AUK OFFICIALS' REPORTS 1999 Secretary This year has been an interesting one. At the beginning, the flood of new members and, more particularly, the flood of early entries to Paris- Brest qualifying events led to predictions of disaster which, fortunately, never developed. A lot of work went into contacting organisers, and magicking up extra places for riders. AUK was keen to retain the 12kph minimum speed, which was allowed on an experimental basis for the last Edinburgh-London. The Randonneurs Mondiaux meeting, which Noel attended in August, voted in favour. This is a significant shift towards AUK’s policy of reducing minimums for longer events. The regulations review, which has at times seemed like an endless task, is complete. It has been a tidying up process, to improve clarity and to remove anomalies. Email has significantly changed the way we work. Agenda and minutes are circulated thus, which saves posting costs. Publicity has been deliberately low-key this year, although there has been a momentum fuelled by the interest in Paris-Brest, and the continuing calendar listings of our events in the cycling press. Several cycling journalists are AUK members, and rode P-B. I look forward to seeing you at Wortley Hall. Ian Hennessey Treasurer The accounts (published in Arrivee) show a healthy turnaround from the marginal position of last year thanks largely to the increase in subscriptions. A growing number of members take advantage of the cheaper (in the long run) 5 year commuted membership and I encourage more to join them. On the figures themselves - Committee travel has been moved from the “etc” part of Tel/post to General Committee hence the marked changes to these items. There is a sour note to report. Five of the PBP riders who took advantage of our arrangement with ACP to send a composite cheque for jerseys have to date failed to stump up for the jerseys they are parading. They know who they are and should not be surprised if their PBP medals get delayed. As for next time! My recommendations are that there are no changes to the present levels of dues for Subscriptions, Honoraria, Validation and Card Production. As always I will be happy to hear from any member wanting further amplification or clarification of the figures. DKB Membership Secretary Following a surge in numbers at the beginning of the season when PBP fever took hold, new enrolments have eased off considerably, with membership reaching 3470 at the end of August, an increase of just under 7% on last year. This compares to 10% in the previous year. The comparatively large increase of £5 in the initial membership fee decided upon at the last AGM may be having the effect of encouraging ‘impulse joiners’ to think twice. On the other hand, the number of non-renewals was steady at just over 500, suggesting that existing members are largely remaining loyal. The sale of handbooks to non-members was repeated this year. Sales were down, possibly because a high proportion of riders had PBP aspirations, and therefore chose to become AUK members from the outset. A significant number of those buying handbooks subsequently became members. Armorel Young will once more be handling sales of the Handbook/Calendar in 2000. My predecessor and computer wizard Ben Steven continues to do a great deal of valuable development work on the membership database, easing the work of David Palfreyman and Julian Beach who will again be handling your renewals. I am grateful for the computer expertise of both David and Julian in this development process, and owe much also to Francis Cooke who keeps us all in check, as well as providing life support to the membership computer at times of need. In the early days of AUK, most of our members came from a cycling club or CTC background. With many of our members now getting their first experience of group riding in AUK events, we have produced a list of suggestions - ‘Riding Audax’ - to send to all new members; this was published in Arrivée 65 - p.10. Also, next year’s handbook will carry an article on preparing for and riding Audax events. Neither of these attempts to explain how to tackle randonneuring claims to be the last word on the subject. If you have suggestions for improvements or additions, please let Sheila or Tim have them to publish in Arrivée for wider discussion. Ray Smith Event Secretary Once again, congratulations and many thanks to all the Organisers (150) and Helpers, who managed to continue the upward trend – just! Although there were two extra over last year, this was due to several Organisers having a rest before tackling the PBP. There was a record number of BRM as qualifying rides for the PBP, but many of these are reverting to BR, so choose carefully if you want your Brevet 5000 from ACP. I’ve sent out rather a lot of Organiser’s Packs, some to new areas and some for 500km events for the Brevet 2000 next year, and I hope that this interest from new people will result in a continued growth. We need more spread through the UK, and more spread through the year: it is possible to run a 400 in September! Please get in touch with me if you fancy running some events. We now have a scheme for covering the Organisers of longer (above 200km) and new events against financial loss. The figures for 1999 are: Cat. ‘50’ 100+ 150+ 200+ 300+ 400+ 600+ 1000+ Totals BP 20 124 †38 — — — — — 182 BR — — — †71 8 †8 0 — 87 BRM — — — 25 18 †12 10 0 65 Totals 20 124 38 96 26 20 10 0 334 †includes Arrows and Darts. Peter Coulson Publications Manager AUK’s mag has frequently been acknowledged, by biased observers admittedly, as the best cycling literature available and Tim and I take a bow for the layouts, and AUK member Brian Hayward and his Quorum company likewise for the superb, crystal clear print, but we would be as nothing but for the articles and photos provided by the many devoted AUK members who record their experiences and impart their wisdom. When you see an action photo in a commercial mag you see the product of a bystander, but such a photo in Arrivée implies that either a rider has taken the trouble to dismount and lose time in order to record this moment or they have mastered the technique of snapping from the saddle. The PBP photos obtained this year are a case in point; submitted for Arrivée, and displayed on AUK’s website, many were eagerly sought for commercial reproduction. Tim Wainwright, our Spring and Summer Editor and now also Arrivée Advertising Manager, has started to expand this side of our work by encouraging selected cycle manufacturers, retailers, and tour operators to display their wares in the mag. When advertisers pay for colour, we are able to publish some colour photos of our own. This edition’s colour centre pages, however, were sponsored by Quorum Technical Services. Brian Hayward, Quorum’s MD, has previously been a PBP helper but this year had the pleasure of riding the event himself. (Seen in the centre pages delivering the bread at the St Quentin Campsite. Photo: Ivo). Our thanks to Brian and, once again, to all our contributors. Sheila Simpson International Events In 1999 your International Secretariat has been equipped with e-mail and internet facilities. Second hand but it works and thanks to Francis - our AUK systems manager - giving generously of his time, patience and infinite computer knowledge, I have begun my first (hesitant) forays into the high tech world - just before the end of the century and, indeed, even of the millennium! The world at one’s fingertips, in a split second. Compare that with the toil necessary, say, to accomplish a 33km climb to the summit of the Galibier! I wonder if the electronic means will make us cyclists lazy or whether they will encourage us to ever more foreign excursions. I go for the latter because more and more event organisers abroad are giving information via internet and e-mail, which means that you, the AUK membership, will be able to get swift information via your secretariat. I shall, of course, continue to publish foreign events in ARRIVEE in the usual way and at the usual times. Please continue also to use your telephones to contact me (less high tech may be, but still more personal, in my opinion) if you don’t yet have access to e-mail services. In 1999, it seems to me, an ever growing number of AUK riders took part in foreign events: The Channel Hopping events (Dieppe Raid, Boulogne- s/Mer, etc.), the Spring Classics (Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold, Liege- Bastogne-Liege). There was no Paris-Roubaix this year, but I have been told that there will be one in the year 2000. Also, in France: Les Copains (Massiv Central), La Marmotte and BRA (Alps); in Italy: La Pedalata Rosa and the Gran Fondo Campagnolo; in Spain: The Miguel Indurain. Possibly as many as 300 British riders (more than from any other foreign country!) attempted L’Etape du Tour. (Not all finished or were allowed to finish, however). How many AUK’s were there, I would like to know. Personally, I met a number before, during and after the ride. Thanks to all who shouted encouragements (or other expletives) at the rider in the Solihull vest - that was me. Inexplicably, British participation was just one (!) in France’s greatest event: L’Ardechoise (11000 riders!). Clearly, tour operators haven’t discovered this one yet! Get there before the masses! Ask your secretariat for details for next year! For many the season abroad culminated in the convivial Semaine Federale in Brittany or, in the epic PBP. Others continued (or started) their efforts into late summer and early autumn: La Ronde Picarde, La Stephen Roche, La Rominger Classic (Switzerland), or Randonnees famously associated with the ‘vendange’ season (grape harvest), like La Montagne de Reims. I enjoyed the secretariat’s work and am willing to continue as your International Secretary into the next millennium where I’ll be looking forward to meeting many of you personally in ‘foreign fields’. Len de Vos E-mail: len@lendevos.freeserve.co.uk Tel: 01564 774503 Systems Manager The first part of this year was spent helping to ensure that the admin associated with the PBP qualifying events went as smoothly and rapidly as possible. The results service between AUK and ACP was, I thought, very impressive - we provided ACP with electronic information in exactly the format they required and they responded by returning their validation lists very rapidly, sometimes within a few hours. This is probably the start of a globalisation process whereby everyone contributes to a central archive of recorded rides, accessible to all via the Internet. At the other end of the scale, my main concern in the short and medium term is to open up AUK's recording system so that Organisers, using their various computers and software, can input their event results more directly. This does not affect the essential role of the Validation Secretary, which is still a hands-on process with the brevet cards, but it would reduce a huge amount of donkey work. The USA and France are both ahead of us in this matter, and I've corresponded a lot with my opposite numbers in these countries so that we're broadly in agreement about how to make these things happen. Current tweaks to the system, such as a change of Membership Number for some members, and a change in the way that club and DA information is stored, are things that I see as a necessary part of this process. Francis Cooke ACP/AUK/LRM Correspondant The busy, exhilarating Paris-Brest- Paris year began in November 1998 with the updating of Advice to New Riders sheet, negotiating for accommodation, liaising with Audax Club Parisien and Les Randonneurs Mondiaux, as well as planning for 1999. A check list/ record sheet to be returned with PB entry forms was devised and this innovation proved very useful and will be updated for 2003. As the year progressed, the pace of activity increased: posting more than 360 Advice sheets and 450+ official entry forms. In June 335 completed PB entry forms were checked, amended [after consultation] where necessary and forwarded to ACP in Paris. 133 ACP jerseys were ordered. Innumerable phone calls, faxes and emails were answered, mainly concerning accommodation, bike equipment and “the PB medical.” The long suffering Dee remained calm and collected throughout all this. Since the Irish correspondant was unavailable, I validated the Irish rides and was happy to advise the S. African “virgins” and help with accommodation. After the PBP I represented AUK at the LRM reunion/agm and voted on several issues, in consultation with Sheila Simpson who was also present. The possibility of becoming LRM 1999 vice-president was turned down. The year terminates in January 2000 when we will attend the ACP prizegiving in Paris and collect PB99 cups, medals and literature. On the whole, the exercise ran fairly smoothly and could be repeated in 2003 with some small modifications. Thanks are due to Gerry Boswell, Pam Pilbeam and Bry Ferguson [duplication of forms], to Keith Benton [financial wizardry, once we had persuaded a jobsworth to remove the stop he had placed on AUK’s French bank account], passing AUKs [who “volunteered” to assist with entry checking] and especially to Peter Coulson who, excused his pond excavation duties, processed some one half of PB entries. Noel Simpson Validation Secretary You may like to compare the number of brevets validated in 1989 with those validated this year, but then you may not, however here they are: 50Km 100Km 150Km 200Km 300Km 1989 0208 2569 0257 2370 0287 1998 0448 5591 1155 3810 0596 1999 0335 5627 1134 3801 1085 400Km 600Km 1000Km Total 1989 0302 0142 0028 6163 1998 0503 0262 0017 12421 1999 0979 0572 0000 13533 Some 5500 of these brevets were also validated by ACP to enable 300 plus riders to enter the PBP, this was not the laborious task of previous years, the magic programme devised by Francis enabled the result sheets to be generated on the PC and then Emailed to ACP. A record of points gained by members through the season and a list of SRs is available (the S.R. list only includes A.U.K. members). Delays this year have been caused by the medal supplier, to prevent this being repeated in future the medal supplier has been changed. Bernard Mawson Permanents Validation Secretary Last year the number of permanents ridden was down due to a poor summer. In 1999 the numbers are up 10% from 524 to 577. This being a Paris - Brest - Paris year there were distinct busy & quiet periods throughout. Riders got in some early training through to the end of February, then it went quiet during qualifying to the end of June, became busy again as late training was done, falling quiet during the PBP & for a hyperactive few going daft afterwards. The unofficial permanent championship was won by Chris Avery with 57 points from 15 rides, most of which were ridden after PBP including 3 super randonnee series. I feel very sorry for his puir wee battered bear as passenger. The runners up were Ian Kendall with 54 points from 24 rides & Alan Withers with 53 points from 45 rides. Alan is still starting most of his rides in the evening, so for example a 600 is done in 2 nights & a day rather than 2 days & a night as most of us do. other notable tallies were 44 points to David Randerson, 41 to Steve Abraham, 38 to John Viney, 36 to David Crossland & 34 to Vicki Brown. Major rides of note during the year were the 10th Great Triangle run by David Crossland. This event has not so far been ridden by a lady, but I understand that at least one is seriously considering having a go. David Randerson did the Three Capitals 1500 two weeks after the Great Eastern 1000 but unfortunately his knees prevented him adding the End to End a fortnight after that. John Viney , to celebrate his birthday, and David Riach, to use up excess fitness after Paris, both did ride the End to End at randonneur pace in September. Clive Gibbins also completed the Great Eastern as did John Evans with Jack Eason whose bike gave mechanical problems to the extent that he had to buy a mountain bike to finish. Wessex Randonneurs again crossed the Channel for their Autumn PROFs gathering. This year a number of Audax Australia riders also rode some Channel hopper PROFs as final training for PBP. The most popular rides have been those of Peter Coulson whose Midlands Mesh linking with Sheila Simpson’s Peak & Plain series have received nearly 300 completions. New rides this year have been the Bryan Chapman 600, next Years National 400 ‘Kingdom Come’, several Irish PROFs in Dave Lewis’ series & an extension of Peter Coulson’s Middle Road series north to Lossiemouth. Regrettably, Andrew Manwell has decided to retire from organising his events and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking him for his efforts over the years & dreaming up such classics as the Applecross Grimpeur & the Snow Roads. The events themselves have not been retired as Jamie Batey in Aberdeen has kindly agreed to take them over & is in fact running the Snow Roads as a calendar event in 2000. Duncan Peet