Published: 26 September 2006
"This is where it all starts, with schoolchildren being given the opportunity to enjoy riding and racing a bicycle, the grass roots of the sport from which future champions will come" Foremost Velodrome builder in the world, Australian Ron Webb opened Reading Velodrome Racing's annual prize presentation at Palmer Park with this profound observation. He told his audience that 37 under 16 year olds raced in Monday evening's Youth League and Palmer Park Velo Youth Club, from which many of them came had 80 members who attended Saturday morning sessions at the Track.
Webb's remarks could not have been more true for he went on to present major awards to two under 16 year olds, Sam Serruya who won the Velodrome's sprint Championship as well as the British Cycling Central Region's sprint title and Michael Wilmot, winner of the League's overall B competition and Endurance series in which he surpassed the A rider Champion Joe Bayfield in the final Endurance event of the League season.
The prize presentation was followed by the Track League A.G.M. where it was reported that total rider registration for the 2006 season had topped 200. Apart from the League Monday evening programme, BC Central Region Track Championships had been successfully promoted and two National Championships (men's and women's Derny motor paced titles) in which World Women's Sprint Champion Vicky Pendleton took part and won. The 50 kilometre Bordeaux – Paris two stage event, held in memory of Bill Bannister and supported by BC's Central Region was held for a second time and will become a regular Bank Holiday fixture in future.
After 11 years upgrading, which has transformed the League into a full scale Open and National Championships race promoter under the title of Reading Velodrome Racing the Secretary and Co-ordinator team of Shelagh and John Dennis stood down from the organisation to make way for the top class team of officials to take over. Much appreciated gifts, one of which was a picture of Herne Hill Track where Shelagh and John first met, and some garden furniture and lovely flowers marked their departure from the organising sector of the organisation.