Report courtesy of Cycling Ulster, photos of David Mc Veigh( BP Media Team) with thanks to both

The current legislation is under review by the relevant authorities following an incident at the 2019 Road Nationals Championships. As an interim measure and in order to retain the valued support of the PSNI, Cycling Ulster and Cycling Ireland are working with the authorities to introduce and deliver an Accredited Marshal Scheme. This scheme will be part of the process of mitigation of risks identified and will be in addition to the changes in the assessment and selection of road racing courses. As we move forward all road races will need to be reviewed in order to take cognisance of the identified risks and will need to be agreed upon with Cycling Ireland and delivered in conjunction with the PSNI requirements for an effective event safety plan, traffic management plan, and risk assessments.

Accredited Marshal Scheme – Road Racing

Cycling Ireland’s Strategic Objective 1.6 outlines the organisation’s ambition to improve cycling safety across the island of Ireland. The Accredited Marshal Scheme will help to improve event safety, further improve the quality of sanctioned events, and enhance participant’s experience and enjoyment of Cycling Ireland sanctioned events. On successful completion of the course, accredited marshals will have the legal right to stop traffic at authorised road races. The scheme has the support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of Infrastructure for Northern Ireland and will be accredited through LANTRA.
Selection of suitable roads for racing
Cycling road race courses will be selected in a manner to provide reassurance to the PSNI that all safety measures have been considered with the delivery of a detailed event plan which must include the location of qualified marshals, signage, and traffic management plans. It is important to recognise that roads will remain open to the public therefore, courses should be primarily on quiet rural roads on an anti-clockwise loop. Competitors must abide by the highway code including always remaining on the correct side of the road. Race Commissaires can disqualify any rider for breaking the highway code.

Accredited Marshal Scheme Training

The course is accredited through LANTRA and everyone who successfully completes the course will receive a certificate to identify them as an authorised person.
The course itself is broken into 3 easy parts:
Stage 1: Introductory presentation – this is a presentation sent to anyone who is interested in completing the course and will be emailed out a few weeks prior to stage 2 so that they can assess whether or not they would like to complete the full course. This section is designed to introduce participants to the role of an Accredited Marshal and the legislation that supports the role. It will provide participants with a clear understanding of what is covered in the program and the requirements of the role. If the person wishes to continue onto stage 2 they should inform their club or Cycling Ireland to be booked onto the next available course.
Stage 2: Classroom style training – this section will include further detail on road traffic legislation, risk assessment, and health & safety will be provided. Classroom learning will include assessment before being considered as competent for the role. Include theoretical and practical information on the use of radios, deploying to stop traffic safely and how to respond to various scenarios, including conflict from drivers or an accident /incident. All participants will be required to take a written knowledge check and a practical
Stage 3: This part of the process is designed to ensure continuous development and retention of the skills as an Accredited Road Marshal. Participants will be required to complete two reflective logs annually showing evidence of practical deployments, continuous learning, and competence in the role.

Initial Accredited Marshal Scheme Training Days are available as follows:
Saturday 5th February 2022 – 09.30hrs – 14.00hrs
Saturday 19th February 2022 – 09.30hrs – 14.00hrs
Saturday 5th March 2022 – 09.30hrs – 14.00hrs
Saturday 19th March 2022 – 09.30hrs – 14.00hrs
Locations to be confirmed.