Living with Hope – Round 4, 10th April 2021 – Event preview
The previous round was what seems like a whole season ago. But we’re back, and we have the highest number of entries so far. April wasn’t a gamble, after all.
Hope Technology once again generously support the event with infrastructure, venue, and course layout, so if you ride and you don’t like the course, that’s basically because you’re suffering too much and the course worked.
For Round 4, you’re being looked after by marshals and officials from Horwich CC and Salford CC. Give them all a smile and a thank for giving up their time standing about on what looks set to be a dry but chilly day.
We have different caterers this time. Sorry but there’s no savoury food so bring some butties. There is, however, some lovely tea, coffee and cakes.
The Commissaire team is again led by Len Woffindin who, along with Christine has been invaluable to pre-event timing system and number pack stuff, so BIG thanks for helping the races to run smoothly and safely, and helping Mark Royle and Craig Sneddon get results and timing.
Information for riders
Full information including a start list is here.
Summary:
- PARKING AT ANY OTHER PLACE THAN THE CAR PARK INDICATED BELOW WILL JEOPARDISE FUTURE EVENTS HERE
- Please bring 8 pins. We spent an age getting pins into groups of 8 last time, and it’d really help us. If you forget them, we have a plan, but it will involve a lot of sanitising and a lot of faff for you. Your pins are much better.
- Online entry only. No entry on the day accepted at all
- There are no pits, and no jet washers or air compressors are permitted on site, and no outside assistance by parents or guardians for any riders, including our younger riders.
- There is to be no bike, shoe or rider cleaning whatsoever in the event car parks. Bucket and brush can be used to clean your equipment on the parkland grass area, but we must keep the car parks free from mud, to allow us to use this venue in the future.
- Full compliance with the latest social distancing measures are an absolute requirement. Riders or their parents / guardians who are in violation of this will be prevented from entering further events
- There will be no spectators, and riders watching other events must only be there for safeguarding purposes, such as parents or guardians. You will be expected to turn up no more than 1 hour before your event and leave within 30 minutes of its finish unless you are with a family member from your household who is riding in a different event to yours.
Timetable of events
Riders should be at the start / gridding area between 10 and 5 minutes before their event
Start time | Event | Duration (minutes) |
09:50 | Course familiarisation – Youth U16 and U14 | 15 |
10:15 | Youth U16 and U14 | 30 |
11:05 | U8 | 10 |
11:30 | U12 | 15 |
11:31 | U10 | 15 |
11:50 | Course familiarisation – V50 and Women | 15 |
12:15 | Veteran 50+ men | 40 |
12:16 | Senior, Junior, U23 and Veteran Women | 40 |
13:05 | Course familiarisation – V40-49 Men | 15 |
13:30 | V40-49 men | 40 |
14:20 | Course familiarisation -Senior, Junior, U23 and Veteran men | 15 |
14:45 | Senior, Junior, U23 and Veteran men | 50 |
Practice on the course
- Competitors must not ride on the course at all apart from on the event date.
- There are very limited opportunities for course familiarisation, because the event is taking place with several races in one single day, with limited daylight.
- Riders on the course outside of the times shown above will be subject to immediate disqualification from their event. For the purpose of clarity:
- Riders must NOT BE at any time that a competitor is still racing in an event, as the timetable may have ‘slipped’.
- Course sighting –
Must be ridden as a solo rider, and strictly observing the prevailing social distancing guidelines with other riders practicing
Must be continuous, and keeping a forward motion (i.e. not turning back to ‘session’ parts of the course).
Start, Finish and gridding area
- Riders should prepare in the grid not earlier than 10 minutes before their race start.
- They must observe social distancing guidelines when entering the gridding area before their race
- IMPORTANT! You should bring your own NWCCA ankle timing chip if you own one.
- There should be no congregating after the race and riders should proceed through the taped off exit area after racing – leaving timing chips (if they do not own their NWCCA timing chip) in the bucket provided
- The grid will be 10 riders wide and the rider numbers will be used to grid them. The grid boxes will NOT be marked with numbers, and riders will be called to the grid BY THEIR NUMBER in blocks (i.e. rows) of ten.
- They can choose their place on the row in priority number order. This is to prevent ‘gaps’ in the grid for any riders not turning up.
- At the race finish, or upon the withdrawal of a competitor, exit must be made through the taped area, and timing chips must be placed in the bucket provided, unless the competitor owns their NWCCA chip
No congregation of riders is permitted either before or after the race
Traffic and parking
NOTE that this is a change from the previous events in 2020
The bridge has been deemed unsafe for vehicles.
Please allow time and drive on the narrow road with consideration and courtesy
PARKING AT ANY OTHER PLACE THAN THE CAR PARK INDICATED BELOW WILL JEOPARDISE FUTURE EVENTS HERE
Entry is from the Elslack (Barnoldswick) road only, and to exit, vehicles must follow signs.
Marshals will help attendees with parking. Vehicles should be parked at least 2 metres apart to facilitate safe social distancing.