I posted a TENTATIVE 2008 Race Calendar.  I am sure there will be a couple of change, but gives you an idea of what to look forward to.

 

Thanks, Todd!!

Can anyone supply details on the Triple Valley SR?

RB

I believe it is a VMG event and I'm sure they will have more info as we move into the new year. I think it will be a stage in Tool County, SL County and either Davis or Utah County.  But again, not sure.

The schedule is pretty full.  My only wish were for a few Sunday events.  I personally would rather have a couple of two day race weekends and a few open weekends. That way I could schedule some more family time. I believe you would get more racers on a Sunday in May than you get on a Saturday in August/Sept when our race numbers drop (IMO).  A Sunday Road Race/Crit after East Canyon or Antelope Island would be cool.

One can always dream I suppose.... 

I agree with thage. This should really be brought up at next year's General Meeting. Why should single day races in effect plug the calendar for a whole weekend? Stage races are understandable, but if you're looking at available Saturdays only after those weekends are full, we're only getting half a loaf. It seems like an unreasonable parameter to place on promoters too, who then have their opportunity reduced by half, participation by half, revenue by half, exposure by half. In effect the preclusion on Sunday racing hobbles the growth of the sport.

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Steve F.

Speaking only because I know there is a large chunk of the racing population that will/can not race on Sundays, are Friday evening races a possibility?

 If an extra day of racing in order to create higher participation, revenues and events perhaps -- and I'm just saying because I don't know what the real answer would be -- the Friday afternoon/night races would be successful.

Utah being Utah and that not likely to change significantly in the next decade or two, I'd think an occasional Friday night race (when daylight allows) might have as much (or more?) of a chance to draw 100 cyclists as a Sunday morning race.

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I ride, I write.

You wouldn't have enough time to have a UCA event on a Friday evening due to all the events that need to be run.  I realize that Utah is not like the rest of the US and a race on every Sunday is not in the cards. That's fine.  But I do think we could have a couple of well attended races on Sundays early in the season.  We were consistantly getting 300+ racers to the early races and that number falls to around 100-150 racers come late July to the end of the year.  I think you would get more racers on a Sunday in May for a race like Huntsville 100 or Sanpete than they get in August/September.  As popular a race as Sanpete seems to be, they only had about 130 racers last year.  I think they could easily surpass that on a Sunday in April/May.  Once we start getting into June the numbers start to drop.

It would be interesting to see.

 

back to the tentative calender, I don't see San Pete or Gap; are they in the works or not?

 FYI, the roads are also traveled much less by the general public on Sunday's. Thus making for a much safer event (road race/TT). Just something to think about as our junior numbers start to increase. This is the reasoning for much of the country having thier road races on Sundays. I spent a short time in Oklahoma and the crits were always on Saturdays followed by a non-ralated Road Race on Sunday. I dont mean to stir the pot with anyone. I am just looking at this rationaly and taking into consideration the amount of growth our sport has undergone along with the growth of this state. More people = more cars. More cars = more problems.

........I also happen to work on most Saturdays too.........but that has nothing to do with it........

A couple of the cross races were on Sundays, and plenty of utah residence showed up for those.  I didn't notice a difference at all.  Are we sure no one would show up if a road race were held on Sunday?

James

 

Just to clarify:

 I am not opposed to Sunday races at all. I, personally, would show up to only a few of them if there was one every week. But if there were only, say, one per month I think I would make appropriate plans and attend the ones that fit my schedules best.

 I plan on doing Bear Lake TT, Downtown Crit, and a few others. There will be plenty of racers for a Sunday race. If the other Sunday race skippers have notice and it's important to them, they will attend. If not, there will be less competition for points on those days.

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I ride, I write.

I think you would see about a 20% drop on Sundays. And that's not just a Utah thing.  That's country-wide.  That's not just an LDS thing either.  Believe it or not, but there are 2500+other religions out there and most worship on Sundays. It's a fact of life.  That said, I still believe Sundays will get a decent turnout.  I put on a selective (read "very hilly") road race on a Sunday in August, a day after the Tour of Utah. Not what you would call an "ideal race day." I basically narrowed my race down to  Sunday friendly, late season, non-Cat 1, climber type racers.   I got 100 riders.  Not good, but not bad considering.  Other road races the same time of year get about 125-150 on a Saturday.  East Canyon and the early races get over 300.

So I think the right race on the right Sunday would be great.  I think the first Wolf Creek Pass Race (the one referenced above) is about as low attendance as you could expect. If someone were to put on a road race (or crit) that was broad based (not favoring one type of rider), on a good course, early in the season, close to SLC., I think 200+ riders would not be out of the question.  

Like I said before, I would prefer to double up on some weekends and have a couple of weekends free  .  It's tough to go camping for one night or do a one night summer trip.  I plan on missing several races this year to be with my family.  I guess I want my cake and eat it to.  I would like to race if there is one on the schedule as well as take weekend long trips with the fam w.o missing a great race.

 The 'Cross beatniks got it right. They have some free weekends and some double race weekends.  If those dope smoking, hemp wearing, croks w/socks  crowd can figure it out, why can't we?  I think there's a light bulb over my head.  Now, I get it!!

Everyone to the Head Shop..................................... 

 

 

 

Crazy idea ...

 Why not have a Sunday race in Dixie during late February or March during the spring break week? Give bikers a reason to get out of the snow and ride their bikes. Saturday could be the travel down day, Sunday the race and travel back day?

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I ride, I write.

There ya go.

I have often questioned why we don't race earlier here, and the only answer seems to be that people want to play in the snow until April. 

The idea of doing of putting my mouth where my money is (wait, strike that, reverse it) and putting on an earlier race rolls through my head constantly, but the motivation to actually make it happen has yet to strike.

RB