On the site this week, there are reports, results and photos from the National Under 23 and Junior championships from the weekend. There’s also a thought-provoking piece on tackling doping from the GB Team Performance Director Dave Brailsford – check out the news section for details. The site also has its usual news and updates from the domestic scene in the UK and don’t forget that you can post a free classified advert on the site – simply look for the classified ad button on the homepage to find out more. Go There >>>

Bank Holiday Monday 30th August has limited racing opportunities for BC Road Racing members, with four events on the calendar in the UK, and two of those being circuit races. Members who want to use the day to spend with family or friends, but also want a challenging ride, could do both at the ManchesTour, a mass participation ride promoted by British Cycling, and based at Sportcity in Manchester. There are different ride options, a 110kms Endurance ride, an 80kms Sport ride and a 50kms Fun ride. The rides all head out east to the Pennines and High Peaks. There is also the "Tour of Sportcity" ride for families and youngsters within the Sportcity complex, with a 4kms Traffic free circuit that encircles Manchester City Football Stadium, the National Squash Centre and the Regional Tennis Centre. Transponders will be issued to all ManchesTour participants, on the day, and finish times will appear as riders cross the line at Sportcity.

The ManchesTour celebrates the return of the Tour of Britain, and the start of this World ranked 5 day race in Manchester, the home of British Cycling. Within 4 kms of the start of the ManchesTour, participants are in the countryside and from then on it’s a challenging and exciting ride through the Pennines, with the Endurance option taking in the legendary climb of Holme Moss, the same climb the Tour riders will face on the 2nd stage from Leeds to Sheffield. National Escort Group Motorcycle Marshals will continually monitor progress of the riders, so that help is never far away. Meanwhile, WGT Sport, British Cycling’s Hotel partner, have preferential hotel rates for ride participants and families, who can then stay on for Tour of Britain Stage 1 on Wednesday 1st September, which starts and finishes in Manchester. Bike storage is available at the nominated hotels – Jury’s Inn and Premier Lodge GMEX 2 in the centre of Manchester and at the Bower Hotel in Chadderton.

Entry for the rides can be made online – simply visit the http://www.britishcycling.org.uk news pages (link is bottom left on site homepage). Participants can enter over the phone, paying by credit or debit card on 0161 274 2010 or request for a entry form to be sent by post.

The ToB website is now up and running with content added every day. Go There>>>

With less than 20 days to go until the 2004 Athens Olympics, British Cycling is planning to help young riders enjoy the excitement of the Olympics. Following the success at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, British Cycling was inundated with telephone calls and emails from national and local press trying to find out what British Cycling was doing to encourage more people to get involved in cycling and from members of the public wanting to know where they could find details of their local club.

We are expecting a similar level of increased interest in the two weeks immediately following the Olympics and it is important that we are prepared to handle it and, most importantly, that our Go-Ride clubs are receptive at a local level. During the Olympics, GB Team representatives in Athens, including Peter Keen; Dave Brailsford and Chris Boardman, will be promoting the Go-Ride programme and encouraging children and young people who have been inspired by the performances of GB team’s cycling stars to take a step into the world of cycling by getting in touch with British Cycling for details of their nearest Go-Ride Club.

British Cycling would like to hear from any Go-Ride club who would like to assist in delivery of a Go-Ride Post Olympic Programme. This will take place on the weekend of the 4th and 5th September and will be based around the Olympic style discipline activities in the Go-Ride Coaching Workbooks. This will be a great opportunity to promote your the club, recruit volunteers, increase membership and maybe even raise some money for your club or a local charity.

Registered Go-Ride clubs taking part in the Go-Ride Post Olympic Programme on 4th and 5th September will receive:

3) free clothing for Go-Ride Volunteers to recognise and reward those who take part on the front line and behind the scenes.

If your club is interested in taking part in the delivery of fun, structured activities for children and young people and would like to get involved in the Go-Ride Post Olympic Programme, British Cycling would urge you to contact your Regional Coaching and Club Development Officer for further details.

Regional Coaching and Club Development Officers

After an absence of five years, the Tour returns this year and will run from 1st to 5th September – and British Cycling plans to run a programme of Go-Ride activities at each stage. Children from each region will take part in a specially developed Go-Ride activity based on or close to the finish straight. The Go-Ride activities will be an exciting opportunity for local children to visit an elite road-racing event and get a taste British Cycling’s activities, within the thrilling environment of a major stage-race finish.

A team comprised of British Cycling Regional Coaching and Club Development Officers and coaches from local clubs will run the events, which will take place shortly before the Tour of Britain riders arrive at the finish, with the exception of Westminster, where the activities will take place before the stage starts. There will be prizes for the best performances and goody bags for all the children taking part. The children involved will be drawn from the local network of schools and cycling clubs. Where space permits, British Cycling will be offering further opportunities for members of the public to take part in Go-Ride activities. This is an exciting opportunity for British Cycling, in partnership with local clubs, to showcase Go-Ride to a massive audience of cyclists and non-cyclists alike. The whole event takes place just weeks after the Olympics and follows on from our highly successful Go-Ride Primary School Club Links Programme.

For further details please contact your Regional Coaching and Club Development Officer (see list above).

There will be a chance to take part in Stage 1 Talent Team testing at Milton Keynes Wednesday 11th August between 6:30 and 8:00. The venue is the MK Bowl. Although the session will be run by Team Keyne, everyone is welcome. Please call keith Jones for further details on 01908 561568 Go There >>>

On Friday August 13th, 7 - 10pm, Andrea Ingram [Track Development Officer] will be running a Derny drivers training course at Manchester Velodrome. The course will cost £15 per derny driver with a maximum of 8 drivers. If you would like to attend please contact Andrea ASAP on mailto:tdo@manchestervelodrome.com or tel. 0161 223 2244

If you are a Manchester resident or a member of a Manchester based club you maybe able to reclaim the cost of this course, please contact Paul Evans [Manchester Cycling Development Manager] on mailto:p.evans1@notes.manchester.gov.uk or tel. 0161 232 3125 for more information. Go There >>>

Ringwood Park, Staveley, near Chesterfield are holding round 5 of the Midland Regional BMX Series this Sunday. Riders have to be there to register before Midday as racing will start at 12.30. The same venue will host round 2 of the No Clips Series on Saturday the 7th of August followed by national number 5 on Sunday the 8th. Expect our new World Champions, Shaun Calvert and Shanaze Reade to be proudly displaying the distinctive W1 number plates. For further information on Chesterfield BMX Club Click Here >>> , or alternatively contact Bev Holdsworth on 01246 477613.

A choice of 40km or 56km rides in the glorious Somerset countryside. For further information, call Stephen Crossman on 01984 640236

The event will officially kick off on the 31st July 2004 at 12 noon with the opening of the event registration. At around 6 o’clock the pasta party will get started and at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning (1st August 2004) the first round of the Merida 100 will be started. Signing on will be open on the Saturday from 12pm until 8pm and will open again on Sunday morning from 7am till 8.30am. If you are not staying at Selkirk please make sure that you get to the event village / start and finish with plenty of time to register and to get yourself ready. The event village / start and finish will be signposted from Friday afternoon onwards. For further information, contact John Lloyd on 01982 552923.

This annual event consists of guided social rides over 4 days. For further information on events in the smallest town in the UK, call Gordon Green on 01591 610270.

It's round 5 of the Dragon Cross Country series this Sunday. The location is Llandegla in North Wales and entries are available on the day. For further event information, Click Here >>> or contact race organiser Chris Marshall by Email: mailto:cchsm.nwmba@virgin.net

Round 4 of the Kenda Midland XC Series takes place at Catton Park on Sunday. Entry is on the morning of the race for full race information Click Here >>> Organiser Alan Verney can be contacted on 07941 140 199 or mailto:alan.verney@virgin.net= 0

It's the final round of the Premier Mountain bike Series next weekend. Entries are still available for Saturday's NPS XC and Sunday's Trek 6-4-2 Endurance series. There's prizes in all categories and a fantastic course at Margam which will involve a longer route for Sunday's Enduro. For further event information, Click Here >>> or contact the series organiser Martyn Salt on: 01752 257484 or Email: mailto:martynsalt@aol.com

The Midland Championship and also round 6 of the Midland Super Series will take place on Sunday 1st August at Eastridge near Shrewsbury. This is a familiar venue, as it has hosted numerous National Points Series rounds, the National Championships in 1999 and the Midland Championships in 2002.

There is an Uplift day on Saturday 31st July and camping in the main field ready for the race on Sunday. There will be podiums for both race winners and Midlands Champions. Don't forget this will be Double points for both Midland Series and BC points. For further information on Midland Super series events, Click Here >>> or call event promoter Gary Brain on 01743 367172. Email: mailto:garybrain@btinternet.com

It's the first English Downhill Championships next weekend. The event will have UCI E2 status for those interested in improving their world ranking or securing a place in the World Cup. Garway's a great venue on the England Wales border and is easily accessible from Monmouth, so should prove popular. There's the added bonus of round 7 of the English Points Series on Saturday. Here's the format:

WCRA ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS (INCORPORATING BC NATIONAL JUNIOR WOMEN'S & ESPOIRS WOMENS RR CHAMPIONSHIPS)

Promoter Andy Verrall is still keen to encourage entries for the above event which is due to take place around Beaulieu in the New Forest, Hampshire on Sunday 12th September. Advance entry fee is £11 ( No EOL for Championship Riders.)Entries close 14th August. Andy's Address is 9 Alton Grove, Porchester PO16 9NG. Tel 07967 966719

STAN ROBINSON MEMORIAL ROAD RACE

Entries are still open for this E.1.2.3.4 Cat RR to be held on 15th August (Original date was 11th July) around Stokesley, Cleveland. Contact Chris Dixon on 01642 321720 if you want a ride.

ADDITIONAL EVENTS AT HILLINGDON

7th & 14th August, Kenton RC for 4th Cats & Novices. Entry on line only. 1400 Hours Start Time

These events are now to be run on Sunday 5th September. Not 19th as listed in the Calendar Magazine. Entries now close 15th August. All other details as per Magazine entry of the 19th.

Please email all news and press releases to the newsletter editor Phil Ingham pressoffice@britishcycling.org.uk.

For all membership, result, ranking, insurance and event enquires please email the membership services team membership@britishcycling.org.uk.

To submit a classified advert please email Claire Rollinson classifieds@britishcycling.org.uk.

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Membership Services Phone 0161 274 2010 Fax 0161 274 2019

BRITISHCYCLING.ORG.UK

Regional Coaching and Club Development Officers

STAN ROBINSON MEMORIAL ROAD RACE

ADDITIONAL EVENTS AT HILLINGDON