BikeManawatu Road and Track Programme June-December 2011

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.

The BikeManawatu Events Committee is pleased to present an exciting and challenging Road and Track programme for 2011. We have aimed to provide a local road race, or a race within the Manawatu region each weekend. The road race programme starts with a focus around the Wanganui / Bike Manawatu Interclub Series, culminating with the Feilding Festival of Cycling and Wanganui Grand Prix. The Cup Series runs through September and October and consists of a series of handicapped races. There is a lot of history associated with the Cup races, from the former Manawatu Masters and Palmerston North Marist clubs, and it’s a great opportunity for BikeManawatu members to get their name on a trophy and become part of the history of BikeManawatu. Points will be allocated for each handicap race (based on finishing position) and series prizes will be offered for the Cup Series.

The success of the programme depends critically on club members giving their time to organize and run the events. We cannot expect a small number of regular volunteers to run all the events.

There will be a roster for members to sign up for race duties. The exact details of the duties can be found on the roster. It is important to note that you can still race and help with most of the duties. We regularly get at least 25 – 30 riders to a road race. Based on these numbers if all riders (or their supporters) sign up for at least 3 events then we will be well on the way to providing the manpower to run these events.

At this point we need to be very clear – the road and track programmes cannot run without volunteers. If there are insufficient volunteers, we will have no choice but to cancel events.

Other events include the Club Road Champs (November), the Hill Climb Champs and the popular Trophee de Grimpeur.

The Wednesday Night Time-Trial Series will be run over 9 weeks starting in October and the Track programme gets underway around Labour Weekend. Keep an eye on the calendar for more details on these series.

– Events Committee, BikeManawatu