The weekend proved to be a huge success for Team Dio, showcasing their impressive form as they headed into Nationals.
The unbeaten Junior A Team Time Trial (TTT) maintained their dominance, securing the National title by over a minute. Comprising Maddie Worrall, Indie Williams, Mika James, and Chloe Xiao, they completed a perfect season, adding the National title to their previous Regional and North Island victories.
The Junior B team, made up of Chloe Ulmer, Alice Wellington, Rose Finlayson, and Pippa Forman, narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth after a commendable season.
Close behind in fifth place was the Junior C team, featuring Lucy Forman, Issy Riley, Mackenzie George, and Stephanie Yuan.
Inspired by their older teammates, the Year 7 and 8 Blue TTT team — Phoebe Xiao, Alyssa Burrows, Phoebe Ulmer, and Madison Hoon — secured second place in their event.
The Senior team, led by captain Lily Shanley and including Lily James, Annabelle Judd, Olivia Bethell, and Emily Keene, finished fourth in the highly competitive Senior Open grade.
With most of the team being Year 10 and 11 students, the future of the Senior TTT event looks bright.
Individual performances were equally impressive, with the team claiming four additional medals.
Phoebe Ulmer started the medal count with a bronze in the U13 Road Race, while Mika James finished fourth, matching the times of the second and third place finishers. In that same race, Issy Riley, Alice Wellington, and Pippa Forman placed fifth, sixth, and seventh, demonstrating the depth of talent in this age group.
In the U16 category, Maddie Worrall also took fourth place, again matching the times of the second and third finishers.
The final day brought further success at Levels Raceway during the points race. Alyssa Burrows earned second place in the U13 category, with Phoebe Ulmer close behind in third.
In the U15 race, Issy Riley capped off the day with a bronze medal.
Thanks to these outstanding results, Dio Cycling finished second in the Year 7 and 8 girls’ competition and third overall, concluding the weekend with one gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.
A huge congratulations goes to the coaching team — Georgie, Eloise, Will, and Adam — whose dedication during those early mornings inspires the entire squad. Special thanks to the parents for their unwavering support, and to Stephen, Gareth, and James for taking on the significant task of transporting all the equipment to Timaru.
This Nationals also marked a bittersweet moment for the Shanley family, as current captain Lily Shanley, a long-standing and dedicated team member, bid farewell. Her compassionate leadership will be greatly missed by the younger riders. Blair and Julia, your incredible contributions of time and effort over the years have been deeply appreciated, and you will always hold a special place in Dio Cycling’s history.
We eagerly anticipate what 2025 will bring!
