Masters women need you!

An open letter from Fran - Women's Masters 8

Women's Cycling needs You to help make the 2008 UCI World Track Cycling Masters Championships a World class event.

It will be held from the 14th to the 19th of October at the Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney.
While womens cycling in Australia is growing at an elite level so is Masters (over 30). What we we need to is to get all ladies who have a Cycling Australia licence who compete in road masters, games,cyclo-sportif, triathlon, etc. to come to the World Track Cycling Championsips in Sydney in October.

You may laugh and think "I've never ridden on a track" or "I'd be too scared to do that".
Well don't be, not all events are bunch events. Two events are individual, the 500metre Time trial (2 laps of the track) and the Individual Pursuit (8 laps of the track) with one person starting on either side.

Next you may say "Well I've never ridden on a track (which are mostly 250 metres around – some outdoor tracks are larger and not so banked). In most states in Australia we have wooden indoor tracks, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide,Tasmania and Queensland.

Most of these tracks should have coaching sessions for our masters age group to to "Have a try" where you can hire a bike for that session at a very nominal cost. Here in Perth for instance we have track at Midland where there are several people who coach "womens only" groups and another on a Tuesday where you can be coached on at a beginners introductory level. I'm sure all other states have similar sessions. Ring your local Cycling Federation office to find out more.
Believe me this is an exhilarating experience, and not to be feared if you are given the right coaching.

Now back to the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Track Cycling Masters World Championships in Sydney in October. This is a very prestigious event, that we are lucky enough to be able to hold it in Australia for 3years in 2007, 2008 & 2009.

We will be unlikely to see it being held again in Australia for a long time. We have a small population base, and competitor numbers would be higher if held else where, so we need to capitalise on this unique opportunity.

In the 2007 Womens events, competitor numbers were below the UCI regulation numbers for a lot of the events, which meant combining of age groups which was not ideal.

This year we would like every Masters Woman Cycling Australia licence holder to PLEASE consider coming to to this event to make it world class event it is, but with increased womens numbers.

SOME FACTS:
1. The event is run under UCI regulation and rules.
2. As a Master who wins an event you receive a blue "Rainbow jersey", a UCI gold medal, and are able to wear the rainbow colours on all your cycling jerseys for the rest of your life. These are the most prestigious Masters track events in the world.
3. Age groups are in 5yrs. 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+, providing there are the required numbers for each event. (6 for individual events, and 12 for scratch and points race).

EVENTS:
• 500metre Time Trial. (2 laps of the track from a standing start out of a gate. Electronically timed)
• 2000metre Individual Pursuit (for most age groups) 8 laps of the track from a standing start out of the gates. Again electronically timed.
• Scratch Race – Distances depends on age- Mostly 5 & 10km ( 20 or 40 laps)
• Points Race- Distances again depend on age. Sprint every 10 laps to gain points. Most points wins.
• Sprint - A 200metre individual flying lap to qualify for ride offs. Series of ride off qualifiers, till the fastest two ride off for the gold and silver medal. Third and 4th ride off for bronze.

In 2007 we had some spectacular performances among our women competitors, even though we didn't have a huge amount women riders. We had women up to the age of 69, and are hoping for the 60+ women to come out of the woodwork.

Saying all this most of us were there to purely to compete because we love it. Most like myself are not spectacular, but are doing it, and we all started somewhere, so contact your local Cycling Federation office in your state and give it a go and see what a buzz it is, and please come to the 2008 Track Cycling Masters World Championships.

Lastly in 2009 we also have the World Masters 'Games' which is held in a different country every 4yrs. If you haven't heard of them it is a multi sport event (30 different sports) which will attract 25 to 30,000 people to Sydney in October 2009. Cycling will be one of the events both road and Track, and it is being held the 2 weeks before the UCI 2009 Track Masters, so you may consider both of the events. So get started this on the track this year.

Come on Masters Women We Need You!. Please become involved in Cycling Australia events. Consider going to the Australian Road and Track Championships in Sydney in April, which will prepare you for the "World Tracks" in October.
HAPPY CYCLING
Fran Watson
Womens Masters 8

This is an open letter that I have asked the Australian Cycling Federation to send to all Masters Licence holders. It is not an official Australian Cycling Federation document.