Ladies, thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter.
Some of you may be getting this letter a second time. If so, I apologize for the inconvenience.
The emails sent yesterday from execdir@coloradocycling.org email bounced about 90 addresses, and we want to be sure that you all see this announcement. Thanks and see you at the races!
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July 30, 2013
Dear BRAC Members who race in the SW 35+,
I hope you have all had a great road season and are looking forward to the upcoming cyclo-cross season. We are very excited for the next six months, and one of the biggest reasons is the recent growth in our women's racing categories. This year we have seen events in which the SW 4 is in the top three largest fields of the day! This simple statement is really amazing, and testament to the hard work from our Board of Directors, the leadership in our women's cycling clubs, and you - the racer.
As a result of this growth, we are creating a SW 3 category for the 2013 Colorado Cross Cup. This is a very exciting time for women's cycling, and we are proud to provide this category in our effort to build a better structure for the continued development of women's racing.
As you know, our cross race days are very full, with racing from just after dawn until just before sunset. We do not have the ability to add race starts to our days - there is simply not enough time. In order to create this SW 3 category, we are eliminating SW 35+ from the Colorado Cross Cup. This decision was not made lightly, and was undertaken with input from the 2012 BRAC Women's Summit, racer surveys, and race participation data from the last two years. This new structure best supports the growing SW 4 and SW 3 fields, and provides a positive race experience for all our cross racing women.
The three cross categories for women are:
·SW Open
·SW 3
·SW 4
SW 3 will start one minute behind the SW Open, and race on the same course, with the same conditions, as the elite female athletes. SW 3 will be scored separately, with their own prize list and Cup points competition. SW 4 will share the course with junior women (as in 2012) and also have their own prize list and Cup points competition.
You are receiving this letter because you are directly affected by this change in categories. Your choices for 2013 cross racing will be determined solely by your racing category. If you currently hold a Category 1 or 2 license, but feel that racing SW Open is not the best category for your racing, you have the one-time option of requesting a downgrade to Category 3 prior to the start of the 2013 cross season.
This request must be made via email to Yvonne van Gent, BRAC's Membership Manager no later than August 23, 2013. Her email address is membership@coloradocycling.org.
Questions regarding this decision can be directed to Chris McGee, BRAC Executive Director. My email is execdir@coloradocycling.org.
Thank you very much for your membership in BRAC and your participation in local bicycle racing. We are incredibly proud of the growth in women's cycling, and are committed to structuring the sport in such a way that we can support all of our athletes, regardless of gender or race experience.
Please note that we are hosting the first ever BRAC Women's Cross Camp on September 7, 2013. At only $25, this camp could give you the additional skills and confidence to help with this transition.
We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming races in the Colorado Cross Cup.
Most sincerely,
Chris McGee
Executive Director
execdir@coloradocycling.org
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