Page 5 - Issue 63_FINAL WEB normal_Neat

For open events, the number of rides this year is very similar to 5 years ago (about
60,500) but rose temporarily to nearly 68,000 in 2016. The more noticeable change is in
club events where the number of rides has fallen quite sharply from a peak of over
122,000 in 2015 to just over 90,000 this year. An obvious question however is “Are there
less riders competing, or are riders competing less?” Spindata made a contribution to
the discussion and were able to provide numbers of both rides and riders for the last 3
years. These were also taken from the CTT website
but did not include DNS or DNF, hill climbs, TTTs and Year No of No of Average Rides
trikes/tandems so the total rides shown in open events Riders Rides per Rider
is lower. These figures show a decline in both rides 2019 8411 37229 4.42
and riders although the average number of rides per 2018 9046 40580 4.49
rider is little different.
2017 9830 45507 4.63
There were various suggestions as to how to explain
these figures and their implications. One suggestion is that riders are being drawn to
other aspects of the sport - sportives, mountain biking, triathlon, gravel bikes, and Zwift
and other turbo-based riding. A different perspective is that some time triallists are being
more selective about what events they ride in order to fit racing into a more structured
training plan. As usual, statistics can raise more questions than they answer, while
anecdotal answers may lack adequate evidence.
We know our VTTA membership numbers have remained stable for the last 3 years at
between 2700 and 2800 and have risen from 2500 in 2013. But it would be interesting to
have statistics for VTTA members in events. Unfortunately, the ‘VTTA details’ which can
be held on the CTT site are not proving wholly reliable as they depend on our members
updating them when they join or leave. This is why we are asking members who join or
renew online if we can confirm they are VTTA members with the CTT so the accuracy
can be improved.
The above statistics do however present us with a challenge as to how the VTTA can
help encourage growth in the sport. In 2020 I hope the NEC and the groups can give
some thought as to how we can better market our Association and the benefits of its
membership, events and competitions.
Andrew Simpkins

NATIONAL SECRETARY’S PIECE
As we reach the end of another year of racing and swap our prized race bikes for
mudguarded, single-speed steel winter hacks (or, in my case, take the soft option of
turbo-ing and logging into Zwift), we start to contemplate on the year that has been.
For me, I am continuing to relish seeing the “charge of the women”. A few years ago, we
were debating whether a drastic change was needed to women’s standards as it was so
rare to see a woman on a VTTA podium. However, after Jackie Field’s historic win in the
VTTA BAR championship in 2018, we have continued to witness outstanding female
rides this year: Christina Murray’s 478.42 miles in the 24 hour championship equated to a
plus of 162.62 miles and placed her at the top of the overall podium. In the highly
competitive 50 mile event, Karen Ledger’s plus of 33:00 saw her edge out the hugely
talented male rider Andy Jackson to win on overall standard. With Angela Carpenter
finishing in second place on overall standard in the early season 10 mile championship, it
certainly offers confirmation that we are finally getting the standards right. Female fields
are growing which is fuelling this increase in standard – and you can’t fail to notice that
the aero arms race is being fought out just as fiercely in female fields as it is for the men.

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