2013 #XCM Series

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DoubleD

Likes Dirt
Yes and no, we're talking about the National Series here, by definition we're looking at the pointy end. Top 20 to 50 in each category.

Running a good national championships is about the most important thing a national sporting organisation HAS to do.

There needs to be a reevaluation of the whole competitive scene, taking into account national, state, club and private interests and capabilities with the intention of developing a holistic, sensible calendar of events. Personally I'd like to see an approach that links numerous events in points based series. I'd like to see events across the year planned to support a natural buildup to the national level events around the new year. I'd like to see lots of 2 and 3 hour events over the 6 months after the nationals and then both shorter and longer events to support riders trying to riders to target xco, xcm or 12/24 hour events.

It might be a Pipedream to think our sport could manage itself in a coordinated fashion but that is why we pay these people: to develop a vision and use leadership to implement it.

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akashra

akashra

Eats Squid
It's not unreasonable, Dave, to think a logical approach to the calendar would be that you have something like club racing from Autunm through Winter, State racing from Spring to Summer, and National level racing in Summer to Autumn, which then flows in to the International (World Cup) and European calendar (as the UCI love to be so centric). This would be a logical progression for development of riders.

It does pose the issue of National races falling within the fire season. It's no secret that I find the idea of racing in the Adelaide Hills in the peak of a fire season a scary as hell concept, which makes about as much sense as it would to suggest hosting a race in the Dandenong Ranges, Kinglake area, Yarra Ranges, Alpine National Park... waaait a minute ;(

The organisers have decided something has to give in terms of scheduling, so as a result each year we get stuck with a National Series that runs in some of the most dangerous fire-safety conditions we have in Australia. Moving from this period would be unpopular for the 20 to 50 or so riders, as you say, which it affects.

I can only see it as fortunate that the XCM series is later, but question why it's compacted in to such a short period given the mass-participation target market.
 
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DoubleD

Likes Dirt
akashra said:
I can only see it as fortunate that the XCM series is later, but question why it's compacted in to such a short period given the mass-participation target market.
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I agree with most of that although I don't think the the XCM series is neccessarily more inately mass-participation than XCO, or 2 - 3 hour races. I just think that's where the best organised events are at the moment.

The timing of events is part of presenting a unified and professional front to the sport, and offering a sensible calendar of events to members with minimum clashes and maximum synergy.

The XCM series does point the way to how things should be improved by leveraging existing events such as the Wombat 100. Rather than set up these stand-alone series the MTBA should be encouraging supporting and ratifying the club and promoter scene that currently exists and is successfully running some great events.

Just thinking out aloud, events like the Yowie and some other GMBC events could be easily selected and brought under a series umbrella, you could tweak one stage of the Forest Festival to provide a leg of the State XCO or XCE series. Other races could be modified to fit in, benefiting the clubs, promoters and giving us a strong unified offering to competitors. All it needs is an overall vision that all parties can see the benefit of, and a willingness to get people together to thrash out a new approach.

Unfortunately I have zero visibility of the governance of our whole sport, so I have no idea how or if this could be achieved.
 
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spudatm

Likes Bikes and Dirt
[QUOTE

The MTB community need to prove to MTBA and to CA that National series events do not have to be a money sink with huge negative returns and the best way to that is to support the events.
y...[/QUOTE]

You can not be serious why on earth would the Mtba membership support any initiative from mtba until they can show that they are worth supporting. We show our support with our feet. Events and clubs that are well run get our support and those that aren't don't. I have come to begrudge my having to pay for a mtba membership to race with my local club. I pay over 100 dollars every year knowing that my club will see next to zero benefit from that money.Surely I should have the option of paying the money directly to my club and letting my health insurance cover me in case of an accident.
 
S

Smitsone

Likes Bikes
Does anyone know if the XCM race for 30th March in NSW is still going ahead, and if so where it might be held ?

cheers
 
R

Rookie

Likes Dirt
How do I enter the Real Insurance XCM series? I just keep getting referred to the MTBA Nationals website with one page about it. Is it me or does this seem alittle poorly organised. I have never had problems figuring out how to enter a race before.
 
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