QUESTIONNAIRE - HANDICAPPING OF CLUB EVENTS
The committee have reviewed statistics from the club’s time trials over the past two years and have concluded that handicapping for events has passed its time. It has gradually disappeared from the general time-trialling scene and we can detect no enthusiasm for it whatsoever from the participants in our club events.
There is no evidence that new riders are encouraged to compete because of handicaps. It is always the same names. The riders who ride in our events are the very same ones who also compete in open events (where there is no ‘fillip’ of handicapping). Furthermore we end up with riders being ‘rewarded’ in duplicate. In 2018 all bar one of the handicap podium places were taken by riders who also took the scratch podium places. In 2019 all bar five of the handicap podium places have been taken by riders who also took the scratch podium places. The plaques presented to riders at the annual awards evening contain a large degree of superfluous doubling up. This is expensive, time consuming and pointless.
We recommend that handicaps be retained for the Club 25 for which the splendid John Clapshaw Trophy is awarded to the handicap winner. This is an event with history and is worthy of retention.
We recommend that handicaps be removed from all events other than the Club 25.
Before moving to introduce this for the coming 2020 season we are seeking formal feedback and ask you to complete the questionnaire set out below.
There is no evidence that new riders are encouraged to compete because of handicaps. It is always the same names. The riders who ride in our events are the very same ones who also compete in open events (where there is no ‘fillip’ of handicapping). Furthermore we end up with riders being ‘rewarded’ in duplicate. In 2018 all bar one of the handicap podium places were taken by riders who also took the scratch podium places. In 2019 all bar five of the handicap podium places have been taken by riders who also took the scratch podium places. The plaques presented to riders at the annual awards evening contain a large degree of superfluous doubling up. This is expensive, time consuming and pointless.
We recommend that handicaps be retained for the Club 25 for which the splendid John Clapshaw Trophy is awarded to the handicap winner. This is an event with history and is worthy of retention.
We recommend that handicaps be removed from all events other than the Club 25.
Before moving to introduce this for the coming 2020 season we are seeking formal feedback and ask you to complete the questionnaire set out below.
