Race expectations and schedule

Hi all.

During the strategic planning session, and the subsequent open forum, the board and MCA members who attended the meetings identified the need and desire to improve the racing experience in Manitoba. From these discussion it was identified that each Manitoba Cup event should be of the run as a high quality event, thereby making the experience of those that participate in these events extremely positive. During the meeting to set the mountain bike race schedule we will also discuss the expectations the MCA has for the hosting of a Manitoba Cup race, and all races for that matter. The purpose for this discussion is to make the race experience as enjoyable and fun as possible for the novice and recreational racers and as challenging and professional as possible for the competitive and provincial team racers in this province. These two goals are not exclusive of each other, rather they complement each other.

To help clubs, who put on these races, a mountain bike race checklist was developed to assist them in the planning and running of these events. To make sure that the checklist is as functional and helpful as possible I would like to get feedback on the structure and layout of the list; please review the items listed below and identify any additional items you would like to see in the list by adding a comment to this post.


(I have not formatted this application and checklist yet - this will be done once the categories are agreed upon)
Mountain Bike Race Application and Checklist

Application

Information:

• Today’s Date
• Date of Race
• Alternate Race Date
• Venue: (___Established, ___ New)
• Club:
• (Clubs putting on their first event pleas list your sponsoring club:)
• Club Contact Person 1: Phone; Alternate Phone if different; Email
• Club Contact Person 2: Phone; Alternate Phone if different; Email
• Club Website
• Race Type: Cup; Hill Climb; Dual Slalom; Trial; Criterium; Stage Race; Other.
• Cost of Race Registration: Pre-registration (Kids &Adults); Race Day (Kids & Adults)
• Insurance: (MCA, Event)
• Medical: MCA; Other (Names and phone numbers)
• Registration Information
• Fax Number; Online Form; Shop (drop off)

Checklist

Application

• Application completed and submitted
• Attend race-scheduling meeting

Race Course Preparation

• Trails cleaned and cleared of any obstacles that may cause a collision.
• Trail preparation should follow IMBA trail building guidelines

Pre-Event Preparation

• Race course preparation: trail maintenance, pre-race set up, course map
• Arrange for medical personnel
• Arrange for course marshals
• Commissaires
• MCA Website Advertising: submitted two weeks prior to event
• Other Advertising
• Prizing
• Registration: advanced, license in process, race roster, race day registration forms, forms and waivers (posted two weeks prior to event)

Venue Preparation

• Parking
• Marked
• Marshal to provide directions
• Registration
• Canopy, table and chairs
• Start/Finish Area
• Marked off
• Signage
• Washroom Facilities: rent, supplies
• Food and drink provision: coolers, barbeques – if needed, table
• Feedzone and Technical Assistance Zone

Race Day

• Registration area; opening time
• Signage
• Communications
• Officials
• Medical
• Marshals
• Food/Beverages
• Prizing
• Course teardown

Post Race

• Submit race results to MCA
• Return MCA equipment

Resources

A list of the MCA’s available equipment and resources which can be borrowed for race preparation and the running of the races – to be compiled.

Board Meeting Highlights

A couple of highlights from the Board Meeting that have direct bearing on mountain biking.

• waivers will be reviewed to make sure that they are adequate - can we get away with one blanket waiver, apparently not.
• discussion about inherent risk of non-sanctioned events
• LTAD (long term athletic development) has produced its second volume which is designed for clubs - more information will be forthcoming
• The current financial situation was discussed, each committee was asked to have their budgets done as soon as possible with a deadline of January 11th. (I will be posting some information here shortly looking for input - Hal)
• The MCA is looking for sponsorship opportunities
  
• The joint race calendar is to be set on January 17
• A joint mountain bike, KOM race needs to be planned, ideally before the end of June.
• A new fee structure is in discussion with a new citizen's class/license being planned (for first timer's only) that will be not much higher in cost than a non-race membership. This is to encourage new interested cyclists to give racing a try.

Please use the comment's feature to post any questions.

Hal

Action Required

I want to bring a campaign letter to your attention. It is in regards to the preservation of our trails in Manitoba Provincial forests. As you know the Sandilands forest was devastated by forest fire this past summer and the letter addresses ways to protect our trails and the surrounding forest from future fires as well as other trail issues.

Please consider reading the campaign letter found at the bottom of the home page at www.sandilands.ca and participate in it. Forward the letter to others you know that may be interested. Maybe we could post a link on the MCA website. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Patrick Siemens

Joint Race

Dave Johnson from Tread the Thunder, in conjunction with MCA, has begun conversations with the Saskatchewan Cycling Association to run a joint MCA/SCA mountain bike race this summer. Look for more information here as the discussions on this progress.

MCA MTB Race Schedule

Efforts are underway to arrange a date to plan and set the 2009 MCA MTB schedule, as soon as that date is set we'll contact all the clubs so they can send reps to the meeting; look for both an email and new post in this blog.

In the next few days I will send out a draft of an application (read: information) sheet for committee members to discuss. The purpose of the intended application is to gather pertinent information from race organizers about the race they wish to run and to give MCA members and the MCA helpful information about each race. In conjuction with this application I would also like to rework the MTB race organizer's checklist and timelines and include it with the application/informtaion form to make sure that all races are run according to the guidelines set out by this committee and the MCA.

National Mountain Bike Calendar

From the CCA:

2009 National Mountain Bike Calendar

(November 25, 2008 – Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to unveil the 2009 National Mountain Bike Calendar. Twelve (12) sites will welcome the best mountain bikers from Canada and elsewhere.

The Olympic cross-country (XCO) Canada Cup season will be one of the best in the recent years with 6 events on the calendar, five (5) of them being UCI 1 sanctioned. More then $40 000 will be awarded during the series. The Canada Cup series is one of the most lucrative domestic series in the world. The season opener will be in Baie-St-Paul on May 17 and the Final will conclude in Bromont on July 5th.

The DHI Canada Cup will offer 3 events. The season will start in Mont-Tremblant on May 24th and conclude in Sun Peaks on August 23rd.

Canada will be the host of two World Cups again in 2009. Mont-Sainte-Anne is back as usual and Bromont will tackle a second year on the circuit.

The National Championships will be held prior to the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup. New for 2009, 4X National championships will be presented for the first time in Bromont on July 4th. The cross-country event will follow in St-Félicien, on July 11-12 and the downhill on July 18-19.


2009 National Mountain Bike Calendar
17/5/2009 – Coupe Canada, Baie-St-Paul, QC – XCO UCI 1
23-24/5/2009 – Coupe Canada, Mont Tremblant, QC – XCO UCI 1 / DHI UCI 2
31/5/2009 – Canada Cup, Oro-Medonte, ON – XCO UCI 1
13/6/2009 – Canada Cup, Edmonton, AB – XCO UCI 2
20/6/2009 – Canada Cup, Canmore, AB – XCO UCI 1
4-5/7/2009 – Coupe Canada Bromont, QC – XCO UCI 1 / DHI UCI 2 / 4X UCI CN
11-12/7/2009 – Championnat national, St-Félicien, QC – XCO UCI CN
18-19/7/2009 – Championnat national, (To be confirmed), QC – DHI UCI CN
25-26/7/2009 – Coupe du monde UCI Nissan, Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC – XCO/4X/DHI UCI B
1-2/8/2009 – Coupe du monde UCI Nissan, Bromont, QC – XCO/4X/DHI UCI B
17/8/2009 – Canada Games, Brookvale, PEI – XCO NE
23/8/2009 – Canada Cup, Sun Peaks, BC – DHI UCI 2

All of the necessary information concerning dates, locations, and organizers can be found at the following website.

2009 National Mountain Bike Calendar