In a British bike racing landscape that is often challenging for the clubs, organisers and associations that are trying to ensure competitive events thrive rather than dwindle, tales of woe are as common as success stories.
In the UK whole regions have fallen out of favour when it comes to promoting top-level road races, while the country’s fastest time trial courses are being picked off one by one by new road developments that mean they’re no longer raceable. A lack of marshals, volunteers, youngsters… they’re all issues that many bike racing organisers and administrators lose sleep over.
“Richard basically did everything,” says new N&DCA chair Noel Toone. “He was the treasurer. He managed the coordinating, all the events that the clubs organised…”
Determined to build on everything Daniells had done, Toone and his new committee introduced innovative ways of inspiring people to race more and to bring together those most disparate of factions – the new time triallist wanting to use their road bike to race on quiet roads, and the old hands with their fully-loaded TT machine whose bread and butter is the dual carriageway.
That said Toone himself has first-hand experience of some of road bike time trialling’s teething issues – he was the organiser of the National Championships in 2024 that saw complaints made against the set-up of Midlands rider George Fox, who was only crowned the winner after seven weeks of investigations and an appearance in front of a CTT panel.
Marshal Lawrence York oversees an N&DCA time trial event
(Image credit: Northampton & District CA)
Other initiatives put in place in recent years include online racing on Training Peaks, which is being extended from just winter to winter and spring, with groups according to ability levels and separate results for all. Part of this particular plan is to encourage and enable younger riders from N&DCA’s own ‘Cyclones’ group and beyond to discover bike racing.
But there is one issue with which organisers from time trialling and road racing alike continue to struggle with – volunteers.
“It’s the only thing that causes any sort of stress for an organiser,” Toone says. “As far as I’m concerned, when I’m organising, the village hall, not a problem; road conditions, checks, risk assessments, they can be done. But if I don’t have enough marshals or my timekeeper’s pulled out… that’s the thing that causes the stress.”
Toone wholeheartedly recommends the Spindata handicap prize system to other clubs and DAs out there who might be struggling, as well as season-long road competitions to keep things accessible and people engaged. It has worked for N&DCA, and anyone in need of a bit of help and advice could certainly do worse than giving them a call.
