The dates have been published, the calendar is up to date, and by now we are hoping you are all super excited about our upcoming Family Fun day and Round 1 (Skills and Time Trial) of Club Championships on Saturday 26th September. If you have never competed in the Club Champs before, regardless of your age or race experience, we would encourage you to give it a go! There is something for everyone – so whether you are U6 or U16, a roadie or a mountain biker, you all have an equal chance of becoming Club Champ for your age group. Click here to find out more if you aren’t sure what it’s all about. And of course, if you’ve done this before we definitely want to see you taking part – perhaps try to beat your personal bests? Click here to read a wrap up of the 2014 Club Champs, along with a summary of the results from each round.
I’m STILL Not Convinced – Why Should I Take Part?
Nobody says it better than athlete Daley Thompson: “If you’re not in it, you can’t win it!” The Club Champs is all about giving all our members the opportunity to aim high and challenge themselves in a relaxed and friendly competitive atmosphere. There is something for all age groups, all levels of skill, all types of rider – and everyone has a chance at winning. Go for it!
But I Can’t Do all Events – So What’s the Point?
We understand not everyone can make all the dates. We also get that some of you will only want to do certain events. We totally appreciate that travelling to Calshot for Track Champs can be challenging for many. Hence the introduction last year of the principle of best of 4 out of 5 events, which we believe is a much fairer system overall. Indeed, the more you enter, the more points you accumulate – and even if you don’t win an event, you still get points for signing on and taking part! But mainly, the point is about joining in the fun with your fellow Members – whether you just enter a single event, do them all, or join us on Family Fun day to cheer on your fellow Slipstreamers!
Hmmm… I’m a Mountain Biker – I Don’t Have a Road Bike! Why Bother?
Of the 5 events, it may seem that those without road bikes are at an automatic disadvantage. In fact, some of you expressed this sentiment in the survey we ran last year. So, the Committee and Coaches have taken this on board, and we are very pleased to announce that a new category for MTB is being introduced into the Time Trials. This is to encourage our MTB Mudslingers and also any other riders who don’t have road bikes to give the Time Trial a try on a bike that you are comfortable with – and more importantly to level the playing field so everyone has a fair advantage. Bike categorisation will, of course, be at the discretion of the Head Coaches.
OK I’m In…! What Do I Need to Do?
Yay! You’ve taken the first step towards being a Club Champion! First of all, ensure you read the following information very carefully, as it clarifies everything you need to know regarding how the day will be run and what you can expect. Make sure you are clear about sign on and timings, and be ready to have some fun!
How Will Sign On Work on Saturday?
Sign on times are noted below. Please note that the Club Champs events are run to a very tight schedule, and the volunteers have a lot to get ready for the session to support the Coaches. Therefore, kindly be on time as no latecomers will be allowed to sign on – there are absolutely NO exceptions as this is not regular training session. So if you wish to take part in your event, ensure you are on time.
- Sign-On Session 1: 8am – 8.15am
- This is for Members [any age group] who wish to do their Time Trial in the early morning.
- Only the first 30 riders will get to do their TT in this window, so make sure you are on time.
- Make your way to the Clubhouse as normal to sign on – the process will be explained when you arrive.
- Sign-On Session 2: 9am – 9.30am
- This is for everyone else wanting to compete during the day – come to the Clubhouse as normal to sign on.
- Anyone who arrives after 9.30am will not be able to take part so please be on time!
What is the Schedule for the Day?
This is an ALL DAY AFFAIR with events spread out, and including fun and games planned to ensure everyone gets a go, and has a great day. Please note that no adults will be allowed to take part in the TT.
The anticipated schedule and running order (subject to change!) is as follows:
| Start | End | Age Group | Club Championship Activity |
| 08:00 | 08:15 | All – First 30 Early Birds | Sign On – Early Time Trial (TT). Only the 1st 30 riders will be able to have a go. |
| 08:30 | 09:20 | All | Early Time Trial:
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| 09:00 | 09:30 | All Other Birds | Sign On – Normal session. Everyone else. |
| 09:30 | 10:00 | All | Group warm-up, all categories, all ages – don’t be late! |
| 10:10 | 11:00 | U10/U8/U6 | Remaining Time Trials:
|
| 11:15 | 13:15 | All | Skills Competition, Station 1: U16/ U14/ U12
|
Skills Competition, Station 2: U6/ U8/ U10
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| 13:30 | 14:00 | All | MTB Time Trial (for those without road tyres only)
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| 14:00 | 16:30 | U12/ U14/ U16 | Remaining Time Trials:
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What Fun Do You Have in Store for Us? Won’t we Get Bored Waiting Around?
Our Social Secretary Mark Devlin has a set of activities planned that will ensure NO-ONE utters the horrid “B” word! There will be much going on around the Clubhouse, including – but not limited to – the following:
- Bike Rugby World Cup!
- A fun skills course behind the Clubhouse (not to be confused with the main Skills Club Champ event!).
- Fun bike relays
- Tug of war, sack races and egg & spoon races!
And finally, if you want to give your judging coaches a giggle, we’ll have face painting and tattoos (the removable non-painful type, obviously!) for those of you who wish to do your Club Champs events in colour! Volunteer face painters welcome!
Sounds Like I’m Going to Need Much Energy – Will I Be Able to Buy Food?
Absolutely! The canteen will be open as normal with the usual fare; and of course Jeff’s famous BBQ will be up and running and serving bacon, sausage and normal burgers for £1 only! However it will be a long day, so you may also want to bring a picnic along as well – especially if you are vegetarian and unable to enjoy the BBQ!
What Bike Should I Bring – I’m Confused?
Bring the bike you are most comfortable on – if you have two bikes and wish to do the Time Trial on one and Skills on another, that is entirely up to you. You may also wish to bring your mountain bike to try out the MTB course. Please remember that if you do bring extra bikes, you need to make sure the one/s you aren’t using are securely locked – it is a public park after all so please do bear this in mind. The Club cannot be held responsible if your bike goes missing. If you want to hire a bike for the day, you may do so – but this will be on a first come first served basis – so make sure you are on time to avoid disappointment!
It Sounds Like It Will Be a Busy Day – Do You Need Volunteers?
Yes please Parents! We need volunteers to help the Coaches set up the skills courses, judging and recording and also help with similar jobs in the Time trials as well. Club Champs is an excellent place to learn to judge, so if you would like to help us out on Saturday, even if it is just when your child is taking part in a specific event, it will really make a difference. There is no need to email us in advance – when you turn up on Saturday, simply speak with the coaches as there will undoubtedly be loads to do!
Finally…
It is important to note that if you miss an event, you cannot make it up another time (with the exception of the TT). So if you miss this weekend’s Skills, or any others coming up, you don’t get another chance. That doesn’t mean you are out of the running, so don’t give up! We would love to have record numbers taking part this year – so do show up, give it your best, and let’s all have a good time!
As a reminder, click here for the 2015 Club Championship dates.
If you have any questions regarding the above, do email the sign on team as normal.