Wednesday ITT summer series round 2

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 windy conditions may have slowed the times from Week 1 but they didn’t deter the enthusiasm of the riders for the second round of the Wednesday Night ITT series this week. And proving the point that cycling really is an activity for the whole family, the competition for the early lead on the points table is a two-way battle between the Stannard and Denholm families. Despite posting a very competitive time of 17:16 in the friendly conditions in Week 1, Steve Stannard went 5 seconds better with the second fastest time of the night (17:11).

Chris, James and Alex Denholm all improved their times from week 1 to join Steve on 4 points. Luuk van Wagtendonk is the other rider also on 4 points, followed by a long list of riders on 3 points including Robert and Elizabeth Stannard. If the favourable conditions return next week, Matiu Kaihau looks like he will seriously threaten his older brother’s course record of 15:26 (from Feb 2009), as Matiu posted 15:35 in Week 1.

Click here for full results