Entries close on Wed 29th at midnight for the BMCR Welland road bike Time Trial on Sunday 9th August. It’s on the 16 mile Welland road race circuit in Worcestershire, with prizes for teams of 3 (min combined age 150 years) – see details on this page.

We have about 40 entries so far, but there’s room for a few more at this first BMCR event since lockdown. Not quite as sociable as normal BMCR events, but there will still be tea and cakes!

Entry via RiderHQ, enquiries to Mike Amery mikeamery58@gmail.com

Unfortunately it will not be possible to hold the Track Champs at Newport on 18-20 Sept as planned. Although the velodrome is opening again soon, it will be initially for elite riders only.

We hope it will still be possible to hold the championships in October or November, though there may be no bunch races and it may be a one-day event.

Location: Welland, Worcestershire. HQ Welland Village Hall WR13 6AJ

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