Faithful old van clocks up 20th Tour milestone

Press Release
(For immediate release)
November 2, 2010

Faithful old van clocks up 20th Tour milestone

For cyclists stranded on the roadside, Geoff Adams and his trusty red wheel van are a welcome sight during the PowerNet Tour of Southland – and have been for 20 years.

“It’s pretty amazing really,” Adams, of Invercargill, said. “I put it in for a warrant of fitness the other day and I always tremble at the thought of what it might cost – it got through with just a window wiper blade needing replaced.

“I treat it like my wife – with great kindness.”

Adams brought the ex-army Toyota Hi-Ace van with just 16,000km on the odometer in 1989 and it now boasts over 281,000km – a fair chunk of that racked up during the annual 886km Tour.

“It’s a bit of a racing machine. It handles well and it’s good for cornering because of the low profile tyres,” Adams said.

“It hasn’t got power-steering so my wife won’t drive it because it’s a bit tough on the arm muscles.”

Providing mechanical assistance and even the odd banana for sustenance to riders, Adams relished the wheel van role.

“I’m not one for committees but I thought I could perhaps give something back to cycling by helping on the Tour and the likes … you’ve got to give something back,” he said.

The Tour itself had evolved considerably over the years, particularly during the stint it was awarded ICU status.

“In the early days, we used to drive really full-on … then all of a sudden we had to abide by lots of rules,” Adams recalled.

“We used to rotate three vehicles off the front every 10 minutes until there was a break. You sort of went on red alert when you were on the front – all geared up waiting for that break to happen.

“I’m quite popular with a lot of the young fellas and different people wanting to ride with me because I’m on the front where all the action is happening.”

Adams’ own enthusiasm for cycling continues on the road, the track at the ILT Velodrome and even mountain-biking.

“There’s a group of us that ride every Saturday morning regardless of the weather – I tried to pike out once because of the heavy snow outside and had three guys pounding on my door!”

Adams will spend the next few days immersed in the world of cycling as 114 riders from around the globe vie for the 2010 PowerNet Tour of Southland crown.

“It’s 20 damn years – I can’t really believe it. It’s time that has gone pretty quick,” he said.

“But you’d rather be here than at work.”

Ends

© Scoop Media