Essex Cup Results Saturday 9th August 2014 – over Gravel

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.

Another great sunny day in the Manawatu but a crisp note in the air with little or no wind. Or at least that is how I would describe the weather in Ashhurst as riders assembled by the Library for the running of the 2014 Essex Cup. This is the race that goes up the west side of the Pohangina River to Totara reserve and back down the East side to the finish line at the outskirts of Ashhurst. With the rain over the last few days and the cool temperature at the start of the day riders were told to take extra care on the gravel section and the slippery down hill that gets no sun on the return journey. John Arbuckle was the marshall at the end of the gravel section and would be able to help any riders in need of assistance. With an assigned tail car for the limit riders driven by Chris Croton and the final sweep car driven by Chris Sanson all riders were told at the race briefing that if assistance was required they would be looked after. Thanks to these people and the marshalls Nigel Doyle and Tom Pirie out on the corners there were no accidents reported.

However taking in to consideration the narrow roads in this area there will be limits on the number of vehicles allowed to follow the race in future. The roads that we use are open roads and we need to be aware of other traffic that is using them. We are sharing the roads and people that don’t cycle get upset at times with cyclists on the road, let alone a plethora of tailing vehicles. On a nice sunny day it is better to stop at a vantage point to watch the race unfold before your eyes rather than follow in a car where you only see the riders in front of you.

Thanks to my helpers on the finish line.

The Essex Cup will be presented at the end of year prizegiving to Alex West who was the first over the line in a bunch sprint narrowly holding off Campbell Stewart, Chris Denholm, Robert Stannard and Carne Groube.

The limit riders a group of 8 including Thomas Stannard last years winner of the cup were set off 13 minutes before the next group of 10 riders. The block group of 8 riders were set off at the 21 minute mark and the final 7 scratch riders went at 24 mins.

Results are as follows

1st	55	West	Alex	1.37.46
2nd	80	Stewart	Campbell	st
3rd	54	Denholm	Chris	st
	84	Stannard	Robert	1.37.47
	61	Groube	Carne	1.37.48
	21	Martin	Neil	1.37.55
	53	Washington -Smith	Hayden	1.37.58
	70	Pinkney	Chris	1.38.04
	72	Levin	Nate	1.38.12
	89	Stannard	Steve	1.38.24
	81	Stannard	Thomas	st
	68	Rajapaske	Dineth	1.39.33
	73	Yamauchi	Toshi	1.39.35
	64	Ransom	Peita	1.40.06
	38	Craine	Ethan	1.40.25
	76	Fenn	Samara	1.41.11
	91	Kinghorn	Mitchell	1.42.00
	86	Stannard	Katherine	1.42.57
	45	Briggs	Winston	1.44.21
	67	Holleron	Ben	1.48.04
	41	Arbuckle	Libby	st
	92	Bloxham	Sophie	1.48.13
	71	Croton	Zoe	st
	48	Simpson	Cody	1.48.18
	32	Craine	Michael	st
	34	McKenzie	Andrew	1.49.37
	78	Allan	Fergus	1.52.25
	65	McKenzie	Stu	1.54.58
	30	Baker	Greg	st
	90	Roberts	George	DNF
	93	Washington -Smith	Fergus	DNF
	60	Drummond	Michaela	DQF