The Big Stage is the next stage

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 a fantastic week that was for our young Bike Manawatu cyclists in Invercargill at the age group nationals representing West Coast North Island. By all accounts, the whole team performed remarkably on and off the track and came home with a host of medals. The WCNI team ended up 4th on the ladder behind the big centres of Southland , Auckland and Canterbury. Those Centres were heavily represented in the Masters categories….WCNI had only one rider in that group!!!!

Special mention should be made of Michaela Drummond with 4 gold medals in the U15 Girls. They could not touch Michaela for speed. We see evidence of her speed at Johnston park every Tuesday night over summer. Campbell Stewart won 3 gold medals and one silver…the Southland boys tried everything to block Campbell but he has too much racing nous and of course he has the gas. And of course big sister Kate ….despite a huge workload where she entered virtually every available U17 girls event from sprint to points to scratch plus teams events , Kate came home with 2 gold medals, 2 silver and a bronze.Incredible…she will be sleeping well this week!

To cap that off the, the WCNI U17 Girls pursuit team which included Kate, Ruby Perry and Maxyna Cottam from New Plymouth smashed the NZ record in winning gold.

Our U17 Boys of Jordan Castle, Connell Leahy and Kyle Davie scored a silver beaten by a gnats whisker by a strong Southland team.And Jordan narrowly missed out in the individual sprint ( 4th) and the scratch race.

Travelling to Invercargill is always a bit daunting for the first time and the speed and geometry of the track is something to get accustomed to. All of our riders would have learnt a lot from the experience. Track nights at Feilding’s Johnston Park will be even more exciting next year. Our riders now know that every Tuesday night they will be competing with some of the best going in the country in their age group.

Oh to have a covered velodrome in this patch of the woods……then we would really be kicking butt!

If you haven’t been to a track night, give it a go.It would be great to see more of the “master “ class getting amongst it….and it does improve your riding….so I have been told!

Thanks should be expressed to the dedicated Bike Manawatu group that run the track programme from the Monday night road bikes ( Greg Bryan and his team) , the Tuesday night team of Tim Whitehouse, Darren Humphrey,Ian Gray, John Stewart, all the parents and of course the passionate coaches.

These high performing kids are the results of your efforts and expert input.