Track Chit Chat 2 – With Ian Gray
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.
It was great to see last Sunday (9November) our biggest numbers at Feilding this season, and the riders produced some quality racing on a nice spring day.
Grant Shearman picked young Kyra Craine for the rider of the day award. Who in the 8 lap U15’s race rode a real gallant race from the front mark to finish 3rd; only being caught 20m from the line by Zoe Croton and scratch rider Max Taylor .
Gemma Payne is to be congratulated for breaking the senior Women’s 1 lap (Standing start) record in recording 32.76 seconds, breaking Hayley Giddens (Wanganui) time of 34.265 set in 2011. Hayley is now riding in a professional women’s team in the United States.
Chris Denholm unfortunately found out that bees do exist in Feilding, when one stung him in the lip (when he was going really well in the scratch bunch, in the final 16 Lap A Grade Handicap) and had to exit the track in a hurry and in much pain. Bad luck Chris. Good to see our first aid man Rob Gardner was quickly on hand to assist Chris.
Important news! U15 riders can ride this Sunday November 16, as a special category U15 Club section.
