5 BikeManawatu riders make NZ Oceania Team
Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.
We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.
If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.
Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.
Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.
Congratulations to the following five BikeManawatu riders who will be representing New Zealand at the Oceania Track Championships to be held in Melbourne next month.
In the elite mens sprint we have olympic medalist Simon van Velthooven along with young gun Jordan Castle.
Junior world champion and dual silver medlist Michaela Drummond will be riding in the elite women’s endurance team, in her first official track meet out of the under 19 agegroup. But she does have experience at this level, having raced at an elite world cup in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Libby Arbuckle and Emily Shearman have the call up for the U19 endurance team. After gaining silver in the Junior World Track Championships in Switzerland earlier this year Emily will be one of the experienced members of the team, alongside Ellesse Andrews, Kate Smith and Nicole Shields who were in the junior world’s team. Libby will be an asset to this combination, with her large diesel engine that we have seen at the Feilding Velodrome recently.
Other West Coast North Island riders in the New Zealand team include Sophie Leigh-Bloxham and Thomas Garbett in the U19 sprint teams, who have also shown good form at the Feilding Velodrome recently.
Best of luck to all of our riders. Keep posted on our website and Facebook page for updates on their progress.
Full team can be found here.
