The road race committee met 7 July 2020 to plan the 20/21 racing season. We are still uncertain the impact of COVID-19 may place on the season but we are proceeding on the assumption that it will be able to proceed.
The committee considered several aspects of the race season plus feedback from riders throughout the season and discussed issues for a couple of hours.
The outcomes are below:
Marquee Events: Alain Guerin Memorial and Rob Curtis Memorial are two main events on the calendar that commemorate members that have passed away. Greater promotion of our marquee events is something the road race committee is keen to explore and support. This would include promotion as interclub races, with riders from other clubs encouraged to participate. We will be looking for assistance from the membership to assist in this.
Gravel: Two courses that include gravel sections will be retained in the road race program. These are Course 17 (Chapel Hill Road) and Course 7 (Mount Battery). These are relatively short sections of gravel within the overall course and provide variety for riders throughout the season. A separate gravel series was considered, but given the uncertainty of the season, it is not considered viable to get enough riders and organisers to bring this together. It may be considered in future seasons.
Steep Hill Finish: Course 15 finishing up Campagnolo Road is a particularly steep finish when compared to other courses. It has been decided to retain this course to provide an opportunity for fast uphill finishers. An issue with this course is the distance from Mansfield upon finishing and the way in which riders group upon return. This will be managed more closely on the night, with riders asked to regroup before turning onto Howes Creek Road. We will also review the timing of the event so it is scheduled during longer daylight hours.
Sunday Hill Climb Series: Re-introduction of this series was considered as an alternative. Similar to a standalone gravel series, the uncertainty of the 20/21 season makes this difficult. It could be considered in future years.
Benalla Road: Course 3 (Benalla Road) will not be included in the program 20/21 season. Traffic on this road has increased over the years. It was included 18/19 season with a later start, but traffic was still heavy during this event. Dick Forrest, a long time member, lives at the Highway Intersection and has sponsored this race in the past. The committee will discuss the opportunity to sponsor other races.
BP Roadhouse: Discussion around the safety of starting at BP Roadhouse / Rodwells carpark was considered. Traffic can be heavy at this location, but the off-street parking, marshalling and potential for off-street starting are excellent. It will be retained as a starting point for races.
Buller Road: Course 2 (Mansfield - Hearns Road return) was reviewed for safety. Traffic is a consideration on this road during racing, but it is not as heavy as Benalla Road. Graded Scratch Races had traditionally been held on this course and this format will make a return for 20/21 on this course. The finish at Walsh's stockfeed was reviewed and poses some difficulty with traffic and space to manage people. A new finish point will be investigated on Jamieson Road or Crosby's Lane to avoid these issues. Timing of this event will also be reviewed to ensure sunset does not impact on rider visibility.
Marshalls: The committee debated the appropriate number of marshalls required to run and oversee a safe race for members. Three marshalls will continue to be rostered for each race.
Review of marshall roster will consider active members available for marshalling and ensure those rostered as Chief Marshall are comfortable with this role.
Chief Marshall allocates tasks and directs other marshalls in their roles. It is important if rostered for marshalling that you listen to and take direction from the Chief Marshall.
Each club member must take note of when they are rostered and take full responsibility for attending. If they can not, they must organise a replacement and advise the Chief Marshall of this change.
The marshall roster is balanced throughout the year to ensure balance and equal sharing of the tasks.
Additional volunteers are still strongly encouraged to attend and assist with marshalling.
Timing and organising races caused a number of issues during 19/20 season. For this reason, new timings are proposed for racing in the coming season:
5:00pm: Chief Marshall arrives with trailer and sets up.
5:30pm: Marshalls arrive.
5:50pm: Race registration closes. Members racing must be registered before this time and are encouraged to arrive around 5:30.
Chief Marshal will have discretion to recognise the efforts of marshalls and volunteers at presentations (drink of choice) using club funds.
Commissaires: A Chief Commissaire and Second Commissaire will continue unchanged. The Commissaire oversees the race and works closely with the Chief Marshall to ensure racing is safe for members. Commissaires are rostered separately from Marshalls. If you are interested in completing a Commissaires course please get in touch with Janine Appleton. It is critical we continue to have qualified Commissaries to allow competitive racing to continue.
The road race committee considered all of these issues carefully and debated them from different perspectives. Not all members of the race committee had identical views and discussion throughout the meeting was robust. The outcome we have decided on for the 20/21 season is supported by all members of the road race committee.
If you do have feedback for us or are interested in becoming involved in the committee please do not hesitate to get in touch with Alex Green via email or 0428 369 886.
We will move forward planning the season for 20/21 and getting the administrative approvals in place. This takes several months. We hope to see you on the start line in early October.
Alex Green
Janine Appleton
John Eisner
David Jagger
Belinda Cipa