Welcome to the BikeManawatu new year

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.

Welcome to a new year of Racing and Challenges on and off the Bike. Last year we finished off on a high with Trust House series success for our local teams. Already in January we’ve had a solid start to our track season with many Masters joining the juniors at the Velodrome in Feilding. Great results from Wilson Hannon at the Criterium Nations in Christchurch. Solid results from Adam Francis, David Martin, Caleb Bottcher and Carne Groube in the Cycle classic and a good number of Masters competing in the hastily organised SVS tour in the bay.

Locally, with the weather putting a damper the mini series in November, the club has pressed on and has a solid calendar in place for the next 4 months and onwards from there. We start with the Palmfeilds Mazda and Subaru Mini series on Tuesday nights in February. We also have the Wednesday night on our Traffic Management plans in case of weather. We continue with TT’s and longer road racing on Tuesday nights leading up to the end of Daylight saving.

This rolls into WCNI and Club Championships and before you know it we are in May for the Manfeild 6 hour.

While this is going on, The Iconic Races of Taupo Challenge remains in place at this stage while K2 has unfortunately been postponed. Our Juniors will have the opportunity of competing at CHB and Tasman Tours, we’re excited to see TA tour back on the calendar and welcome the Triathlon dates onto our calendar also.

Good luck to our riders at 2 day tour of Wellington this week end in the Wairarapa

Patrick Johnstone was first in D grade (he’s an associate member), Mike Thompson was 3rd in D grade and third in the sprint points. Wayne Fage was 4th in E grade in a really close battle on GC

The full calendar is on our revamped Website which looks fantastic, Many thanks to Vaughan Hunt for his massive input into this.

We welcome back our amazing sponsors, we truly appreciate their on going support.

There will be challenges with the Traffic Light system, but with registration on line and other safeguards put in place with our Health and safety plan we have confidence in our system.

Check the calendar, register and plan, ride safe.