Former professional cyclist Dean Windsor received a significant trophy at the Bathurst Cycling Club awards on Sunday – the Weal Trophy.
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The trophy is awarded to Bathurst’s best performing handicap rider and in recent times has been contested as a points score for the two handicap races on the club’s calendar – the McKay Memorial and Rockley Cup.
Windsor said he was surprised by the honour.
“I have not done much racing in recent times, so I did not expect to win a trophy,” he said.
“I have never won it before, so I am excited to get my name engraved on it.”
Windsor said it was an even bigger success to be named the best handicap rider considering Bathurst has one of the strongest cycling clubs in the country and even the state.
“We have some talented juniors coming through and it is a great club with some great athletes,” he said.
The Weal Trophy is named after Harold Weal, who donated the trophy 75 years ago.
The trophy is awarded for keeps under unlikely circumstances – if a rider wins the trophy three times in a row or four times in total.
Due to the outstanding performance of legendary Bathurst handicap rider Jack McKay, the trophy went to to McKay during the late 1950s after he won the trophy for a fourth time.
The original trophy, which resided with the McKay family, was donated back to the club to present at the annual cycling awards.
Jack McKay’s granddaughter Janelle Kemp was the guest of honour on Sunday, presenting the trophy to Windsor.
Windsor defeated some close rivals to win the trophy, including 2016 Rockley Cup winner Ryan O’Donnell.
Steve Bennett and Brad Roughley finished equal third in the standings and Jodie Martin was the highest placed female, finishing fifth overall.
Windsor has had a long family history in Bathurst cycling, with members of the Windsor family picking up major trophies for over 100 years.
At his peak, Windsor was regularly competing in professional events across Australia, Europe and Asia.
He was not just excited by the trophy win, but also very respectful of the history behind the trophy and was honoured that Janelle Kemp had presented the trophy on behalf of McKay, who had always followed Windsor’s progress as a junior.
The club was founded in 1884, making it one of Australia’s oldest sporting clubs, and with such a heritage and history, the annual awards have been treated with great respect. The Weal Trophy is the club’s most historically significant award.
