BikeManawatu riders the backbone of the National Development Squads

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.

Next year’s Bike NZ National Junior Development Squads were named this week. Once again, riders from the Manawatu make up the largest proportion of the 40 selected riders of any region in the country.

National champion Michaela Drummond is joined in the under 17 girls squad by Emily Shearman and Libby Arbuckle. The three boys in last year’s under 17 squad, Campbell Stewart, Robert Stannard, and Chris Denholm, were again selected after dominating the national racing scene this year against riders a year older. Elizabeth Stannard was the only Manawatu rider selected in the under 19 Women’s Development Squad. In what must have been a dilemma for selectors because of the depth of talent in the under 19 Mens category, 2013 National Champ Alex West now joins last year’s squad member and NZ representative Luke Mudgway in the team.

The first training camp is next month at Cambridge followed by subsequent events at the National Criterium Championships in Auckland in November. All National squad members will then travel to the Manawatu for the Novice Tour.