Ray Alcock a prominent cyclist for Southland in the mid 1950s and 60s

Ray Alcock was prominent in the cycling scene in Southland in the mid -1950s and 1960s.  
Born on 18th August 1938, Ray was introduced to the sport while boarding with Duncan McKenzie, who had a friend, Ian Fraser that was into cycling.  At the age of 16, in 1954 he first took to competitive riding and a long history of successes was started. A quiet achiever, Ray said it all on the bike.

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The pinnacle of Ray's long cycling career was being a competitor in the first 'Tour of Southland' in 1956  Sixty years later and this race is still a highpoint on New Zealand's cycling calendar.
Ray was a very competitive rider and more often than not was placed in some of the following events:
Caledonia Games in 1954 in the presence of the Queen Mother
Gore-Invercargill Classic
48-mile Gore-Balclutha race
Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club's Makarewa-Ryal Bush, Thornbury return, City-Edendale road race, Riverton, and return, 
Kiwi Amateur Road Race
100 mile round the Gorges
Dunedin Amateur Cycling Club's Mosgiel, 50 Kilometre event
Southland Sports Circuit - Otautau, Tuatapere, Riverton, Winton, Wyndham
Canterbury Amateur Ashburton to Christchurch 50 mile event
Harry Saundercock Memorial road race - 100 kilometres 
Papanui Amateur Cycling Club - 80- mile handicap
Track Racing at Kew Bowl
New Zealand Grass Track Championships

Ray worked at the freezing works in his early years and biked to work every day.  He went to Christchurch in the off season and rode for Papanui.  

Some of the riders that he competed against were:
Les Booth, Peter Hilston, Kevin Healey, John Healey, Robert Crooks, Peter Swain, Johnny Hawke, Ken Henderson, Alan Henderson, Grant Cousins, Bruce Goldsworthy, Graham Roff, Peter Robinson, Trevor Robinson, Graham Coates, Murray McLeay, Peter McLeay, Wayne Robinson, Jack Robinson, Lynn Ashby, Peter Duggan, Ross Hardie, Brian Hardie, Geoff Murphy, Bill Hoffman, Bill Coates, Rex McCorkindale, Laurie Tall, Barry Jordan, Ron Giles, Ron Howie, Stuart McKenzie, Pat Wylie, Graham Sycamore, Kelvin Hastie, John Holloway, Kevin Skeggs, Harry Hubber, Tommy Tindale, George Weddell, Terry Kenny, Brian Wood, Rex Marshall, Alex Pangiotidis, Peter Kett, John Peoples, John Holloway, Stuart McKenzie, Bryan Lynn, Warwick Dalton....to name a few.

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