The season really feels to be getting underway and there’s lots of late winter Road action on the Britishcycling.org.uk website this week, including a report from the Eddie Soens race. However, it’s the Cycle Speedway riders who take centre stage once again, with more good results for our riders down under at the World Cup, following their Ashes win last week. Links to both the Cycle Speedway and Eddie Soens are below.

Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out the Classified Ads section, where there are plenty of bargains as usual – this is a free service. Simply visit the Classified Ads page of the website and follow the simple instructions for this service, which is exclusive to members.

Just a gentle reminder to all those of you renewing or about to renew your membership and licence over the next couple of months. Please, please allow 14 days for the processing and the return of your licence. It is not standard procedure to fax or email licences through, and applying for your licence a couple of days before your first race does not give us sufficient time to turn around your application. We do everything we can to issue licences quickly and efficiently so please help us, to help you, by applying nice and early before your first race. To download an application form GO THERE>>>

This week sees the launch of the new Level 1 Coaching Course following a successful piloting period. This entry-level course is aimed at people that have little experience of coaching or cycling, such as parents, scout/guide leaders and teaching assistants. The Level 1 course will be an important component of the Coach Education programme. At every cycling event or coaching session there are parents and spectators looking to get more involved in cycling: this is a coaching qualification specifically for them. The qualification is also aimed at people outside the immediate cycling community who wish to deliver cycle coaching. For more information on any of the British Cycling Coaching and Education courses visit www.britishcycling.org.uk or contact Coaching and Education on 0161 274 2060 or coaching@britishcycling.org.uk

Another new coaching course, the Activity Coach Award For Teachers, has been a big success. In the five months since the course was launched, 103 teachers have attended the course.

An extra Club Coach Course is to be held in Manchester on the 4th June, 2nd July and 3rd July 2005. The Club Coach Course was first launched in 2000 and since then more than 850 coaches have attended the course. Club Coaches have gone on to work with riders at all levels, from those learning to ride a bike to those achieving Olympic success. Demand for the course has been consistently high during 2005 with three of the four planned courses oversubscribed. This additional course provides an extra opportunity for people to attend the Club Coach Course during its final series. From 2006, the Level 2 Coaching Award (Activity Coach) will replace the Club Coach Course as the entry-level award. For more information on any of the British Cycling Coaching and Education courses visit www.britishcycling.org.uk or contact Coaching and Education on 0161 274 2060 or coaching@britishcycling.org.uk.

The second of a series of three Go-Ride Conferences was held in Somerset last weekend. Over 30 representatives from Go-Ride school and community clubs, from as far a-field as Bournemouth and the Midlands, made the journey to The Exchange Conference Centre in Bridgwater to enjoy a day of interesting and informative workshops on a variety of club development issues. The day also provided the perfect opportunity for clubs from around the region to meet each other and share best practice. The conference was part of a series of three events, with the final one taking place next Saturday, 12th March in London. For more information about the series of conferences, please contact British Cycling’s Coaching and Club Development Department on 0161 274 2070. For a full report from Saturday’s conference visit – GO THERE>>>

Hayes BMX Club has received a grant for £1,402 from Capital Radio’s Help a London Child. The grant will assist the Club in taking its young members to compete in BMX events around the country with Mini Bus transport provided by Hillingdon Community Transport. The grant will also help the young riders with race fees for these events. The Club also meets on Saturdays till Easter from 11-2.00pm for coaching. After Easter it will be every Thursday Night from 6.00pm. For more Information on th club and its activities, go to www.hawksbmx.co.uk or call Scott Dick on 07944557689

British cycling’s calendars are now all on-line – we’ve got over 20 different calendars on the website, all receiving almost daily updates and additions. So, if you’re wanting to keep in touch with where and when to race, make sure you pay regular visits to this section of the website. Simply click on the Race Calendar button on the britishcycling.org.uk website homepage to get a full menu of options.

Race organizers, please can you let us know about any event updates as soon as possible, so that we can spread the news. Send you road and Track Calendar updates to paulwest@britishcycling.org.uk or call Paul on 0161 274 2021. Mountain Bike or BMX updates go to Roger Wilbraham at mtb@britishcycling.org.uk whilst Cyclo-Cross and Cycle Speedway updates go to brian.furness@britishcycling.org.uk

Every season we publish a detailed list of Road and Track Calendar updates – these are changes to the calendar as published in the Racing Calendar magazine. They are all published in this newsletter and added to special “Calendar Updates” sections of the online Calendar. Simply go to the www.britishcycling.org.uk website and hit the “Race Calendar” button for the full calendar index page, which includes links to the Calendar Updates pages.

Entries are still being sought for the Team Darenth 40+ BC National Road Series and London 2012 Women’s BC National Road Series events to be run at Eastway on Sunday 27th March. Last opportunity to enter is this weekend so potential riders need to ring promoter Michael Humphreys on 0208 850 9322 to be sure to get a ride.

There still exists a rare chance to enter the Tour of the Borders over the Easter weekend. The event normally has enough riders to fill the field twice over by this stage but the fact that Easter is 2 weeks earlier this year seems to have deterred more than one or two of the regulars. The event consists of four stages and total race distance is 275 miles. Entry costs £45 and either single riders or teams will be accepted. Contact Maureen Bain on 01661 886 247.

The second Ceredigion Tour of the Mining Valleys still has some places available, and postal entries will be accepted by the organiser until this coming Saturday. The Mining Valleys race is based on a sporting course just outside Aberystwyth and takes place at 12pm on Easter Sunday. Categories accepted are 3/4/J/W/V and entries will also be accepted on the line, although with a maximum field of only 60 permitted on the rural course, it is advised to enter in advance as riders were turned away in the 2004 edition. Riders interested should send entries to organiser Shelley Childs, 23 Third Avenue, Penparcau, Aberystwyth. SY23 1RF or email - shelley@cambriantyres.co.uk

E/1/2/3/4/J/W 51km 1930 (£10·00) EOL Only Robert Lyne, 25 Stanley Mead, Bradley Stoke, BRISTOL BS32 OEF

Revised Fees are now £50 for Seniors & £30 for Juniors for the whole 7 Event Series or £15 per event on the line.

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.

If you wish to unsubscribe from this service please email newsletter@britishcycling.org.uk with UNSUBSCRIBE and your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER in the title.

Membership Services Phone 0161 274 2010 Fax 0161 274 2019

In this issue:

· MEMBERSHIP AND LICENCE APPLICATIONS

· BRITISH CYCLING LAUNCHES LEVEL 1 COACHING COURSE

· TEACHERS’ AWARD TOPS THE TON

· EXTRA BRITISH CYCLING CLUB COACH COURSE IN MANCHESTER

· GO-RIDE CONFERENCE SOMERSET

· HAYES BMX CLUB HELPING CHILDREN

· RACING CALENDAR ONLINE

· EVENT UPDATES

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