SubmittedThe Test of Metal is still a few months away, but the organizers of the 67-kilometre mountain bike race have already been hard at work with epic planning sessions, according to a news release sent Tuesday morning (April 1).At the Test of Metal's first executive meeting, things got a little heated when the motion was made to give all the Test Pilots a 500 per cent pay increase. The rationale behind the motion was "to encourage more top level people to get involved in executive positions for this event," said motion originator Joanne Sykes. "We are underpaid for the work we do so I feel this raise is in line for what we could be making in the open labour market." The motion passed almost unanimously, opposed only by Test of Metal Inc.'s President Cliff Miller.On the heels of this decision, Miller announced that he will be stepping down after the 2008 race season is over. Miller, who holds dual Canadian/U.S. citizenship, intends to capitalize on his American roots and will be moving to his former home of Cleveland, Ohio where he intends to pursue politics. "I see this as a positive move for myself and my family Squamish has been good to me over the last 20 years but it is time to move on to a bigger challenge," stated Miller.Also, in attempting to alleviate some of the bottlenecks at the start of the race it was decided to move the start line from the Brennan Park Recreation Centre parking lot a few hundred metres away to the all-weather soccer fields for a Le Mans style start, which is used by some of the other marathon mountain bike races. However, ever the trendsetter, the Test of Metal will incorporate a shoe scramble into the start. The idea is that all the racers will line up across the goal line, run to centre field to get find their shoes and then run to the other goal line get on their bikes and continue on with the race. It is hoped that by going with this style of start, the amount of back-ups racers will encounter on Jack's Trail and Rock and Roll will be minimized.The reason for even starting discussion of the change to the start began due to new regulations put out by the Ministry of Transportation and Highways related to the upgrades taking place on Highway 99. The requirement for the race being held this year was that the highway be kept open in both directions and that racers cross the Mamquam River Bridge on the pedestrian sidewalk in single line fashion and be under the 30 km/h speed posting on the bridge during this time of construction.Test of Metal Inc. has also requested that the District of Squamish enter into discussions with the local horse riders who use many of the same trails that the race does to insure that in the weeks leading up to the race all the horses are equipped with a special "horse diaper" to control the amount of horse manure that accumulates on the trails. District of Squamish trails coordinator Todd Pope said: "most of the horse riders are receptive to the idea no matter how embarrassed the horses themselves may be by wearing a diaper."The Test of Metal takes place in Squamish, B.C. on June 14. For more information, go to www.testofmetal.com.
