The history of the “Leongatha Junior Experience”
20 years of dedication to the development of junior cycling
It all began in 1997, when the club influenced by Mark Murphy’s dedication to junior development, organised a sub-junior criterium at the Koonwarra sale yards.
In 1998, a follow-up event in the same format, named the “Junior Development Day” ran over two days at the Koonwarra sale yards on Saturday, 17th May and a hill climb and road race at Outtrim on Sunday 18th. Following this successful event, Mark secured sponsorship from Barilla for the next three years.
After the third “Barilla junior experience” in 2001, Cycle Sport Victoria (CSV) sent a letter of congratulations to the Leongatha cycling club for staging the event [with 107 riders], saying that it has now become one of the feature events on the CSV winter program. Barilla sent the club their congratulations for running such a successful event. The event is now sanctioned by CSV and run by CSV commissaires.
The Italian pasta company Barilla continued support for the event over the next two years before withdrawing their sponsorship after 2003. That year, a second junior event was held in August, the Barilla Junior Classic and Wonthaggi Club Omnium for J17 & J19 riders.
“This Omnium failed to gain recognition from Cycling Australia as a selection race. This would make it hard to attract a good field. Consequently, it has been decided to drop this second weekend. It would then be our wish to transfer the available sponsorship money from the Wonthaggi club to the “Barilla” weekend.” – 2003 AGM minutes
Following negotiations with the Wonthaggi Club, the junior weekend continued in 2004 with their sponsorship as the “Wonthaggi Club Junior Weekend.” The Wonthaggi Club upheld their sponsorship in 2005, contributing $500 with the condition that the presentations after the second day at Outtrim be held at the Wonthaggi Club. That same year, Mark Murphy announced that he could no longer continue his commitment to running the “Junior Experience” due to work pressures.
In 2006, the sale yards were unavailable, so the first day of the event took place at the Leongatha Football Reserve, with the second day’s events held at Outtrim as in previous years. “Inexa” became a major sponsor and contributed a bicycle for auction at this event. The Wonthaggi Club contributes by keeping the price of meals down. In 2007, it was back at the sale yards sponsored by Inexa. The event is now known as the “Inexa Junior Experience”.
The following year, in 2008, the “Inexa Junior Experience” was held at a new venue. The first day on Saturday took place at the Wonthaggi football reserve, with the second day at Outtrim, incorporating the CSV-sanctioned Victorian Junior Hill Climb Championships.
Inexa supported the event for five years, from 2005 to 2009, before ceasing operations in 2009.
With new sponsors required in 2010, Taranto Glass became a major sponsor for 2010 and 2011, alongside Wheelheat and several sub-sponsors. For the next two years, the event was known as the “Taranto Glass Junior Experience.”
In 2012, with no major sponsors available, the event was renamed the “Leongatha Junior Experience.” The Inverloch & community Bendigo bank in 2013 became a major sponsor for the event, and over the next few years, along with the RACV in 2016, donated $1000
2016 was the last time it was held at Wonthaggi and for 2017, the venues were changed to Saturday at Kernot and Poowong on Sunday, known as the “Leongatha Junior Tour”
2017 Report:
“The cycling club members had a big weekend promoting the Leongatha Junior Tour with racing at Kernot on Saturday and Poowong on Sunday. Well over 100 riders fronted for the under 17, under 15, under 13 and under 11 events with riders coming from West Australia, South Australia, Albury, Mildura, Bright and elsewhere from regional Victoria and Melbourne. Some of the main winners were the interstate riders, so competition was pretty intensive in each age group and grading. The riders raced a time trial and road stage at Kernot and a further road stage at Poowong. This tour was part of the state series with another tour scheduled for Ararat in a fortnight.” – Lindsay.
At a meeting in 2017, the committee concluded that the club did not have enough juniors riding or personnel to continue, the decision was not to proceed with the “Leongatha Junior Experience” in 2018, and the event was not held.
Photo gallery of events from Barilla 1998-03 – Wonthaggi Inexa 2008 – Junior tour 2017
Notes:
The Junior Experience required a significant commitment from club members. Those with the necessary skills worked together to ensure the event’s success. Over the years, the event has benefited from sponsorship support and had become an important source of revenue for the club.
Mark Murphy sadly lost his life to cancer in February 2013. The Murphy club trophies for junior road aggregates a, b, c (J11-J13-J15) are dedicated to him.
“The Leongatha Cycling Junior Experience” ran for about 20 years and was an experience given to young cyclists, with credit going to Mark Murphy for setting it up in the late 1990s. It established a reputation as being well run with riders coming from all over the state to participate. The 2017 event was the last event held, an event that had ‘run its course’. The next year, the club committee decided that the club didn’t have the junior riders or the number of personnel required to run it.
