Cycling: Hawke's Bay stalwart Aplin moving on to broader NZ board role

Ivan Aplin (right) is looking forward to the challenges of the broader governance of all cycling codes. PHOTO/FILE

Hawke's Bay cycling administrator Ivan Aplin has stepped down from the Cycling New Zealand Road and Track Council after 11 years to take up the new role.

Aplin was elected unopposed to the Cycling New Zealand board.

He spent three years as president of the Cycling New Zealand Road and Track Council. He has also spent more than 10 years on the Hawke's Bay Ramblers Cycling Club committee and nearly five years as a chairman.

"It was time for new challenges and I'm looking forward to the broader governance of all cycling codes rather just road and track," Aplin says.

One of his main achievements in the region has been increasing the number of national championships in the Bay, including the Elite National Championship, for which he has been event director since its shift to Napier in 2016.

Having finished 40 years in banking and accounting, Aplin is now an event organiser and traffic management trainer.

That includes planning and overseeing the traffic management of a large variety of events, from sports events such as the Air New Zealand Hawke's Bay International Marathon to music concerts.

Aplin assisted New Zealand Transport Agency with the development of the events module of the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management and training programmes, supplying examples of diagrams and safety policies.

"My time in cycling has been more as an administrator and event organiser than any great success on the bike," he said.

"But the love of cycling still holds ... usually when travelling to places around New Zealand and overseas as well as experiencing events such as the Tour de France and the Tour Down Under."

Aplin was acknowledged for his services to sport at the Cycling New Zealand awards dinner.

He advocates for a velodrome as part of the multi-use facility proposed for the Bay.