A cycling club which formed part of the Warrnambool community for more than four decades has officially closed its doors but remains dedicated to promoting and supporting the sport's future.
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The Warrnambool Veterans Cycling Club officially folded in January 2024, more than 40 years since launching at Wangoom in 1981. It had provided cyclists with veteran class races, predominately on Sundays for men 35 years and older and women 30 years and older across the western district.
Well-known local sports identity Barry Warren, who was president of the club, said it was "sad to see" but a sign of the times as clubs battled for membership numbers after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The cycling organisations have changed, we used to be able to take out an events licence and an open licence and now that's all changed," he said.
"There was a Victorian veteran's cycling body, and when they decided to fold it made it very hard for the clubs, not just here in Warrnambool, to survive and that's when we decided to fold.
"It's very sad, it's had a long history in Warrnambool. People like Ted Carter, Neville McNeil, Barry Webster and many more people, they've put not only years into it, but at times their own money but they just had such a passion for cycling.
"In many ways they kept cycling alive in Warrnambool for many, many years."
Warren said the club was not planning on just disappearing from the community and were now dedicated to supporting both the Warrnambool Cycling Club and Port Fairy Cycling Cup into their respective futures.
"We now want to channel all our energies into providing manpower and financial assistance into these clubs," he said.
"It is sad but the goal is to try and keep cycling relevant and try and support the clubs around.
"There are some really good juniors in Warrnambool and we want to try and keep the sport alive."
Nick Creely
Sports reporter with The Standard
Sports reporter with The Standard
