March 19, 2010 – Here are the latest headlines and information from the headquarters of the Alberta Bicycling Association, including the Rona MS Bike Tour, Prairie Roubaix, training camps, a job opportunity in Edmonton, and BMX Commissaire and Community Cycling Initiation courses. Click on the links below for full details.

– Rona MS Bike Tour. Click here
– Prairie Roubaix presented by Speed Theory. Click here
– Stephen Roch Training Camp in Spain. Click here
– Airdrie BMX Commissaire Course. Click here
– Edmonton Bicycle Communters is Hiring. Click here
– Registration for Penticton Camp Still open. Click here
– Community Cycling Initiation Course Available. Click here

March 14, 2009 – Here is the latest news from the ABA, including the announcement of a new women’s coaching development program, the publication of the 2009 provincial team program and selection criteria, and the publication of the Canada Summer Games selection criteria and procedure.

Women’s Coaching Development Program
The Alberta Bicycle Association is excited to announce a women’s coaching development program. The program which is funded by the InMotion Network will allow up to 8 women coaches to assist with funding (up to $200) participation in coaching education, professional development and mentoring opportunities.

All applications must be made in writing and include the following:

Coaching Résumé
– name, address, home and business telephone numbers, fax number, e-mail address
– current coaching position (or desired future coaching perspective)
– previous coaching positions (include level of coaching position, dates of full-time and part-time employment, name of employer)
– additional coach education, courses or clinics attended
– related athletic background
– major coaching achievements.

Proposed Learning Objectives
– identify clear learning objectives and outcome related to the specific grant
– indicate how the proposed activity will provide a practical coaching/educational experience.
– indicate how the activity will contribute towards higher levels of coaching certification.

Professional Development Opportunities
– Coaches will be asked to support take part in one of the following ABA programming activities:
1. Camps/Clinics
2. Provincial Team Project
3. High School Development Camps
4. Coaches are asked to indicated which of these activities they would like to participate in.

Promotion of Women in Coaching Activity
– Identify an activity (e.g. presentation, course, publication) as part of your proposal that will help to promote women in coaching. Include information about the target audience, location and date of the presentation, etc.

Letter of Support
– Your application must include a letter from a club or mentor coach supporting your participation in the program.
All applicants must be members of the Alaberta Bicycle Association in good standing.

Applications close March 22, 2009.

For more information contact:
Kipp Kaufmann
Executive Director
Alberta Bicycle Association
11759 Groat Road
Edmonton, AB
T5M 3K6
kipp@albertabicycle.ab.ca
780-427-6352

2009 Provincial Team Program and Qualification Criteria
The Alberta Provincial Cycling Team program helps Alberta based and licensed espoir and junior riders develop their talents in a team environment by enabling them to compete at higher level events than are available in Alberta . At provincial team projects, team members will receive coaching and logistical support. Team members will usually be expected to pay a portion of the costs for the team project.

The program is designed to support espoir and junior riders as the long term goal of the program is to develop riders to participate in National Team projects. In addition, some Alberta Bicycle Association funding is related to the Canada Games and Western Canada Games, both of which have age limits.

2009 is a Canada Games year, so activities up to the date of those games (August 15th to 22nd in Charlottetown, PEI) will focus on preparing our team of six men and six women for that event. Once the games have been completed, the Alberta Bicycle Association will provide support for the balance of the season to track and cyclocross riders.

For more information about each discipline visit the ABA web site here.

Road and Cross Country

Team camps
1. Victoria, February 10-17
2. Penticton, March 27 — April 5
3. Canmore, July

Road races
Alberta events
1. Banff Bike Fest, June 18-22
2. Devon Grand Prix Stage Race, June 27-28 (juniors only)
3. Tour de Bowness, August 1-3

Out of province events
1. National Road Championships, July 4-7 (juniors only)
2. Tour de l’Abitibi, July 20-26 (junior men only)

MTB Cross country races
1. Edmonton Canada Cup, June 13
2. Canmore Canada Cup, June 20
3. National Championship, July 11-12

Track
1. National Championship, August 27-30
Cyclocross
1. National Championship/Jim Horner UCI, October 11-12

Downhill
1. National Championship, July 18-19
In most disciplines riders will be required to meet qualifying standards for out of province events.

Canada Summer Games Selection Criteria and Procedure
The Canada Summer Games (“CSG”) will take place in Prince Edward Island from August 18-21, 2009. Cyclists must be under 23 years of age and at least 17 years of age as of December 31, 2009, (born 1987-1992) to be considered. A total of six (6) men and six women will be selected and provided full funding for this project.

Events: Events at the Canada Games include Road (Individual Time Trial, Criterium, Road Race) and Mountain Bike (Cross-country). Athletes must compete in all races.

Team Alberta Selection Procedure
Riders will be selected according to total cumulative points earned in the qualification events. A pool of eight (8) athletes will be selected no later than June 23rd. Positions on the team, for both men and women, will be awarded as follows:

1. 1st place — Road points in selection events
2. 1st place — Mountain Bike points in selection events
3. 1st place — Overall combined points (or next best if already selected)
4. 2nd place — Road points (or next best if already selected)
5. Racing Committee Selection
6. Racing Committee Selection
7. Racing Committee Selection
8. Racing Committee Selection

The first 4 athletes will be automatic selections to the CSG Team. The final two (2) athletes will be selected by August 4, 2009 by Racing Committee selection from the four (4) riders remaining n the pool based on performance at team training races.

Selection Events, Categories, and Points

Qualifying Events MTB (XC)
1. June 13 — Canada Cup Series # 5 — Edmonton, AB
2. June 20 — Canada Cup Series # 6 — Canmore, AB

Qualifying Events (Road)
1. May 9 – Velocity Road Race — Edmonton, AB
2. May 10 – Aerobic Power ITT — Edmonton, AB
3. May 31 – Pigeon Lake Road Race — Pigeon Lake, AB

Team Training Races
1. Banff National Park Bike Fest (June 18-19-20- 21)
2. Tour de Bowness (August 1 — 3)

Categories
All riders must compete in Cat 1/2 and MTB Elite. Riders wishing to compete for team positions can request a temporary upgrade from the Racing Committee. Junior athletes may be granted upgrades upon request after the Velocity Road Race.

Points
Points will be awarded according to the Alberta Cup Schedule for “˜A’ Level events. Overall ties will be broken by performance in the Aerobic Power ITT. If a rider gains selection in more than one category (road, mountain, or overall points), the category in which the rider is selected 1st on points shall take precedence. If a rider qualifies first in more than one category, the category in which the rider earned the highest number of points shall take precedence

March 4, 2009 – Here is the latest news from the ABA. Headlines include the Olympic Oval 2009 Penticton Cycling Camp scheduled for March 20-28, Stephen Burke Finalist for TSN-Chunky Most Valuable Coach, the Edmonton Bicycle Plan, and info on BMX Provincial Team Invitations.

Olympic Oval 2009 – Penticton Cycling Camp

The Olympic Oval is home to the National Cycling Centre-Calgary. Our cycling centre offers yearround programs for athletes of all ages and abilities ranging from development, National Team, Olympic and Paralympic cyclists. The NCC-C also offers adult cycling programs for recreational and competitive cyclists.

The Olympic Oval will be hosting two upcoming camps:

Youth Camp – March 20-28 – Click here for more info.
Adult Camp – March 29 – April 4 – Click here for more info.

Stephen Burke Finalist for TSN-Chunky Most Valuable Coach

Stephen Burke has been named one of 4 finalists for the TSN-Chunky Most Valuable Coach Award. TSN will start running the commercials that profile the 4 finalists in the next week. The next step in the process requires Family, Friends, Athletes and the General Public to vote on line for their favorite coach. Voting will start on Monday March 2nd and will end on March 29th.

Check out the following links for more information about the contest, Stephen profile and the rules:

– Contest Home Page here
– My Profile here
– Contest Rules here

The regulations permit multiple votes as long as they come from different
email addresses so basically you can vote 1/day/e-mail address for the
duration of the voting period.

Edmonton Bicycle Plan

The Bicycle Transportation Plan and the Sidewalk Strategy will be presented to City Council’s Transportation and Public Works Committee on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Anyone interested in speaking to the committee about the Bicycle Transportation Plan update can register to speak in a variety of ways:

Online
To request to speak to an item on a Council, Committee or Public Hearing agenda, complete the Request to Speak form here.

Your request must refer to a specific item on an agenda, and must be submitted by 4:30pm the afternoon before the meeting. You will receive a confirmation number.

By Telephone
Call 780-496-8178 from 8am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

In Person
You may register in person until the start of a meeting. Check schedules or agendas for meeting times here

Why an Update is needed
The Bicycle Transportation Plan was last updated in 1992, providing direction on how to integrate bicycles into Edmonton’s transportation system.

The purpose of this update is to:
– establish a new strategic direction, outlining principles and goals for bicycle transportation within the City
– develop a comprehensive cycling network
– make the necessary changes to ensure that the bicycle can be used as a safe and convenient travel option in the future.

This plan aims to create an urban environment which is conducive to cycling and encourages the continuing increase in functional bicycle trips long into the future. In addition, a comprehensive cycling network will encourage more recreational cycling.

The Bicycle Transportation Plan and the Transportation Master Plan seek to develop a highly integrated transportation system in the City of Edmonton that is used by many cyclists, year-round. The Bicycle Transportation Plan and the Transportation Master Plan can be viewed here.

Providing appropriate infrastructure is critical to creating an environment that encourages as many individuals as possible to choose cycling as a safe, healthy and efficient way to travel. When the bicycle is an easy option, more people cycle.

Read the Draft Report

A draft copy of the Bicycle Transportation Plan Summary Report is attached
below. This summary report includes the plan’s vision; description of
current cycling patterns; priorities for the future; recommendations for
short, medium and long-term projects; a glossary of terms and maps of
Edmonton’s bicycle transportation networks.

Bicycle Transportation Plan Summary Report here Appendix B File (Public Involvement Process) here

BMX Provincial Team Invitations

The points have been tallied and the emails have been sent out to most of
the riders that are invited to join the newly expanded Provincial BMX Team.

The remaining 8 spots will be filled by the Performance Group as Coach and
Committee choices to be determined by March 30, 2009.

Once the Coach and Committee Selections are done, and as invited riders accept or decline the invitation then the full list of team members for the 2009 Provincial BMX team will be settled and posted. Ages on the team will range from 10-18 years old, with 40 riders in total.

Coaches are being recruited, Jerseys are being ordered for the whole team and flights are being booked for Kingston (for the Performance Group) now. So check your email box if you think you may have qualified based on the selection criteria. Click here for more info.

If you did get that Golden Ticket (email) be sure to roddi@albertabicycle.ab.ca. If you are Performance Age rider that did receive the email or you are Performance Age and did not receive the email but you did qualify for the team and you would like to be considered for it then please advise the Alberta Bicycle offices of your intentions per these instructions here.

February 4, 2008 – Here’s the latest from ABA Headquarters, including the ABA’s Practical Guide to Race Organizing, 2007 BMX District Points, Penticton 2008 Cycling Camp, 2008 Coaching Courses, 2008 ABA Calendar, Shell Community Fund, and 2008 Commissaire Courses.

ABA Release Practical Guide to Race Organizing

The Alberta Bicycle Association has today released a practical guide to race organization. This will be a great source of information for both experienced and new race organizers. To download the guide visit the resources section here. This is also a very valuable read for competitors – understanding exactly how races are organised can help your results.

2007 BMX District Points Now Available

The 2007 BMX District Points are now available. To view the results please click here.

Penticton 2008 Cycling Camp

The ABA is excited to offer the 2008 Penticton Cycling Camp to our membership – March 28- April 5. This year’s camp will follow the success of last year’s, offering:

– 7 days of riding
– 3 riding groups for all ability levels
– Double occupancy Accommodations with Kitchens
– Alberta Short sleeve Jersey
– One Group Dinner out
– Cycling Trivia Night
– Yoga
– Optional transportation from Calgary or Edmonton to Penticton

Only 24 spots are available, so be sure to sign up early. To sign up for 2008 Penticton camp, download the application form here or register through Karelo here.

2008 Coaching Courses

The Alberta Bicycle Association will be hosting coaching courses in Road and Track. To sign up download the application form here or register through Karelo here.

Details of the courses are as follows:

NCCP Level 1 Road
– Date/Time: March 8/9 – Sat/Sun 9 am — 5 pm
– Location: Edmonton — Argyll Velodrome
– Instructor: Andy Holmwood
– Fee: $125

NCCP Level 1 Technical Mountain Bike
– Date/Time: April 26 – 27 – Sat/Sun: 9 am — 5 pm
– Location: Calgary — University of Calgary – Kinesiology Building (KNB-127)
– Instructor: Loyal Ma
– Fee: $125

NCCP Level 2 Technical Mountain Bike
– Date/Time: May 3 – 4 – Sat/Sun: 9 am — 5 pm
– Location: To be Determined by Attendee Majority
– Instructor: Loyal Ma
– Fee: $125

NCCP Level 2 Road
– Date/Time: May 10/11 – Sat/Sun 9 am — 5 pm
– Location: Calgary –Olympic Oval – Room 54
– Instructor: Andy Holmwood
– Fee: $125

2008 ABA Calendar Now Available

The Alberta Bicycle Association is excited to announce the 2008 Calendar. The tenative calendar is now available in our calendar section here.

Provincial Project Coaching Opportunities

For 2008, the ABA is creating opportunities for Alberta coaches to gain experience through cycling camps and provincial team projects. The ABA would like to invite applications from Alberta coaches who are interested in becoming involved with provincial team projects and camps. The ABA is looking for coaches of all levels of experience for camps and projects in all disciplines (road, MTB, track, BMX, downhill, cyclocross).

Coach applicants are required to complete the application form here and submit by March 1, 2008 to be considered for the various camps and projects. Coaching Selections will be made by the ABA Racing Committee.

All selected coaches will be required to submit a Police Record Check, Child Welfare Check and a Driver’s Abstract.

To submit forms or inquire about additional information, please contact Jayson Gillespie (403-210-7984; jay@albertabicycle.ab.ca).

Shell Community Fund
Are you a Shell employee, retiree or retailer/agent who gives personal time to the ABA or club on a volunteer basis. You can help support the ABA by applying for the Shell Community Fund.

To Apply Visit the Shell Website here.

2008 ABA Commissaire Courses

The ABA will be running Commissaire Courses in Road/Track, Mountain Bike and BMX throughout March and April. Those interested can register through Karelo here or by downloading the registration form here.

BMX Clubs should note that you must have a minimum of 3 trained commissaires in your club.

BMX Commissaire Course
– Location: Calgary
– Instructor: Jim Negenman
– Date: Saturday, March 1

Mountain Bike Commissaire Course
– Location: Calgary
– Instructor: Geordie Ma
– Date: Saturday, March 8

Road & Track Commissaire Course
– Location: Calgary
– Instructor: Chris Wood
– Date: Saturday, March 15

BMX Commissaire Course
– Location: Edmonton
– Instructor: Jim Negenman
– Date: Saturday, March 29

Road & Track Commissaire Course
– Location: Edmonton
– Instructor: Tim Harris
– Date: Saturday, April 5

Mountain Bike Commissaire Course
– Location: Edmonton
– Instructor: Loyal Ma
– Date: Sunday, April 13

December 14, 2007 – Here is the latest from the ABA headquarters, including details on 2008 Alberta Bicycle Association Licenses and 2008 Club Registration info.

Registration for 2008 Alberta Bicycle Association Licenses is now available!!!

For a copy of the Application form and Waiver, please click here. Registration is also available on-line through karelo.com.

** Please note that for insurance reasons, no 2008 licenses will be processed without an original, signed copy of the insurance waiver and declaration (ie. NO faxed copies).*

Also, anyone who is a member of a club must have their application signed by their club president or have their club president e-mail us at info@albertabicyle.ab.ca to verify they are a member in good standing with that club. Applications will not be processed without verification of club affiliation!

Club Registration for 2008 Now Available!!!

All clubs will be receiving their 2008 Club application package in the mail within the next week. If you are planning on starting up a new club, please contact us by phone at 780-427-6352 or by email at info@albertabicycle.ab.ca with your mailing address, and we will mail out a club package.

**Please note that the recreational rider insurance category which was previously available for $25 dollars through the clubs will no longer be available. All riders who are members of a club and are non-racing members must purchase a general membership license ($35) in order to be insured. Please fill out the application and waiver (above) and send it in to the ABA office to receive your license.

If anyone should have any questions about licensing or club affiliation for 2008 or Insurance, please feel free to contact the ABA office for more information.

October 27, 2007 – Here’s the latest news from ABA headquarters. The Board of Directors of the Alberta Bicycle Association is pleased to announce the hiring of a New Executive Director.

Kipp Kaufmann begins his tenure as ABA ED next week, quickly jumping in with both feet to assist Monica, Jayson, and I to facilitate the AGM on November 3rd, and the hiring of the two technical positions.

Kipp has an Honours Degree in Kinesiology from McMaster, and a Masters of Business (Sport Management) from Deakin University in Melbourne, and has most recently been the Executive Director for the Australian Blind Sport Federation. A former competitive swimmer, and avid bicycle commuter, Kipp brings a life spent in sport and great drive, knowledge and enthusiasm to the ABA.

Please join me in welcoming Kipp Kaufmann to the Alberta Bicycle Association. – Tim Harris, President


AGM Reminder
The AGM will be held on Saturday, November 3 at the University of Alberta in the Phys Ed building, East Wing, Room E-120 from 1:30 p.m. until 3:45 p.m.

Prior to the AGM, we will also be hosting a coaches meeting with Provincial Coach Jayson Gillespie from 10:00 until 11:30, and the Commissaire AGM from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Next week we will be sending out a map to help you find the room, and more details for the Commissaire AGM and the Coaches meetings.

The Postitions up for election are listed below:

– President
– V.P. Administration
– V.P Recreation and Transportation
– V.P. Women’s Cycling
– Member at Large
– Member at Large
– Racing Committee
– Racing Committee
– Racing Committee
– BMX Committee
– BMX Committee