Well, well….a few changes coming our way. And we know some of you would have been hanging out for Dan Andrew’s announcement on Monday. This easing of restrictions will bring about some relief, some joy about being able to see and interact with others and some sanity at being able to escape some of the monotony of homelife. But it will also bring about some stress at yet more change, some anxiety as we begin the first steps back to the ‘old way’ and some confusion and potential breaches as those navigate their way through. Let’s try and be clear about our plan going forward…
We will begin a deliberate and phased roll-out of our group sessions. They will all abide by the government restrictions and we will not be looking for loopholes or grey areas to take advantage of. Just because you can go outside or you can meet up in groups of 10, doesn’t mean it is right for everyone or it can be done safely. This is why we will always err on the side of caution. This will be in everyone’s best interests – you, our squad and the wider community as a whole. But we understand that there will be plenty of people who really need this as well.
In the first instance we will bring back some run sessions. You can read all the specific details about these below.
However, we will not be encouraging group ride sessions at this stage. To adhere to the 1.5m social distancing rule, you would need to ride in single file. This would be problematic on say Beach Rd, where numerous cyclists will be wanting to be out (especially given the weather forecast). It will open up groups to drop ins, tag alongs, unsafe manoeuvrers and potential breakings of guidelines.
Cycling Victoria sent out some very sensible communication yesterday advising against bunch riding. And we agree:
As we all know, bunch riding is safest when it is a tight, cohesive and continuous cycling unit, this cannot be achieved under the current social distancing guidelines of 1.5 metres.
This is also in line with Vic Road Laws, which state that cyclists should not be more than 1.5m apart when riding two abreast. For these reasons, outdoor group rides will be rolled out at a later date. You can read the full article here.
We will continue with our full GO SOLO program and timetable until such time as we receive further advice that it is safe to return to more group sessions.
To understand this better, Ollie will be online for a LIVE address with athletes at 6pm this Friday. He will go through the roll out plan, our philosophy and answer any questions that you may have (link to this session below). This will be book-ended by HAPPY HOUR, so make sure you grab your favourite bevvie and join us for a social catch up as well. No formal stretching/yoga this Friday, unless you feel like doing it with drink in hand!
To round out this week’s edition, we’ve brought back Meet the TA family and we really enjoyed listening to Ash Gentle and Josh Amberger on how they are tackling the iso feels.
And last but definitely not least….we have Goal Setting on tonight! The General is prepped and ready to go, so join him at 7:30pm using the link below.
