September Updates
Congratulations to all of our student athletes (both veteran and newbie riders) for an awesome first race weekend! We had 47 riders line up for race laps at Minooka Park in Waukesha, and had several top-ten results in each age group. We also had riders join for the pre-ride on Saturday to get a taste of what a NICA race is like!
We had some great learning experiences about the logistics of running an efficient pit zone and race weekend with almost three times as many athletes competing compared to our previous seasons. Growth is great, but it brings challenges, and we’re grateful for all of our riders’ and families’ flexibility as we refine our systems.
Please read on for some important updates (for ALL athletes, not just our racers!) as we approach the last month of our 2021 season…
Race Recap & Photos
We loved the energy and support from families in Minooka! If you were there and you took photos, we encourage you to share them in our Google Photos album. Conversely, if you didn’t get a photo of your rider, check to see if there are any snaps of your athlete! The Wisconsin League also uploads race weekend photos after each event. Check out the various albums from Minooka here.
Upcoming Race Details, Logistics, & Changes
A week from today we will be in the middle of our second race of the year in Lowe’s Creek. Please read on for some important changes, updates, and logistics.
HELMETS- we received a note from WI league staff regarding Driftless riders without helmets at the race venue in Minooka. As a reminder: during the entire race weekend, any time a rider’s leg is over their bike, their helmet needs to be on AND buckled. No exceptions. Any parents or family members who bring bikes to the venue should also have helmets. Failure to follow this rule results in a team points penalty, and reflects poorly on our team as a whole.
RACE PLATES: A reminder to riders: you only get ONE race plate for the season! Do not lose your race plate, and remember to bring it to every race OR leave it with the coaches at the end of the weekend so we can bring it to the next race for you. Pro-tip: Having a few spare zip ties and safety pins in your bag for race day isn’t a bad idea, either.
PIT ZONE: we are so stoked that our team has grown so much…but it also means we had a really crowded pit zone last weekend! Our pit zone exists as a gathering place for student athletes, nutrition, mechanics, bike storage, and team race prep/strategy. We ask that parents use the pit zone as “standing room only” - the race venues are large - go enjoy! This will allow our riders a bit more room to for race prep, socializing with teammates, and communicating with coaches.
BIKE RACKS: We’re in the process of building more racks for our riders to store their bikes on race day. In the meantime, if an athlete is done with their bike for the day, we would appreciate them moving their bike to their family vehicle to open up more space on the racks.
RACE SCHEDULE: Our coaches are going to put together a Driftless-specific weekend race schedule that includes our pre-ride times, times to meet at pit-zone for warm ups, etc. Riders and families should look for an email with a RACE SCHEDULE that is specific to our team at the end of this week.
PARENTS & NON-RACING RIDERS: We encourage you to get involved in race weekend! If there is a way you can help our team (i.e. purchasing snacks, coordinating meet-ups and cheering sections, providing hand ups to riders in the feed zone, etc.) - please connect with other families through the Driftless MTB Google Group or via our GroupMe chat!
NICA RACE RULES: Our Wisconsin League staff would like to remind ALL spectators and athletes about the rules in place for NICA races. Spectators should note that riding a bike on the course (even to find a place to stand/cheer) is PROHIBITED and could cost our team a penalty in points. Additionally, unsafe or unsportsmanlike spectating (obstructing the course, walking on the course without looking, etc.) is also prohibited. Lastly, reckless riding (through crowds, in parking areas, etc.) can result in a team penalty as well. WHEN IN DOUBT, WALK YOUR BIKE.
Looking ahead to the upcoming weekend, please review the league information for Lowe’s Creek and let us know if you have any questions! As a reminder, we have a RACING FAQs page as well as a racer’s packing list available here. If you are not yet registered but you plan to race, please register online ASAP, to avoid the logistical challenge of trying to register ON race day. Registration is in Pit Zone.
TEAM KITS
A reminder to several families who ordered team kits: we have them and would love to get them to you before the end of the week! We will be bringing the team kits to practice at BLACKHAWK on Wednesday this week, and will leave them near the West Chalet for pickup during practice. If you ordered a kit and do NOT have it yet, please contact us and let us know when you plan to pick it up.
Additionally, each year we inevitably have some kits that just don’t fit (kids grow fast!) — if you are a parent/rider who would like to sell/swap a kit with another family, please send an email to the Driftless MTB Google Group; other families can respond there if they also have kits to sell/swap. If you can’t find an interested buyer this year, we will host another GEAR SWAP next spring at the beginning of the season so folks can make some kit exchanges at that point.
OTHER REMINDERS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Practices now begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. Keeping your rider’s availability up-to-date helps us plan more efficient practices so we can spend more time riding in the limited daylight. We appreciate your attention to this!
Practice this TUESDAY, Sept. 21 will be at Badger Prairie County Park with Isaac Neff. As always, all details and directions are on our Google Calendar. Please make note of the location change.
Mark your calendars for our END OF SEASON CELEBRATION! We invite riders to join us for a ride + dinner at the Blackhawk West Chalet on October 27. Details TBD, but save the date!
