John Johnson – Our Chief Official in Georgia Resigns

January 30, 2010 -
It's a sad day today; amidst rumors of John Johnson resigning as a USAC Chief official and the GBRA board it has apparently been confirmed. John was a huge supporter of bike racing in Georgia as well as the Georgia Cup Bike Race Series (www.georgiacup.com) - he will be missed on all levels.

As a Head Official he brought organization, leadership, discipline & commitment to our sport and races we're better for it. On the GBRA board he brought the same keen leadership that has been paramount to our success in Georgia Bike Racing.

John, on behalf of the Georgia Cup, Spincycle Sports and myself personally I want to thank you. Thank you for always being available, your leadership and your professionalism. My hope is that future Moto/Officials will learn from your leadership and model their officiating after you.

Respectfully,

James Lowe


(John Johnson's announcement below)

To: Georgia Racers and Promoters

Thank you for a wonderful "ride" over the years. As most of you know, I have had the opportunity to be Head Official, Moto Official, Upgrade Coordinator and a racer in Georgia for many years. I have enjoyed working with riders, promoters, and helping to develop the sport both at the state level and regionally. It has been a pleasure to see riders develop from beginners to exceptional racers and from juniors into outstanding young men and women. Over the years I have joked with, yelled at, hopefully motivated, and, probably at one time or another, infuriated most of the racers and promoters in Georgia. My primary goal was always to improve the riders, improve the racing, and at all times to provide for the safety of the racers.

Some of the best times I can remember are at the races, standing on the sidelines, on my motorcycle watching the race from best seat in the house, or on the saddle of my bike. I count a good number of you as personal friends and I think it is time a share a decision I have made and try to explain why I have made it.

I have decided to not renew my USA Cycling official’s license. Coincidental with that I am no longer qualified to my GABRA board seat as the Officials' Representative and I have resigned my board seat. Since upgrades are GABRA’s responsibility I have also abdicated my responsibility as upgrade coordinator.

The catalyst for this decision was a couple of new requirements instituted by Shawn Farrell, Technical Director for USA Cycling affecting motorcycle officials beginning in 2010. The net effect of the two new requirements was virtually every moto official in Georgia was disqualified from officiating on a motorcycle. I personally feel the moto crew we have in Georgia has done an outstanding job and by virtue of their efforts have made the races substantially safer than officials in passenger vehicles. I can list time after time when we could have had major occurrences except for the presence and sometime heroic efforts of a moto official. By virtue of the crews constancy, riders also know how rules are applied and can race knowing the rules will be applied to everyone. I think this makes for better racing.

I have been working with Stuart Lamp, the Southeast Regional Coordinator and through him with USAC's headquarters in Colorado to try and get these rules modified and or at least phased in so we can field what I believe to be adequate official crews. I also penned a letter directly to Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful in my efforts. Given the lack of motorcycles, I feel the races will not be as safe as they have been for the riders or for the officials personally. . As such, I have decided to not renew and to step out of a leadership position in Georgia racing.

I wish Dan Coy, GABRA President, and the other remaining board members the best during 2010 and hope you give them the support you have given me over the years. Dan will be assigning a new upgrade coordinator as quickly as possible. Because I love cycling, you will still see me around on my bicycle so please say hello and share a draft.

Thank you all for some very good times
John Johnson















Source: sadlebred

2010 Chattanooga RR & TT Course Changes

ROAD RACE - NOW FINISHES at the Top of Dougherty Gap Road (Behind parking area). The RR will be on Saturday followed by the Time Trial in the Cove.



New COVE Time Trial - Saturday afternoon after the Road Race

2nd Annual Jittery Joe's Fall Classic Century

2nd Annual Jittery Joe's Fall Classic Century
Featuring a Terrapin Beer Tour
Saturday, October 17, 2009
10:00am

Where: Ride starts and finishes at Terrapin Brewery in Athens (265 Newton
Bridge Road, Athens, GA)

Course: This is a metric century ride with two course options, 62 miles
and 31 miles. The ride starts/finishes at Terrapin and winds through
scenic Clarke County. There is also a Family Fun ride option (6 miles).

Registration: $30 per person before October 10, 2009; $35 after. Entry fee
for family fun ride is $10 regardless of group size (does not include
shirt). Register by mailing completed form (make checks payable to Athens
Area Habitat for Humanity) or online at www.active.com. Registration and
packet pickup begins at 8:30 am on 10/17. For riders 21+, registration
includes t-shirt, special edition Terrapin pint glass, and Terrapin tour.
For participants under 21, registration includes a t-shirt and water
bottle.

For additional information contact Athens Area Habitat at 706-208-1001.

The 5th Annual 2009 Tour de Gaps – EPIC Time Trial & Road Race

In 2 weeks (Saturday, September 19 - TT & Sunday, September 20 -RR) in Dahlonega, GA is the last Georgia Road Bike Race weekend of 2009!

Dahlonega is located 30 minutes North of Alpharetta on GA400.


The 5th Annual TOUR de GAPS has 2 great events.

1. Saturday morning is the Wolfpen GAP 7.5 mile Time Trial. Racers park at Suches Elementary School and begin their grueling trek from the Suches “Store Stop”. Don’t let the first 3 miles of rolling terrain fool you – while it is obviously not as challenging as the last 3.5 up the front side Wolfpen Gap it could make or break your quest for Georgia’s KOM TT Championship. This is an individual Time Trial NOT a group start like last year. Start Times will be posted by 7pm, Friday, September 11, 2009 (www.georgiacup.com) on the homepage under “TT Start Times”. You will finish at the top of Wolfpen gap then proceed back to the parking (Out -Finish & Back -Parking). It is approx 7.5 miles to the Top of Wolfpen and 7.5 miles back to parking (total 15 miles). Awards will be presented for CAT racers AND Age Group Winners! http://twitpic.com/gc4hq
2. Sunday morning is the EPIC TdGaps Road Race. YES, EPIC. The ProAm will race over 90 miles through some of the most challenging terrain in the Southeast. While the Elite and Competitive fields are racing around 50 miles, I can assure you that in those 50 miles you will enjoy every turn of your crank. All 3 categories finish at the top of the back side of Wolfpen Gap – opposite side of the TT. Parking is at the same location as the TT – When you finish you will just continue straight 7.5 miles to the parking and wait for results. Plaques will be presented to each categories Georgia KOM Road Race Champion & Top 3 will all receive custom Awards- http://twitpic.com/gc4hq
3. Race Categories – A = Proam (Pro123), B = Elite (All CAT 3’s, CAT 2’s & 4’s that are 30 year’s old & older and CAT 1’s that are 45+)
4. Women race the EPIC TdGAPS RR for FREE. Register, then at check out use this code: tdgaps09-women-rr. (Does not include TT) Winner in each category will receive a custom TdGaps Award - http://twitpic.com/gc4hq



Race homepage – http://georgiacup.com/races.php?id=7
Register here – http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9076
Race flier & directions - http://georgiacup.com/files/misc/7.pdf
Confirmed riders - http://www.bikereg.com/events/ConfList.asp?EventID=9076

ALL MAPS with Elevation can be found on the “Race Homepage”.

For instant updates, exciting pictures, Video and important things you need to know about the Georgia Cup and racing in the Southeast follow us on TWITTER!

http://twitter.com/tr1daddy



Get acquainted to the NEW categories that Spincycle has for the Tour de Gaps because these will be the same categories all Georgia Cup & Spincycle Bike racing events will offer in 2010.

Rationale: Better & more exciting racing in Georgia. Incorporating an A B C category system has been proven in other parts of the country and Europe to work very well. It will make racing more challenging & Fun with larger fields! If field sizes are larger than 75 – 100 we will may split the fields randomly. We will not split fields unless safety is an issue. That’s it. BRING IT.

2009 GA State Age Group Time Trial Championships & GCTT Series Finale

Next weekend (Saturday, September 12) in Adairsville, GA is the last Georgia Cup Time Trial of 2009! It is also the Georgia State Time Trial Championships.

Adairsville is located 20 – 30 minutes North of Marietta on I-75 & 30 – 40 minutes South of Chattanooga.


1. GCTT Series Custom Awards to Top Overall Series Leaders
2. GCTT “VIP” awards to the GCTT’s biggest supporters
3. GCTT Championship (This event – not the series) - Winners Receive custom GC jersey (Must have a minimum of 5 competitors in category) – Do NOT have to be a GA resident.
4. Georgia State Age Group Championships receive custom Awards(GA residents only) - http://twitpic.com/gdgf6



Race homepage – http://www.georgiacup.com/races.php?series=tt&id=19
Register here – http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7745
Race flier & directions - http://www.georgiacup.com/files/09tt/09TT-11.pdf
Confirmed riders - http://www.bikereg.com/events/ConfList.asp?EventID=7745

For instant updates, exciting pictures, Video and important things you need to know about the Georgia Cup and racing in the Southeast follow us on TWITTER!

http://twitter.com/tr1daddy



Background: In 2007 the GC was approached to start a Time Trial series. We researched and concluded that a TT series in GA would be an excellent project for us. So, in 2009 with the support of ATS, ALL3SPORTS & TURN-KEY TIMING we started the series. Trials are NOT easy to time & get out results quickly, much less instantly like we have done for every GCTT this year. With the special assistance from Turn-Key Timing we exceeded all expectations. It is very rare to race in a TT (Much less a TTT) and get results with your Elapsed Time, Avg Speed, Category Rank and Overall Rank all before you get changed. Then have results posted online before you leave the parking lot. Last, with the help of Dalton Awards & Trophy’s we developed “NEW” custom awards – Bag Tags. Some use them as coasters.

Our goal in 2010 is to continue to provide quality Time Trial events that the entire family can enjoy. While we will reduce the total amount of TT’s, there will be a lot more variety. Race distances will be as short as 5k and as long as 40k.

So, it now time for me to get onboard with all the Tweets……. Now follow the In’s and Out’s of the GC on Twitter.

Beginning this weekend I will test my iPhone TwitterFon during the Georgia Cup Adairsville Time Trial. Giving you instant updates to all the GCTT Series leaders. Later check out the results on www.georgiacup.com.

Later, September 19 – 20th, I will Tweet the Tour de Gaps Stage race. Letting you know who’s who among the Southeast’s best climbers!

Go to http://twitter.com/jclowe3 to follow me and the Georgia Cup

2009 Georgia Cup – Gainesville Grand Prix Winner Dustin Mealor!

It seemed like the perfect time to attack – and that was exactly what Dustin did. He ATTACKED the field with big names like Cesar Grajales of Rock Racing & Eric Murphy racing for United Healthcare. Dustin didn’t just win the race he rode off the front and lapped the field with hundreds of cheering spectators and a Band playing in the back ground. After the race a spectator said, “Wow, to win a GC with a field like that is Huge but under the lights with everyone screaming must have been electrifying”. Congrats Dustin, you deserved it. http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/21317/ http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/21330/

www.georgiacup.com