Report from Michaela Drummond

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.

What an amazing West Cost North Islands Team this year! With so much Talent throughout all the grades. Firstly I would like to thank Central Bike Studios for sponsoring T-shirts & R-line and bottles for all the riders. We really appreciate your help over the past 2 years.

With all the amazing results it would take forever to go through every race. So, I would like to acknowledge my pursuit team consisting of Emily Shearman, Libby Arbuckle and Simone Davies. Emily showing strong form dominating the first year U17’s with extraordinary rides, to only just not making it on the podium. Not far behind Emily was the polite Libby Arbuckle who shows great form and impressive positioning in every race. No doubt these girls next year will be leading their age group. Simone Davies shows her determine self by leading out the U17 girls on the final lap of the point’s race. Simone had been sick but you wouldn’t have known with her power to stay at the front of the bunch.

Emily and I competed in the Team Sprint where we qualified 2^nd place.. only .5 off the winning time. Emily and I were determined to beat them. So we looked at every little thing we could do to improve our time.In the finals we were up against Emma Cumming and Ellesse Andrews from Southland. Emily started beautifully firing out of the gate with a roar. Our change over was near perfect and we ended up knocking a second off our time. Although it wasn’t enough to bet Southland as they beat us by .2 of a second. We were very proud and no doubt Libby and Emily will come back and win it for us next year. Libby and Simone also did an amazing time for their team sprint only just didn’t qualify for the finals.

Now it came to our team pursuit. As this is a very touchy subject for us girls I’m going to make it brief. In qualifying our heads were in fairyland and we finished 4^th place overall. A very disappointing ride for all of us so we sought to bet gold’s time in the final, even though we were not eligible to win. With our game faces on we whip bronze and silver and even gold taking the new NZ title. We were all so proud and knew that we had gone our best. It was a huge learning curve for next year.

With fun all around, I myself really enjoyed this event and can’t wait to return next year. Well done everyone.

Michaela Drummond