Jesse Kerrison Joins the "Racing Kangaroos"

On Friday night the 5th Feb 2010, Carolyn, Jesse and I jumped in the car at about seven in the evening and headed off to Inverell for the launch of "The Racing Kangaroos". We arrived in Inverell at 1.30am on Saturday morning.
 
At about 10.00am we walked to the local pool, and met up with the other parents and boys who have been lucky enough to be selected in the team. The team were all given 2XU clothing, consisting of knicks and a jersey and a polo shirt. The gear will become the teams training kit once 2XU has finished the complete racing kit, which will include jackets and vests as well. We were told the design is quite special and was a bit of a secret, we can't wait.
 
Then Kurt Pollock the team director, rolled in a brand new 2010 Cervelo R3SL, with Sram red and Zipp 404s. These will be the team bikes with every rider getting the same bike. U15 and U17 riders will have wheels that through Zipp are being specially made out of alloy so as to meet the junior wheel rules.
 
Then all the riders registered for the annual Heinrich Haussler crit. which this year doubled as the launch race for the team. All team members raced very well, with Jesse winning B grade. He was entered in A grade but the NSW commissaires would not let him race A grade due to his gear restrictions, so be it.
 
Next, we all went to the Inverell RSL club for the team launch to what Carolyn and I thought might be a small affair. Well, there were Cervelos hanging on the walls and banners up every where for the sponsors, Heinrich Haussler's stage winning jersey from the Tour De France, and I immediatley thought the evening might be a bit more special than I first thought. There were 300 plus people there, with ABC and SBS media, Rupert Guiness (cycling journo), Stephen Hodge as MC for the night, a member of NSW Senate, representatives from all sponsors and many more. The night proved to be interesting.
 
What made Carolyn and my head spin, was that the whole evening was for 12 kids that we had watched develop into a cycling team, and of course that our son was part of it.
 
A couple of highlights, were Heinrich Haussler Snr chatting to the room as if he were speaking individually to each and every person in the room, telling us that in each rider in the team he can see the promise he saw in his son many years earlier. The audio link to Heinrich Jnr was brilliant, as was the audio link to the Head of Cervelo in Canada. At the end of the evening the riders were all introduced to the room, with both their individual clubs and individual coaches being recognised.
 
Today, Sunday the 7th, the team has been on the road filming a documentary, complete with a light aircraft circling them getting footage. Tomorrow a helicopter is to be used to gain more vision. It was confirmed last night that the team will be racing the Canberra Tour, New Zealand Tour, New Caledonia Tour with Germany still a possibility in the future.
 
Things are happening faster than Carolyn and I thought possible, with a long road ahead still, but we are all having way too much fun.
 
Regards
 
Darren & Carolyn Kerrison

Club Ride January 3 

About 50 Goldstars met at Maccas Helensvale at 6am for the first part of a 20km loop to Hope island. The group was under the control of Mal Rae as I picked it up at Labrador. Without too much fuss we continued around via Hope Island back to Maccas to start the second part of the ride.

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• News Archive 2008/9

Cycle Sport News items involving Goldstars at:

• Leanne's Goblets Set To Fire Up Scenic Rim Tour
• Plenty of Sparkle at Goldstars Junior Carnival
• Triple Play to Take On The Scenic Rim
• Tour of the Scenic Rim to Attract State's Top Riders
• Goldstars Score Tugun Bi-Pass Race
• Jesse Kerrison: Simply the Best
• Kerrison Heads the Way at Chandler
• Juniors Hold Their Own At Daniel Bennett
• Goldstars Foster Club Spirit