2010 ANNUAL REPORT Principal Sponsor & Partner Major Partner Supporting Organisations & A!liates Sponsors & O!cial Suppliers ® we are cycling - start to finish!! 2010 Annual Report as presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Australian Cycling Federation Inc. trading as Cycling Australia Sydney 20 November 2010 5 we are cycling - start to finish!! President Track World Championships with wins by Cameron Meyer in the teams pursuit, Madison & points race; Anna Meares in the 500m time trial & teams sprint; Kaarle McCulloch in the teams sprint; Michael Hepburn, Rohan Dennis and Jack Bobridge in the teams pursuit; Leigh Howard in the Madison and Sarah Kent, Josephine Tomic and Ashlee Ankudinoff in the teams pursuit. Not to outdone by the track riders Caroline Buchanan successfully defended her four cross crown and Sam Hill claimed downhill gold at the MTB World Championships. On the road Michael Matthews was crowned U23 road race World Champion. I also congratulate the juniors and masters who won gold at World Championships in 2010. Organisational excellence Cycling Australia this year hosted the UCI Road World Championships in Victoria and what a spectacular success it was. The President of the Italian Federation wrote to me describing the organisation as ‘perfect’. Perhaps a slight exaggeration but nevertheless indicative of the raft of compliments received following the event. Thanks to Steve Bracks and the Organising Committee, to Michael Palmer and his team and to Graham Fredericks and his staff who Klaus Mueller worked at times virtually round the clock to deliver the event. President Cycling Australia Thanks to the Victorian Government, Premier John Brumby and his ministers and to the Victorian Major Events Company for their enthusiastic support of the event. The It is an honour to be President of this great images of Melbourne and Geelong were beamed to more organisation and a pleasure to have the opportunity than 300 million homes around the world which reinforces of reporting to you after a momentous 12 months. the value of cycling as a showcase for government and This is my first report as President and I extend a particular corporate partners. thanks to Mike Victor for having left this organisation in The organisation put the framework in place but it was the such good shape when I took over. Cycling Australia is riders who made it something special. Matthews’ win, a now a more streamlined, efficient and modern organisation silver medal to Luke Durbridge in the U23 time trial and than when Mike took the chair. He can be justifiably proud third place for Allan Davis in the elite road race saw of his contribution and the legacy he has left. Australia finish on top of the medal table on home turf. It This has been a remarkably successful year for Cycling would be remiss if I didn’t also make mention of Cadel Australia from both a sport and organisation perspective. Evans who during the road race in Geelong, and indeed throughout the past 12 months, did Cycling Australia and Sporting success Our riders have performed extraordinarily well across all his country proud as reigning road race World Champion. areas of the sport - road, track, BMX and MTB. These It was a privilege for Cycling Australia to host the most outstanding performances will be acknowledged in other prestigious event on the UCI calendar and a special thanks reports but it would be remiss of me not to mention our is extended to Pat McQuaid and the UCI for granting us current World Champions. Australia dominated the 2010 that honour. 6 we are cycling - start to finish!! Commercialisation members of all three boards before Thanks also to Matt Miller, CEO of CA has entered into an agreement proceeding to the next stage. The the ASC, who after attending a with Grass Roots Performance three organisations are taking a very number of events but particularly Solutions to develop and promote a positive and professional approach to after the Road World Championships range of initiatives to increase the review which should be is now an avowed cycling tragic. membership and generate income completed by early 2011. Thanks also to Professor Peter for our organisation. This represents Fricker and his team at the Australian Government & Sponsor Support the biggest commercial undertaking Cycling Australia has close working Institute of Sport and to the various ever entered into by Cycling relationships with most state State Institutes and Academies for Australia. The initiatives include: governments and their respective their support. extensive social media major events departments. I have A report like this can never do justice activities; already extended my thanks to the to the multitude of people and a corporate partnership Victorian Government for its support organisations who contribute to program; of the Road World Championships making the sport great in this but they have also provided backing enhanced member benefits; country. I offer my appreciation to the for the Track World Cup and the State and Territory bodies, clubs, the development of a travel and 2012 UCI Track World officials, coaches and volunteers who licensed tour program; Championships. keep the sport rolling. To Shayne and other commercial initiatives. We also appreciate the tremendous Bannan and his professional team This represents a considerable ongoing support of the South based in Adelaide and spread across investment with commensurate risks Australian Government for the Santos the world, thanks for the dedication but I believe these are commercially Tour Down Under which remains by and commitment that has acceptable risks with good far the biggest annual cycling event in contributed so greatly to our prospects of securing the long term the country. In 2010 it again success. financial future of Cycling Australia surpassed all attendance records no Each and every Board member has and will see benefits flowing through doubt helped by the presence of contributed handsomely to the to all our constituent bodies. Lance Armstrong and our own Cadel betterment of the sport. Thanks to Governance Evans in the rainbow jersey. Graham and his loyal and dedicated The other major initiative for 2010 The sport is well supported by a staff who have put in such an was the business model review number of commercial sponsors but enormous effort over the last 12 designed to provide a governance none more generous than Gerry months which have certainly been platform to unify and strengthen the Ryan and the Jayco Corporation. the most challenging but rewarding sport, improve the member Many of our high performance faced in my time on the Board. experience and optimise program initiatives would not be commercialisation plans including To be the President of Cycling possible without their magnificent Australia is an honour and at times a those mentioned above. To this end support. In addition Jayco is the MTBA, BMXA and Cycling Australia humbling experience. Thanks to the main sponsor for a raft of events together with the Australian Sports warm and very considerable support including the Herald Sun Tour and Commission appointed consultants, of the members of the board and to Bay Cycling Classic. Sport Business Partners, to research Graham and his staff who have helped me settle into the role. and then recommend a pathway for A heartfelt thanks to our principal the three organisations to achieve sponsor and partner, the Australian The future of cycling in Australia those ends. The presidents of the Sports Commission, the Federal looks very promising and the depth three organisations and the Minister for Sport, Senator Mark o f s p o r t i n g , c o a c h i n g a n d consultants met in early September Arbib and his predecessor, Kate Ellis, administrative talent is profound. and the consultants are now and to their departments for the I wish you all a very successful 2011. obtaining feedback from the generous support we receive. 7 we are cycling - start to finish!! Australian Sports Commission The reform agenda seeks for the ASC to assist to provide stability and support for all sporting organisations in their pursuit of a shared, common purpose; creating a better sporting pathway for all Australians, from the grassroots up. The ASC will implement the new direction and this includes collaboration with all NSOs to allocate a record amount of new sports funding – committing an extra $195 million over the next four years. This funding is in addition to the current ongoing baseline funding for NSOs. Also, the ASC will assist sporting organisations with access to coaching and officiating programs, governance support, planning and education opportunities and assistance with becoming more inclusive The Hon. Warwick Smith AM – particularly in the areas of Indigenous sport, sport for Chairman people with a disability, sport for people from culturally and Board of the Australian Sports Commission linguistically diverse backgrounds and women’s sport development programs. It is an honour to serve as the new Chair of the This is the first time key sport partners, such as state and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Board at this territory institutes and academies of sport and state and challenging and exciting period for our national territory departments of sport and recreation, have sporting system. collaborated on a Commonwealth funding decision in the The ASC and national sporting organisations (NSOs) have interests of Australia's sporting future. long spoken of a shared ambition to strengthen This is an exciting time for all of us involved in Australian relationships between all system partners involved in sport. With significant new funding from the Australian Australian sport. Government, sports will be better positioned than ever Aligned with this ambition, the Australian Government is before to lead the drive for higher participation levels and now encouraging a whole-of-sport reform agenda, aimed strong success on the sporting field by promoting the at establishing a more collaborative, efficient and integrated unique nature of their sport, creating a legacy and a lasting sports system.