The Second Club Race Day Is Almost Here!
This Saturday, 19th July, is our second Slipstreamers Race Day! We’re pretty sure you’ll all agree that the first race day was great fun, even in the pouring rain (if you missed the race report click here to read it), and we hope as many of you as possible will be taking part on Saturday for round 2! If you’ve never raced before, EVEN BETTER! The aim of race day is to let everyone have the experience of taking part in British Cycling race type conditions, so this is an excellent learning experience, and we’d encourage you to give it a go!
This time round we will be celebrating the Tour De France coming to the UK and are incorporating the BC Go-Ride Tour event. There will be circuit racesAND proper mountain bike races, as well as some amazing prizes to be won, so we certainly hope to see as MANY of you ready to race on Saturday! As usual, the coaches have been busily planning away to ensure everything runs smoothly, and we are all looking forward to a very busy and exciting morning at the club.
Please read the following carefully to ensure you are clear on what is happening on Saturday:
- Early morning power session: practice is on as usual if anyone wants to come down and use it for a warm-up session. Early sign on is at 8:15am for a 8:30am sharp start!
- Volunteers who are helping with flag, lapboard, bell, and judging, please make sure you are at the judges’ hut by 9.30am please! Parents, if you haven’t yet volunteered and are interested in learning a few new skills whilst at the same time helping us out on Saturday, please make yourself known to us!
- Sign on for the race day: this is as normal, between 9am – 9.30am. You will not be able to sign on after 9.30am, so if you arrive late (unless there are exceptional circumstances), you will not race! Please be prompt and ensure you are ready to by 9.30am sharp. We close sign on at 9.30am so please don’t be late!
- IMPORTANT NOTE for Under 8s & Under 10s: you are riding first and must be ready for your warm up at 9.15am – please make sure you are signed on by then! This will give you enough time to get warmed up and make your way over to the apron 5 MINUTES before your race starts.
- Warming up before your race: we have allocated enough time in the itinerary to accommodate at least 20 minutes of warm-up training before your race, and leaving you enough time to get to the apron 5 minutes before your race starts. If you are not taking part in the early session and want to bring your rollers or turbos along, please do – coaches will be on hand to run through the warm up session published in last week’s newsletter. If you don’t have rollers or turbos, don’t worry – there will be other warm-ups to get you ready!
- If you don’t want to race, but still want to cycle: the apron will be open after the U8/U10 race for skills training. Sign on as normal, cheer on your fellow Slipstreamers racing in the U8/U10 race, then make your way to the apron to get started.
- Prizes and/ or medals will be awarded on Saturday for the top 3 male and female riders in each age category, and for both circuit and MTB races. Do make sure you stick around for these! We will be recording positions for as many riders as we can, but we can’t guarantee we’ll manage to capture each and every rider position and time – although we will do our very best to do so!
Circuit Races:
Your coaches will explain everything to you in detail again on Saturday morning, so ensure you are signed on and ready in good time to receive further instruction and avoid confusion. The anticipated itinerary is as follows:
- Race 1 – U8 & U10: 09:45am start – racing for 30 minutes. Be ready for warm-up at 9.15am.
- Race 2 – U12: 10:30am start – racing for 40 minutes. Be ready for warm-up at 10am
- Race 3 – U14 & U16: 11.25am – racing for 50 minutes. Be ready for warm-up at 10.55am
After your circuit race: if you’d like to get a taste for mountain biking, riders who have raced on the circuit and who have a mountain bike may also take part in the MTB racing – this is optional and only if you have a mountain bike. And of course, if timings permit! If you don’t want to mountain bike, make your way to the apron for further skills training, or alternatively wait in the clubhouse for prize-giving.
Mountain Bike Races:
Concurrent with the circuit racing agenda, mountain bikers will have the opportunity to race off-road in their respective age categories. Mudslingers must be ready by 9.30am sharp, and meet the MTB coaches near the mechanics’ hut, ahead of their warm up and a race briefing. Any Slipstreamer riding a mountain bike is welcome, whether or not they have raced previously. Riders who have completed their race on the circuit, and who have a mountain bike, may (if they want to) join the Mudslingers after their race for additional MTB racing, and if the timing permits. The anticipated itinerary is as follows:
- Race Briefing & Warm-Up: 9:30am
- Race 1: 10:15am – racing for 15 minutes
- Race 2: 10:30am – racing for 40 minutes
- Warm down and MTB fun & games at 11.15am
And finally…
We’ll be bringing our cameras and taking snaps for a gallery and publication in next week’s newsletter. Please do also bring yours along parents, and, if you don’t mind, do share your pictures with us after race day so we can include these in our race day showcase.
Good luck to you all of you racing on Saturday!