Larry Gardner, second from left, with fellow Friday group cyclists who did last week’s “Ride the Raceway’ event. They are, from left, Margaret Hodges, and Rob and Marjolijn de Borst.
While last week’s ‘Ride the Raceway’ had nothing to do with racing per se, one of those taking part did himself proud by completing 15 laps of the 1000m Cambridge Raceway course in 30 minutes, averaging an impressive 32km/hour throughout.
Larry Gardner, a relative newcomer to both Cambridge and a first-timer at that particular event, used the ‘Ride the Raceway’ celebration of the International Day of Older Persons as an opportunity to compete against himself.
Not that the results should have surprised him. Now nudging a fit 70, the retired Fonterra man stopped BMX racing at age a lofty age 50. He has also done a fair amount of coaching up-and-coming BMX riders in his time, including our own Sarah Walker.
Since retiring to Cambridge 20 months ago “because of the trees and green spaces”, he has joined three different social cycling groups, happy to swap competitive cycling for the pleasure of more leisurely rides peppered with café stops. He joins various groups for rides at least three times a week.
When living in Pukekohe, he and his wife Aileen used to do a fair amount of tandem riding with the Auckland Cycling Club, and earlier this year Larry won one of the seniors races at this year’s Anzac Day Cambridge Cycling Festival.
Several others who cycle regularly with Larry and the Cambridge Friday Social Riding Group took part in last week’s ‘Ride the Raceway’ event. Dutch couple Marjolijn and Rob de Borst joined them, as did Lauriston Park resident Margaret Hodges, who at almost 80 was one of the most senior to take to the track.
