TOMR – Selection, Participation and Finances 2023

So you have decided to sign up for the Tour of Margaret River!

Please review and read the following T&Cs so you understand the financial requirements as well as guidelines regarding selection and participation.

What and why

SPR is a cycling club run by volunteers with objectives including promoting interest in cycling and providing pathways into organised racing.

The Tour of Margaret River (the “TOMR”) is the pinnacle of road cycling for many of the club’s riders. There is a natural cost in regard to entry fees, booking accommodation and t-shirts that requires upfront payments. The club makes these up front payments on our rider’s behalf and the club co-ordinates the TOMR as a zero-profit event. Riders withdrawing at the last minute leading up to the event means that the club could be in a position to suffer a loss of money.

Keep in mind also that the TOMR is organised entirely by members who volunteer their time to make this happen.

Selection and participation

The club has prepared the following guidelines to explain the rider team selection process, participation and finances for the TOMR:

  1. The club will seek applications from SPR members who wish to participate in the TOMR, and provide grading/selection into teams of similarly skilled and capable participants. Where possible, the club will field women’s, men’s and mixed teams across a range of levels.
  2. Participants will be required to pay the TOMR SPR fee and will be provided the option to pay in one instalment or 3 equal instalments.
  3. Participants who opt to book separate accommodation at the resort will be required to pay a 25% deposit equal to the cost of the room on the date of the second instalment in clause 2, and the balance 2 weeks before the start of the TOMR.
  4. Participants are required to abide by the rules of the resort and leave the room in a clean and undamaged state. Any damage to the room will be charged to the team or individual participant as the case may be.
  5. In recognition of fairness toward all participants, all participants agree that team accommodation will not be used to house any other persons unless this has been agreed in advance with the race committee.
  6. The club will seek to obtain volunteers, optimally one per team, to assist riders with the TOMR. Be kind to them! These kind folk will be volunteering their time. The club will seek to cover the cost of their accommodation in the fees charged to racing participants.
  7. The club will provide advice and training opportunities via the website and through the club’s regular training rides. Teams will be encouraged and supported to train and prepare together for the race itself. In particular, support will be provided to new racers to ensure that what can be a daunting prospect is made as easy as possible.
  8. All participants agree to work together with their team toward reasonable and agreed training objectives.
  9. All participants shall be respectful and act in an appropriate manner to fellow participants, volunteers and the SPR organisers.
  10. The club will provide a comprehensive race guide to assist participants understand the race overall as well as the specific stages, locations etc.
  11. The club will also seek to hold at least one briefing session for members to assist them in their preparation.
  12. The club will use STACK TEAM APP as its method of communication to participants. Participants will be required to use the app.
  13. The club will provide on-the-day race support through team volunteers and the SPR tents/vans/eskies central to the start/finish as appropriate.
  14. Participants shall be required to wear the provided sponsorship jersey or in the case where sponsorship is not achieved the current issued SPR club jersey at the riders expense.
  15. Participants are expected to ride the Jarrahdale Team Time Trial, unless agreed with the race committee by 31 July 2023.
  16. Participants who have nominated themselves for a social race team are responsible for finding replacements if any rider withdraws. The team will also handle any fees associated with replacing a team member and/or team. To maintain fairness, all participants agree not to use team accommodation to house anyone not part of the team, unless prior approval is obtained from the club committee.

Giving back

In recognition of the significant commitment the club makes to ensure TOMR is well supported for participants, we request that all participants make themselves available as a volunteer at least once during the year for other races or events conducted by the club.

In the past, this has been the Beverley Handicap – this year, we hope to have all TOMR entrants participating in the Jarrahdale Team Trial specifically targeting the lead-up to the TOMR.

We are considering organising the Cycling State Crit Championships, SPR Water Tower Challenge or gravel event, so we would expect those not competing to assist on that day.

Please aim to find a way to volunteer to support the club.

In the circumstance that you need to withdraw

We recognise that circumstances change, and that for various reasons people need to withdraw from the TOMR after having committed, and in particular after having paid money.

However, we do note that withdrawals, particularly those which occur close to the event present real challenges to the club in terms of finding appropriate, fit, skilled, available riders who are in a financial position to make themselves available for the event.

In particular, after teams have been training together for some period, it can be particularly challenging to find replacement riders who fit specific teams in terms of skill and ability.

As such, the club will utilise the following principles to manage withdrawals:

  1. Any required, or potentially required, withdrawals should be notified to the club as early as possible.
  2. The club does not seek to make profit from participants who withdraw.
  3. Where withdrawals occur before 1st September 2023, a full refund of the TOMR SPR fee (less payment fees) will be made without question.
  4. After this cut-off, the club agrees to work together collaboratively with the withdrawing participant to arrange a replacement participant, recognising that both parties may contribute effectively to finding a replacement.
  5. Where a suitable replacement is identified and fully pays the TOMR SPR fees, the club will refund all TOMR SPR fees (less any payment fees) paid to the withdrawing participant.
  6. The club and the withdrawing participant recognise that it is particularly difficult to find a rider so close to the event, who is a good fit for a team in terms of fitness and ability. Therefore it may be necessary to provide a subsidised participation TOMR SPR fee to the incoming rider. As such, the club and the withdrawing participant agree to work together to this end. In this case, the club will refund all TOMR SPR fees (less any payment fees) paid less any agreed subsidy.

Questions

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

The website for the South Perth Cycle Club