A plan update

We haven't managed to reach our target of 25 signups by April 5th :-/

Nevertheless… there's enthusiasm to make this race happen, and with our (as of 2019-04-09) ~18 signups, we can still make it happen — with some adjustments.

Because of the smaller scale, there will be some necessary changes to the format. This will result in some important differences in the areas of Timorese sponsorship and how funds will be allocated. The smaller the event is, the fewer amenities that can be provided without major cost to participants. Previous MTB events in Timor have been able to provide many incentives to Timorese national riders due to the scale of their operation. Things such as a like per diem (daily pocket money), lots of prize money across many categories, safety assurances with road closures and on site medical services, and UCI internationally recognized accreditation have come to be expected by some national riders. While we are excited to provide a "basic expense free" event for dedicated national riders, there is no way that an event of our scale could provide incentives beyond this – nor would we necessarily want to. We have had contact with interested Timorese riders at every step along the planning process, but are still unsure of the number who would actually follow through with riding in the Timor Detour. This means that given current signup numbers, we’ll have to let go of the “buy one give one” system originally envisioned as the number of Timorese riders is unlikely to match the number of other participants.

We don’t think it’s a good idea to coax hesitant riders into joining, so we are going to focus on providing a great (and affordable) event for those who are dedicated and “in it for the ride”.

On top of that, for people who want to donate without riding — that's entirely possible.

The current plan of a participant’s $185 entry fee going towards food, water, luggage transportation, Timorese lodging (in the form of private tents) and bike repair, and various forms of memorabilia stands fast. Any money left over from the entrance fees will be used to provide a prize bike or prize money, and possibly some other charitable goal, the latter only if all donors and entry-fee paying riders agree.