Cyclist is a champ of track in Warwick and beyond

CALL to find a sports person as keen as Warwick's Mr Cycling

Tony Simonelli, pictured riding at the Warwick Velodrome, will be one of the Warwick riders in the nationals starting Sunday in Brisbane. Picture: Gerard Walsh

SportsView - Opinion with Gerard Walsh

LATE Tuesday I headed to the velodrome in Australiana Park to take photos of three cyclists heading to the nationals this weekend.

I walked away wondering if Tony Simonelli is the keenest sportsman in any sport in Warwick.

I remember him with an old van full of bikes and his four sons heading away to cycling meetings in Brisbane.

At that time he was a father, coach and you could say the life of Warwick cycling, even if he had retired from riding.

When the Kangaroo Point club headed to Warwick with their classic each year, two of the regular volunteers were Simonelli and Doug Walker.

A decade or so ago, he made a comeback as a masters cyclist and has already won gold at national level.

He was just as happy winning in masters as he would have been if it was the elite class.

Simonelli helps all the local cyclists and is the coach of John Eder who has placed in elite class in Queensland, won at nationals and placed at world championships.

Any sport with someone keener that Simonelli welcome to email me on [e-mail] for a par in this column.

World Cup

THREE weeks from today, the Adina Polocrosse World Cup will be half over.

It is fantastic all the cup teams are heading to Leslie Park for Anzac Day celebrations.

I don't think you would see that at a World Cup in some of the more professional sports.

The reality is there are more things in life than sport and it is great that the best in the world will be remembering all those who served at war.

The local connection in the cup is Warwick player and Australian assistant manager Cameron Shepherd.