WCNI Road Race Championships – April 2011

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.

The West Coast North Island Road Race Championship was held in Wanganui on Sunday, April 9^th.

The courses were the same as for the Club Nationals to be held in early May. The longer course starts with a flat section from Brunswick Hall before descending down, eventually to SH3. A gentle climb, followed by a slightly less gentle climb on SH3 is followed by a short, tricky descent over a railway crossing to the last, shorter but steeper climb up Western Line back to the finish.

There was an excellent representation from BikeManawatu with green jerseys appearing in nearly all the grades and some excellent results. Kate Stewart, continuing her strong form from the track, claimed the gold in the U17 girls event. In the U19 Mens, Miguel Dib was second and Angus Findlay third.

There was a large field in the men’s race in the afternoon with the U23, Senior and Masters 1, 2 and 3 categories being combined and setting off for 4 laps of the 22 km course. Daniel Lithgow attacked from the gun, with Mark Waterland and Craig Lawn quickly onto his wheel, however the bunch was quick to cover this move. At the end of the second lap, a large group of approximately 20 riders had pulled away from the rest of the field. Any attacks were quickly covered, with some of the stronger riders content to sit and wait for the sprint finish. And indeed the race came down to a sprint finish, a non-WCNI rider, Wayne Mason was first rider across the line, Bevan Cheatley from the Wanganui was second across and first in the Masters 1 category. Adam Gosney, who recently moved to Palmerston North and has transferred from the Wanganui club took the gold in the Senior Mens category, with Daniel Lithgow picking up the silver. With a breakthrough result, Patrick Edwards won gold in the Masters 3 category and Mark Waterland picked up the bronze in the Masters 1 category.