Saturday club TT (25th July)

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.

A beautiful, still mid-winter day saw thirteen riders turn up to do a BM individual TT last weekend. The course was Ashhurst to Pohangina and return. One young rider, Michael Richmond, was there and completed the junior distance of 15 km, the rest of the (mostly much older) competitors did just over 25 km which meant the turn-around was right in the middle of Pohangina village. The event was a perfect excuse for the purists who like to race the clock to bring out their TT bike and fast wheels.

Michael completed the 15 km in a very respectable 28:27 and was the first rider to start and also the first one home. The others started a minute apart with Catriona Pirie next to go followed by triathletes Barry Eccles and Dave Scott with their fast TT rigs.

Robert Stannard arrived late and left last of the 13 riders, and on his trusty red SL3 complete with his 32 spoke training wheels did the fastest time, completing 25.3 km in 38:41. Next fastest was Glen Kirk with 39:13, then Neville Weir with 39:58.

It was great to have some visitors from the Manawatu Triathlon Club join the hardiest BM riders for the event, some of whom are off to the Age Group World Champs in Sept.

Results (min:sec)
Michael Richmond 28:27
Stephen Snell 42:16
Chris Sanson 42:09
Barry Eccles 46:16
Glen Kirk 39:13
Steve Stannard 41:09
Paul Pliegers 43:25
Robert Stannard 38:41
Neville Weir 39:58
Nigel Doyle 46:40
Dave Scott 49:54
Tom Pirie 45:46