe.
The records cannot prove if women weren’t allowed to race in the early years with the trophy also boasting two women as winners, Hee J. Rhee and Jo Easson.
Scottish-born Easson, 24, is out to defend the crown after claiming the reward last year.
“I started riding in 2014, I was born in Scotland and moved to Adelaide when I was 12,’’ Easson said.
“It was great a honour, a really good feeling and really well supported by the community.
“I was very proud to be able to cross the line with the hands in the air and I’ll be there again this year, to try and defend my title although with handicaps it is hard.
“You never know if you can work together.
“I also ride in the local super series run by Cycling SA called Gravier Collective and I ride for the Adelaide University cycle club who have my licence through.
“Cyclo-cross is my main passion, I played a lot of soccer in Scotland when I was younger, I played in a mixed boys team, I was the only girl.”