Velo Promo

Riders, Officials and other Friends: Given the continuing issues with Covid 19 here in California, and given State and local health and other county and city agencies’ mandates and advisements, Velo Promo feels it has no choice but to cancel the remainder of our racing season for 2020, and hope for a better year and a return to racing in 2021. We have one possible exception, the Athlone TT scheduled for Sept 5, south of Merced. Merced County has not yet given us a permit for... the race, but if they do, we think we can operate the race under the guidelines and with the safety and health of all concerned. (It will take the cooperation of everyone to make it work, including early pre-entry only, and we may need to cancel a week ahead if the numbers indicate that riders don’t want to gather and race under current conditions and restrictions). The 12 racing days we have had in 2020 (Early Birds, Cantua, Pine Flat, Snelling, Merced and Madera) may be all that we can do this year, and we are sorry that we cannot do our other 18 planned events. If we can financially survive until next year, we plan to be back with all 30 race days (including Santa Cruz, Copperopolis, Patterson Pass, Dunnigan, Winters, Il Giro, Oakland and the rest) on the Northern California Schedule in 2021. Thank you for your support of, and participation in Velo Promo’s races since 1978. --Robert Leibold

The NCNCA Board would like your input as we continue to work alongside race promoters to determine the feasibility of holding races later this summer/early fall. Please take a few minutes to answer 8 questions and share your opinions (but please only take the survey once). https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ncncacovid

The Watsonville criterium, annual since 1976, will not take place in 2020 due to Covid-19. We have to postpone to 2021. (Sigh)

Well, Easter Sunday, and this year no relaxation after a hard fought Copperopolis Road Race. In fact, no Copperopolis RR at all, for the first time since 1982. This COVID -19 thing is causing a lot of cancellations and postponements, including our own Wards Ferry, Santa Cruz and Copperopolis, and in all likelihood, Regalado and Leesville as well. (Watsonville in July is still up in the air, but unlikely). In addition, most group training rides (emphasis on the non-social-di...stancing word group) are in abeyance, and should be. A lot of races and other events are jockeying for position in the few dates left in the fall, presuming that the virus threat will have subsided, but there aren’t that many open dates, and many races (like Copper) are just waiting for next year. The crew at Velo Promo hopes that you are able to self-isolate and to train when possible, and stay in mental and physical shape for the eventual end of restrictions and resumption of a life something like normal. We plan to be back when the dust lifts. Stay well, wash your hands, and take heart, there will be bicycle racing again. --Robert Leibold

It looks like the health issues surrounding covid19 will force the cancellation of this year's Copperopolis race. We plan to bring it back on its usual day-before-Easter date in 2021. Hopefully things will ease before Regalado, Leesville and Watsonville and the Cal Cup in the coming months, and the racing season can get a fresh start. Stay healthy, Robert Leibold

Due to the Coronavirus issues and state and local guidelines, the Santa Cruz Classic Criterium has been postponed, ideally to Sept 13, subject to the city of Santa Cruz. The issues surrounding the virus are too important to ignore, and the health of riders, spectators and the general public all weigh in on this decision.