Cycle racing, though healthy and enjoyable, is not an essential activity, so it should not increase the risk of catching Covid 19 for BMCR members, helpers, or anyone else.

Firstly, all competitors should be reminded (in pre-race information) that they should not compete, or even attend, if they, or anyone with whom they have been in close contact recently, has been tested positive for Covid 19 or is displaying symptoms.

Any helpers whose age or health condition makes them more at risk from Covid 19 should be offered jobs such as marshalling where contact with others is minimal.

The overall principle is that all those involved in a BMCR event should:

• Maintain the social distancing rules currently in force – 1 metre ‘plus’
• Not congregate in any group larger than currently permitted (gatherings of more than 30 people are still illegal)
• Take all reasonable steps to reduce the possibility of physical transfer of infection, by hand-washing, use of hand sanitizers and minimising shared contact with objects.

We hope you are safe and healthy and wanted to provide an update on our plans for racing this year

You may have seen that British Cycling have recently given notice that certain types of regional racing will be allowed from the 1st August – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/20200703-British-Cycling-update-on-regional-and-national-level-racing-0 – and CTT has announced that Time Trials will commence later this month – https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/articles/view/569. 

At this stage and regrettably we do not anticipate being able to run any road or track races this year. However, this latest information from BC suggests that Crit Racing will be possible from the 1st August.

It is not clear what the criteria will be nor how this will be possible but as soon as we have assessed the framework and guidelines they are working on we will advise you accordingly.   

In line with CTT and TLI we do believe it will be possible to organise Time Trials with a BMCR difference in August. This being TT’s on ‘sporting courses’, using road bikes competing in age related categories. 

We are therefore asking BMCR organisers, and clubs/teams with BMCR members, to consider putting on road TTs from August onwards in order to provide members with an opportunity to race. These will obviously require Police Notification, entries will be through RiderHQ, and approval will be through Regional Events Coordinators in the usual way.

Please see the BMCR Guidelines for running TTs under the current restrictions.

In addition and with thanks to Mike Jackson, we have arranged with Madison to support organisers / volunteers with any necessary PPE.

Mike Amery, National Events Coordinator, (mikeamery58@gmail.com) is happy to answer questions or give advice to potential organisers. He is also promoting a test event on 9th August and more information is posted here.

Virtual racing on Zwift also continues to provide an alternative for many members. 

We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely and as soon as there is a significant change we will give a further update. We are also sharing information and plans with TLI Cycling, whose position is very similar to ours.

Best,
Nigel Byrne

BMCR National Executive Committee

You may have seen that British Cycling have recently extended their suspension of Regional racing until 1 August, and CTT have announced that it may be possible to resume club time trials from 6 July and open events from 18 July.
This update is to let you know that BMCR has no plans to resume racing at present. We believe that bunch racing will not be possible for some time yet. However, we think that it will be possible to resume individual time trials before road races. Once it becomes clear what the timescale for resuming time trials is, we will ask organisers to consider putting on some road bike time trials, on ‘sporting’ courses away from dual carriageways, or circuits.  Virtual races on Zwift are also providing an enjoyable alternative for many members.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and as soon as there is a significant change we will give a further update. We are also sharing information and plans with TLI Cycling, whose position is very similar to ours.
BMCR National Executive Committee

Good morning everyone.

I got engaged in a debate yesterday that had initially started regarding the risks of riding in groups, and I think most of us are agreed by now that this is no longer something we should be doing. I took it one step further and suggested that we actually shouldn’t be riding outside at all to avoid negative impact on the NHS should we fall and injure ourselves, this was also to some degree based upon a conversation I had three times over the weekend with my 84 year old father who has been out every day. My advice to him stays the same but I totally get why 95% of people on here would disagree with me and with the balance of all of our mental health by not going out against the very small risk of injury I totally understand that. It was also a little unfair of me to suggest that training indoors on rollers, a wattbike or turbo is easy if that is not what you do. It was unfair of me because that is what I do summer and winter already and for two reasons, firstly it’s very efficient, you get on ride, generally don’t puncture and get off in a relatively short period of time compared to a road ride, and secondly the traffic, I absolutely hate it, I do go out on gravel and mountain bikes but traffic avoidance is top of the list.. I still believe that we should do anything and everything to reduce impact on the NHS, but if you have no other option than to go out, you either live in a flat, or simply will kill someone if you have to train indoors then I am sure you will do everything possible to reduce risk.

BMCR interim announcement.

Following the announcement last week and the constantly changing situation it now seems highly unlikely that we will be racing again in the near future, potentially not at all this season.

With this in mind and instead of pushing the date further and further back – All BMCR events are cancelled until further notice.

Hopefully we will be through this sooner than we think and racing will then continue.

NEC