Cycle racing has never had a higher profile in the UK than it does today. The Tour de France, the Olympics, Bradley Wiggins, Lizzie Armitstead, Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome; names that come easily to many British people who probably never gave cycle sport a second thought only a couple of years ago.
The elite continental races take place on closed roads, but what about the stars of the future, working their way up through the regional and national racing scene? It’s vital that these riders have the chance to gain experience in racing on the road. Organising a cycle race on public roads is a big undertaking and of course the safety of racers, spectators and all other road users is absolutely paramount.
To help make racing safer for everyone, British Cycling has launched the Accredited Race Marshal scheme, in conjunction with the Department for Transport. Anyone who has attended a cycle race in the UK will probably be familiar with the sight of club volunteer marshals at junctions, equipped with red flags and politely asking motorists to cooperate in keeping the junction clear for the minute or so required for the race to pass through safely.
The scheme introduces a new, mandatory sign, which road users must obey. The design is very similar to the familiar school crossing patrol “lollipop”, with the silhouetted pair of kids replaced by a bicycle symbol. The sign can only be used at authorised events and at agreed marshalling points, and can only be operated by an accredited, trained marshal. The north-west is the first area in which the scheme has been implemented, and I’m proud to say that I was one of the marshals at the first event to be operated under the system, the Cheshire Classic at Weaverham on Sunday 28th April.
After having completed an hour of online training and a 3 hour course at the National Cycling Centre, it was an excited, if nervous, group that assembled at Event HQ on the morning of the race, to be handed our hi-viz jackets, race radios, and the all important signs. The Cheshire Classic is a women’s race with entrants from juniors right through to elite riders taking part. I had to make sure I focussed on the marshals briefing without being distracted by the high-end carbon bikes, brightly coloured team kits, and the odd familiar face from TV and magazine racing coverage.
I’m not going to claim that marshalling a junction offers the best way to spectate on a race circuit. However, having race radio constantly in my ear, with location, time checks and reports on any incidents, was a great way to keep track of events, and I did get to see the riders stream past every 11-12 minutes for a couple of hours. The weather was kind, with the showers somehow avoiding the circuit until after the event, and the sun putting in the occasional appearance for good measure. Part of the training had involved conflict resolution, but I found the reaction from road users to be nothing but positive.
Quite a few spectators were out and about on bikes, riding the circuit in the opposite direction to the race. This included a certain titled lady showing off Britain’s most talked about “bump” whilst mingling. I appreciate that some people who read different papers and magazines to me may be thinking about a “royal” bump here, but I’m sure most readers of this publication will know that I am of course referring to the lovely Dame Sarah Storey.
You can find more information about the Accredited Marshal scheme on the BC website, including how to get involved here: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/raceeducation/article/rac20130313-race-education-Support-cycling-in-your-community—volunteer-as-a-British-Cycling-Accredited-Marshal-0. I believe they are recruiting right now for marshals for the Central region, with the scheme being rolled out across the rest of the country during the 2013 season.
Cheshire Classic Race Report from BC, includes link to set of photos on Flickr: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roa20130428–Road–Boddy-wins-Cheshire-Classic-0
Tarren Cycles 