Just a friendly reminder. PBP2011 pre-registration starts this weekend for riders who rode an ACP 1000km brevet or an RM 1200km (or longer) brevet in 2010. (Actually 11/2009-10/2010).

The instruction page for PBP pre-registration includes the pre-registration schedule.

The instructions indicate that riders will need rider affiliation, rider license number and homologation number of longest 2010 brevet, but I'm fairly certain that for riders' whose affiliation is "Foreign" (i.e., non-France), the rider license number is inapplicable.

RUSA members can find the homologation numbers of any 2010 US ACP (200, 300, 400, 600, 1000) or RM (1200 or longer) events by results search on RUSA website. Homologation numbers for non-US RM events can be found at http://www.lesrandonneursmondiaux.org/homologations2011.html. For non-US ACP events, riders will probably need to consult the event organizers.

For clarity - note that the ACP uses the term "homologation number" and the RUSA results search function will give you a "Cert. No." for your brevet result. These are the same thing.

For a 2010 1000km brevet, it's probably a number in the 6000s. For a 2010 RM 1200km+ brevet, its a number in the 4000s. In the case of an RM brevet, please just use the numeric part (ignore the leading "US-") when pre-registering.

Bengt from Sweden posted today that you will indicate your choice of start time at pre-registration but that it can be changed with the final registration in June.

You'll need a credit card for the pre-registration deposit and your certificate number. I think that the registration is supposed to open on 4/3 at midnight, which would be the previous afternoon here. No need to rush, however, because it's not possible for the US quota to fill up this weekend. We just didn't have that many 1000/1200 riders.

Mark Thomas

Patch it! RUSA members who have completed twelve consecutive Populaire rides, Dart rides or Permanent-Populaire rides to earn the P-12 award, are qualified to order a P-12 Patch. The P-12 Award is earned by riding a sub-200km randonneuring event in each of 12 consecutive months. The counting sequence can commence during any month of the year, but must continue uninterrupted for another 11 months. The P-12 patch is an embroidered, 3-inch round patch, which honors a long cycling tradition of completing an extra-long club ride and receiving a patch at the finish. This is the first-ever patch offered by Randonneurs USA.

The P-12 patch is available for purchase through the RUSA Online Store.

For details on the P-12 award go to http://www.rusa.org/award_p12.html.

As you know, PBP aspirants will be registering directly online with the ACP. RUSA will have no intermediary role as in past years. Members can easily obtain their certificate numbers for their applications on our website as a benefit of membership. Non-members must wait for their cards to be returned to them by the organizer. (The exception is foreign riders, for whom we provide their numbers as a courtesy.)

Please convey this to your friends who are aiming for PBP. It is in their interest that they be a RUSA member, starting with their first qualifier. The same advice holds true for US 1200k's requiring qualifiers in 2011.

RUSA would like to thank all the members who submitted thoughtful and creative designs to the RUSA PBP 2011 Jersey Contest. The selection committee chose the winning design (jersey #11) submitted by Mark Thomas, of Redmond, WA. Mark's design simply takes the official RUSA jersey and adds PBP 2011 design details in order to make this a RUSA collectable jersey. It's simple, straightforward and classic. Our members will be pleased to wear this special edition RUSA jersey at PBP and afterwards. As the PBP riders assemble in the field before each start, everyone will be able to recognize the Americans, when they see this familiar jersey, with a little French dressing. Congratulations, Mark!

This item is available by preorder only. Deadline to order is June 1. Visit the RUSA online store and order yours today.

Mark Thomas has pulled together information about PBP registration deadlines, the historical number of participants, and some statistics on US brevet participation. You can find the results of his research HERE.

Thanks Mark!

RUSA has a new award program called the P-12. Modeled after the R-12, this award is for members who ride a sub-200km randonneuring event in each of 12 consecutive months. Thanks go out to Bill Bryant for creating this excellent idea. You can read about how to qualify for this award at http://www.rusa.org/award_p12.html.

We are pleased to report that Mark Thomas has been elected and that Lois Springsteen has been reelected to the RUSA Board of Directors. John Lee Ellis has been reelected as the RBA Liaison. We express our thanks to all of the candidates who stood for election this fall.

RUSA is looking for a dynamic design for our PBP 2011 jersey.

The RUSA member with the winning design will get bragging rights and a free jersey.

Design entries must include the front and back of the jersey. Design artwork can be submitted as a PDF, JPG, or TIFF file. The design must include the RUSA logo and the PBP logo. The words Randonneurs USA and Paris-Brest-Paris must be incorporated into the design.

Submit your design via e-mail to souvenirs@rusa.org by Dec. 31, 2010.

The deadline for casting ballots in the RUSA Board election is October 15.

Details HERE.

The brochure announcing PBP 2011 is now available for download HERE (pdf).