Tour de Perth – Entries and teams needed

Still excited after the Golden Spokes? Want to do some (more) road racing?

The next major club race (not counting the Armadale criteriums) is the Tour de Perth at the end of November: Friday 25th (Crits), Saturday 26th (Road Races) and Sunday 27th (Time-trial including Team Time Trial).

Licence Categories Race Events Available
Elite Men Criterium, Time Trial, Road Race
Open Women’s Criterium, Time Trial, Road Race
B Grade Men’s Criterium, Time Trial, Road Race
C Grade Men’s (U17M, MAS6 to MAS9) Criterium, Time Trial, Road Race
Masters  Men (MAS1 to MAS 5) Criterium, Time Trial, Road Race
U15 Juniors Time Trial
U17 Juniors Time Trial

Entries close earlier than usual for this event, i.e. not the Tuesday before the race, probably because the organisers and Cycling WA would like TDP to be a bigger deal than your average club race. Registrations for the 2011 Be Active Cycle Instead Tour de Perth do in fact close at 11:59pm on Tuesday 15th November 2011 – next Tuesday.

So it would be great if SPR could build on the participation and organisation that riders showed at the Spokes. You can enter any number or combination of the events in the table above. The distances are as follows:

Race Distances

Licence Category

Criterium (0.9km)

Road Race 

Time trial

Elite Men

50 Min and 3 laps

114.04 km

9.27km

Open Women

30 Min and 3 laps

83.88 km

9.27km

B Grade Men

30 Min and 3 laps

83.88 km

9.27km

C Grade Men

30 Min and 3 laps

53.72 km

9.27km

Masters men

30 Min and 3 laps

83.88 km

9.27km

Team of 4 Time trial

9.27km

Under 17/ Under15

9.27km

Team of 4 Time Trial 

In addition to the race categories listed above, there is a Team Time Trial option for teams of 4 riders on Sunday on the Zig-zag course. Riders must be over 18 years of age and can be male or female.  Entry fee is $30 per team member. Non-members can enter this event by purchasing a Silver Day Permit for an additional $15 when registering online and this includes insurance. All riders in a team must register their details before payment can be made.

For further details, including course maps, visit the Tour de Perth website here.

Masters Road Race ‘team’  for the 83.88 kms so far:

Jerard, Ben (who looks too young…), Michael B, El Prez, and Stu (almost verified) and several others yet to fully commit.

If you would like to join these fine young men or enter any of the other races mentioned above, including the Team Time Trial, please add your name and preferred events in the comments below. It will be beneficial for other SPR riders if communication about who is riding – and how we can help each other – can take place before each event.

There may even be podium girls.

69 thoughts on “Tour de Perth – Entries and teams needed”

  1. Boo. I’d prefer to enter the C Grade, but I’ve got a MAS3 licence. The prospect of getting dropped in the first 10 Km of an 82Km Masters race isn’t particularly enticing 🙂

    1. you should still be able to enter the c grade race even though you have a masters licence. master category are usually for those of us that don’t want to race against the 20 somethings.

  2. Having re-read the post I see there is the 3 events PLUS a team TT. I think that 4th event might be a bit much for me! And getting the whole weekend to ride will be a push with the ‘family’ without adding extras!

    1. The Team Time Trial is a separate event, silly. It is for those not doing the other individual events, who want to try a fast, legal blast up the zig-zag – with the help of others.

      You don’t have to do all 3. I certainly won’t do the Crit on Friday night (past my bedtime) and may not do the TT depending on the legs after the road race.

  3. ah ha! thanks Mike T (I presume its M.T?) I dont see myself sticking with the accelerations of a crit with the masters guys! Doing the TT and RR though. You definitely have to do the TT buddy, it will be a blast and im sure you have the shinny equipment in your shinny man cave for just such a purpose!

  4. I intend to enter C grade road race, and maybe the crit.

    Can we ride the road course for our hills ride for the next couple of weeks?

  5. Sadly I’m off to a wedding the weekend of the TdP. Would have liked to have a go at the road race though.

    Will enjoy joining in on some reconnaissance missions though.

  6. …after today’s circuits I have made the call to register for ‘C’; NO chance of making it past the first climb with the wiley old characters in Masters.

    Jordan – REGISTER!!!

    1. I second Rob’s call to arms! Register Jordan…and you too Matt. I’m going to take the plunge as well so you know that you won’t be the last rider on the road!! 🙂

    2. Sigh. Registered, despite my need to cook a thanksgiving dinner for that night. At least I can be thankful the race isn’t the day _after_ the thanksgiving dinner. That would increase the difficulty level to ludicrous, as opposed to the normal “silly”.

  7. In for the Master’s.
    Hope they enforce the Master’s categories as per the entry conditions: look forward to doing the 83.88km with you Rob 🙂

    When I inquired on this morning’s ride about going in the race, I received the following advice from three wise riders (we were heading east):

    Rob – most beautifully and eloquently, painted the ugliest picture of what the Master’s race would entail;
    Jordan – came up with the most unAustralian of excuses: Thanksgiving Day! – though I’m glad to see the True Blue has shone through and,
    Nathan – I think it was Nathan, who announced: “I’m not that “%*!#ing stupid!”

    I must be for heeding the advice…

    P.S. I reckon car pooling should be the go as well then the speeding fine can be divvied up.

  8. Entered for Masters road race. Not back to Belgium form yet, but happy to work for others. Ben is climbing strongly and would be a good candidate for protected rider status on this course.

  9. regrettably i will not be entering the race. i have a week in brisvegas for work and fly back in friday night. it will be closer to saturday morning by the time i actually get home, so leaving the family the next day will not really be an option. good luck to all those that are racing. i will try to get out on the hill for some spr photography duties.

  10. just signed up for c grade road race. so the spr c grade team so far consists of:
    wes, jen, rob, anderw, matthew, jordan and me. anyone else?

    we should get together for uci laps on wednesday and sunday hills ride to work out who has good climbing form. then we can get some proper team tactics going during the race.

    1. Those with Masters licenses (Wongers, Rob, Jordan et al.) will be put automatically into the Masters field with the longer distance. At present, only the over 55s (Masters 6+) get to do the C grade distance.

      But look out for a few changes to plans:
      1. The registration date to be extended ~ at least to Friday, possibly the following Monday
      2. C grade and the older Masters to be combined for the road race
      3. B grade and the younger Masters to be a combined race (any bets?)
      (Thus spake Nostradamus).

      1. Those categories are a bit confusing. If that is the case then 17-30 year old riders get to choose their race grade and distance but masters get no choice and have to race a distance based on their age.

        What about riders with an “elite” (and I use the term loosely) licence who are in a masters age category? Which race will they be put in?

      2. Hmmm – I have a MAS3 licence as well. Normally at an interclub level event that would allow me to enter C grade. Mike raises a good point as TDP may have different rules. I read the lower tick box “Category” as the selection of the race you were entering. I selected the C Men’s race option when I registered.

        I have spoken to Claire at the Cycling WA office and she will clarify if my current entry to C grade RR is valid. Otherwise I too can look forward to joining the masters gruppetto with Jordan & Rob….

        1. email back from Cycling WA:
          “Hi Matthew,

          I can see the confusion between the website and the register now.

          I have changed the website and registration to reflect that we encourage all ages to enter the event in the grade they think appropriate. The register now has options to enter any “category” despite your license. A handicapper may move someone if they think it neccesary.

          So you are ok with your C grade entry despite your masters license.

          Please encourage your fellow forum readers to enter as they see fit.

          If you have any questions about this then please do not hesitate to contact me on 9328 3422.

          Kind Regards,
          Toby Hodgson
          Operations Manager”

          Seems clear.

  11. Gutted..have just checked the registration details on Cycling WA website….Ian is right:

    C Grade only available to MAS6 – 9; so my MAS3 license will see me on the Masters category starting line….

    ….arrière du peloton anyone?

  12. I’m down for the Road Race in C grade, will have to wait and see if they put me into Masters 3 or not. Either way I am racing.

  13. Matt, thanks for clarifying. I am keen to participate but as someone who rarely goes uphill, would not manage Masters(MAS4). Registered for C grade.

  14. Do you think the organisers could be fooled by my movember into letting me do the C Grade Mens race? 83.88km is outrageous, as is the term ‘Open Women’!

    1. Women’s race has been reduced to 74km. Small bikkies, you might say, when C grade slides in at 44km (less than a normal Saturday ride).

  15. No TDP this year for me cos the left arm didnt speak to the right arm when planning events and I had already committed to the 12 hour Dusk til Dawn… SOLO!!! Awesome!
    Good luck SPR riders 😉

  16. I’m in Masters 3, will keep you company Rob in the Groupetto!
    Also registered for the TT up the Zigzag, not sure why I did that since I’m rubbish on corners

  17. Hmm, all this chit chat, I have not done a road race for three years but maybe time to come have a play.. C Grade sounds like the place to be.. But I am old enough to play with the wiley old fellas in Masters so maybe that is where I will place myself…

    Did someone say there are hills involved?? And a TT up a hill.. Where is the fun in that??

    1. Good for you, Ryan. We’ve got a pretty good squad coming together with Ben, Jerard, yourself, regular Julian, Stu (still sitting on the fence but imminent), myself, Morrison, Andy and Stuart 2 in for the Masters. If we organise our resources we should be able to get some sort of result.

      1. Current state masters road race champ should be stamping his authority on the event.. 😉

        I am still with Stu.. I have till Monday to ‘commit’.. I really should give it a whirl.. Worst case I get dropped by the old men.. Which would be character building and I have been informed I need to work on my character.. So either way, win – win..

  18. Hmmmm…..change of plans….looks like Masters is no longer available.
    I haven’t raced at club level before but guess I should look at C Grade??
    Any help greatly appreciated 😉
    Cheers,
    Stuart.

    1. It’s a pretty tough attrition type of course, so unless you’re riding with the fast group comfortably, or racing elsewhere, start with C grade. 44 km will be enough to learn some stuff and there will be a few small groups once things split up. It should be longer than $1 per km though.

  19. Nostradamus 3, Masters nil.

    (and I quote:
    “But look out for a few changes to plans:
    1. The registration date to be extended ~ at least to Friday, possibly the following Monday
    2. C grade and the older Masters to be combined for the road race
    3. B grade and the younger Masters to be a combined race (any bets?)”
    November 14th at 9:48 pm.)

    As Stu said, “so predictable” on the part of Masters riders (from other clubs) and the organisers. It’s disappointing that there isn’t any support for a Masters race when a more challenging course is on offer. Older riders in the States and Europe (eg. Belgium) lap this sort of parcours up.
    It seems that West Australian Masters riders are addicted to sprint and giggle affairs. Soft.

  20. So…now Masters is not an option, it’s down to “B”e dropped by the fist hill or “C”an’t really see the purpose of riding 44km…

    I’m going to do B; so is Paul O. What the hey! And as you say Mike, if there is a reasonable contingent we may have a chance of deploying some tactics that may get a result.

  21. Looked at C grade, but thought that 44km for the RR want even worth getting out of bed for. So B grade it is.
    Good luck everyone who’s giving the TdP a go. 🙂

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