Track Chit Chat – Nov 12th

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.

It looks likely by the weather forecast for Sunday – racing may be called off.

Please watch the Bike Manawatu Track Nights Facebook group for information on Sunday if weather is doubtful.

Great to see a great number of riders last Sunday and there was great racing witnessed. Mike Simpson picked Michael Richmond as the McDonalds Feilding and Taihape rider of the day, for his great win from scratch in the final under 15 8 lap handicap. He got great help from his co-maker Kyle Hoskin who also gave his best performance to date to finish a well deserved third. For this great effort we will award Kyle a sports bag thanks to ASB (see Kate when she is next at track and she will get it for you Kyle).

It was good to see the uptake of the young riders getting straps fitted onto their pedals. Thanks to Liam Brown for fitting the straps – well done! There is another 8 sets of straps available for free fitting.

Please observe the warm up rules better! All slow warm ups above the blue line and fast warming up below the yellow line. It was getting slightly chaotic last week and this is when incidents can happen very quickly!

If racing is cancelled on Sunday we will run a shortened meeting on Tuesday 17^th November at 6pm start- watch this space.

Also due to BikeManawatu social get together and prizegiving at 3pm Sunday 22^nd November. Track racing will commence at 11:30am on that day.