June 17/04 8:00 am - Message from the CCA President

Posted by Editoress on 06/17/04
 

Message from the CCA President June 17, 2004

Hello,
Now that we're in the middle of the cycling season, it's time for an update from the Board.

Before beginning I would like to recognize the effort and accomplishments of our athletes and their supporters so far this season. We've seen some super achievements in all disciplines, especially from the women. In one week alone Canadians won World Championship medals in track, won a road World Cup, and placed 2-3-4 in a World Cup Mountain Bike race. WOW! Both road and mountain bike men have had a lot of success in North American races, in particular. The road men achieved one key goal, three Olympic spots, by collecting enough UCI points to place Canada in the top 30 countries. Now as we move into the middle of the season, I look forward to action closer to home with World Cup Mountain Bike races and the three national Championships. Then our attention focuses away again on the Olympics and World Championships. Good luck to all!

Now on to Board issues. First, we just received word that Pierre Hutsebaut will be on medical leave for at least two more months. Brett Stewart has agreed continue filling in as Acting Director General. Please join me in extending get well wishes to Pierre and in supporting Brett and the rest of the CCA staff through this period.

On April 23/24 we held our last Board meeting in Vancouver. Two highlights of general interest from that meeting were: 1) plans for Board member representation at National Championships and International events in Canada and 2) tentative strategic planning process and timelines.

The Board decided that it is important to establish a greater presence at key domestic events. This is a chance for the Board members to represent the CCA and to obtain feedback from the membership. We have set up this schedule with a view to minimizing costs since many of the Board members live close to these events or are planning to attend as competitors. Please note that various CCA staff and other committee members will be in attendance at many of these events.

• May 29 - Montreal Women's Road WC - Pierre Thibault
• June 24-27 - Kamloops Road Nationals - Bill Kinash
• June 26/27 - Mont St. Anne MTB WC - Lesley Tomlinson
• July 3-4 - Calgary MTB WC - Bill Kinash & Loyal Ma
• July 17-18 - Mont St. Anne MTB Nationals - TBA (Thibault or Harnett)
• Aug 5-8 - Victoria Track Nationals - John Tolkamp
• Aug 28-29 - St Jean sur Richelieu BMX Nationals - Pierre Thibault
• Nov 6 - Dieppe Cyclo Cross Nationals - Andreas Hestler

As the current quadrennial (four year cycle) draws to a close, it is time to start thinking ahead. Our last formal strategic planning session was held in fall 2001. That plan has been updated annually as we neared the Olympics. However, now is the time to critically evaluate all of the CCA programs and set a new direction for the 2005-2010 planning cycle. We are tentatively planning to add a day to each of the fall Board, committee, athlete council, and Interprovincial Council meetings to conduct this strategy. This will be the chance to review priorities in all areas such as high performance and development, our relationships with the provinces and the National cycling centers and our communication and marketing direction.

Before closing I would like to welcome two new provincial presidents appointed since the AGM. Mark Foster takes over at Bicycle NS while Dave Barkley is the new Manitoba Cycling Association chief. Congratulations to you both!

As always, please feel free to call or email me with any questions, ideas, or concerns.
Cheers,
Bill Kinash
CCA President