Mountain bike racing is riding the crest of a wave in the Eastern Region with the Mud Sweat & Gears (MSG) series, enduros, and midweek grass roots events.
We talk to Averil Milligan who is one of the commissaires who has worked tirelessly to ensure the race calendar can go ahead.
Averil is a long time racer who starting out back in 1986 on a Specialized Rockhopper which she still owns and wasn’t quite ready to hang up her racing wheels and so has combined racing and commissairing throughout the 2013 season.
Averil talks about the MSG series
"I’m pleased to be able to help support the MSG series as the organisers have not only put a lot of effort into running a growing series but have specifically promoted riding for female and youth riders.
The MSG series has a real family feel to it as a result of the mix of age groups and the way the schedule is structured. I think this helps keep the atmosphere friendly and relaxed; the red mist moments are few and far between. Most of the senior riders show respect and consideration both to their peers at the sharp end of the race and those they are hurtling past en route to the podium. We set expectations about rider consideration and looking after our course environments with all age groups.
I believe that being an active rider gives me a good appreciation of the most high risk parts of a course or event; course sections that may be difficult for certain ability groups and where rider behaviour may be potentially problematic.
Not being a local, I have found commissairing has been a positive way of me getting know riders from across the region and hopefully contributing to their race experience being safe and positive. It has brought me much closer to the racing scene and I have enjoyed seeing the progression of the juveniles and juniors as they get stronger each season however the real highlight is the very young riders. Some of them are tiny but the improvement and the sense of purpose they show has been fantastic.
The coaching program has made a massive difference to their technical skills and every last one of them gets huge support from the parents and other riders. I believe providing racing across all the age groups and expertise levels is positive for all of these groups and supports the concept of a mountain biking community".
MSG Series organiser, Matt Ewings, is full of praise for Averil’s approach and professionalism
“Without Averil’s commitment we would have really struggled to run the whole of the MSG Series this year. Having a commissaire who is also a racer is a great asset to the event team because we can get first hand feedback on how the course is racing and any amendments that may be needed. Not only does she ride and commissaire, she also made us a chocolate cake as a thank you at the end of last season!”
With Averil clearly keen to keep her skills levels up and still enjoying her racing there is some good news around the future of MTB commissairing in the region with an Assistant MTB XC Commissaire course being held this month.
The response has been amazing with many potential commissaires lined up for training. Graham Elliott (Regional Commissaire and involved in the MSG organising team) is determined that his vision of a team of well trained, well supported and competent commissaires can now begin to take shape.
“We are looking to use the MSG series as a mechanism to provide newly trained commissaires with race experience in a well-run and structured environment. The three most active Regional Commissaires have agreed to take a third of our new trainees under their respective wings post training, providing advice and a support network to sustain their development. We have a good variety of events from grass roots to National level and a full calendar throughout the year so trainee commissaires can get a decent spread of experience”.
