SPARC visit to our Cycling Centre of Excellence site.

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.

Last Thursday we had our much anticipated visit from the SPARC team (7) which also included BikeNZ staff. They visited the Massey Campus, including all the key sporting facilities that Massey can offer, culminating in an inspection of the SRI building and accommodation. Our team then presented an overview of the various attributes of the bid . Addresses were also made by the Vice Chancellor Mr Steve Maharey and the PNCC Mayor , Mr Jono Naylor. We then answered the specific queries flagged by SPARC that arose from the initial tender document.

The process going forward is that the SPARC team will then further analyse the 3 remaining bids, come to a decision on the preferred tenderer, report their recommendation to the SPARC High Performance Board, then engage with the selected tenderer to iron out any further issues that may or may not need addressing. A public announcement is due to be made in early May. All tenderers are sworn to confidentiality until such time as the public announcement.

We keep our fingers crossed.

I would like to personally thank all those involved in this bid ,many of whom are not cyclists…..but will be when the track is built! The work has been going on for nearly two years now and taken a lot of personal man (and woman ) hours to get to this point. Being short – listed was a major achievement but is not the ultimate goal. Massey and PNCC support form the top down has been second to none.The general community has really engaged with this bid. Complete strangers and non-cyclists are continuously wishing me and others involved, well .

The profile that this has given to our sport and hobby has been truly outstanding. The Board of Bike Manawatu are working hard to encapsulate the momentum that this and the merger of the three clubs has generated in the wider community. An enormous amount of work has gone into club activities over the past 4-5 months and our membership is growing and growing. Did you know over 80 school age riders attended a camp at Rathkeale last weekend?

Keep us informed with your views. Feedback is always good.A number of events are planned for the near future.

A heads up….AGM.

Despite only being in existence since 1st January, our Constitution requires that we have an AGM in April.

Glenys our secretary will soon be placing a Public Notice of the time and date. Your attendance there would be appreciated.

Paul van Velthooven

( Chairman)