Age group racing will be replaced by an ability based A, B, C group racing system for

the 2010 season. This new system will be similar in structure to that commonly

used in region’s cyclocross racing series. Within the system Club members will, at

the start of the season, have the option to select the group in which they want to

race. In order for this new system to work effectively the Board is asking all Club

members to honestly evaluate their fitness, and thoughtfully consider their racing

skills, before choosing a racing group. Keep in mind the system will work only if

members are willing to remove their ego from the self-evaluation process to

objectively assess their ability, fitness and skill. To that end the Board suggests

the following criteria be considered.

First, bike racing is more than just riding fast or hanging on to the back of the

pack. Tactics are an integral part of racing. Being part of the race involves more

than holding a wheel and always following a move. Instigating and attacking are key

elements of racing, and to be part of the event means to initiate the moves and be

an opportunistic player in the race’s aggression. If all a rider ever does is hang on

to the back of the pack, then a rider is never really racing, Instead, such a rider is

serving merely as pack filler and proving a sweaty, tired body for other riders to

beat. Please realistically assess your racing abilities and select the racing group

in which you can be a viable competitor to challenge not only your fitness, but to

employ your tactical skills as well.

Second, the weekend Breakfast Rides promote a sense of natural selection in

suggesting which group a rider may viably compete. Riders who regularly ride in

early the group should consider racing in the B or C group. Similarly, those who ride

with the late group but are frequently dropped, may find greater reward by

competing with the B group. Likewise, riders who can sit in with the late group, but

are seldom at the front, may find new rewards in racing by assuming the role of

aggressors and instigators in competing with the B group

Third. the USCF license category a rider holds may serve as one of the strongest

indicators as to which group a rider should race. Cat 5 riders in their first season

of racing should consider the C group. Cat 5 riders with multiple seasons of racing

experience may opt for the challenges of the B group, as should Cat 4 riders. Any

rider with a Cat 3 license or above will be an A group competitor.

Fourth, in beginning the 2010 season a rider’s overall results from the 2009 season

may also suggest what group would best serve an individual's racing aspirations. All

riders who finished in the top three of their respective age groups will most likely

race the A group. In similar fashion anyone who frequently placed in the top five of

their age group when they raced should consider racing the A group. In short, if in

age group races you played the role of race dictator, then race the A group. If,

instead, you played the role of subject to the race, then race the B group.

Of course, a plethora of exceptions may be made with these indicators. For

example, life circumstances can easily change from one season to the next. One

year a rider can be a top contender in the A group, but following an off-season of

life filled with everything but training, a self-imposed downgrade may be in order.

Also, as an option with the focus on mentorship and rider development, an A group

rider could regularly ride with the B or C group not for the purpose of competing,

but in providing coaching and instruction while racing.

Please be honest in your self assessment. If you’re a rider with experienced skills

and strong fitness, then race the A group. If you’re a rider with intermediate

abilities and developing fitness, then race the B group and have the goal of moving

up to the A group the following season. Riders new to the sport or new to racing

are strongly encouraged to gain a season’s experience in racing the C group.

Ultimately, please evaluate your age group finishes in the races from 2009, and

when doing so honestly assess whether you contributed strong performances to make

the race or whether you were just following the race.

Whereas the previous age group racing system provided an objective format for

group selection, the A, B. C group racing is a somewhat subjective method. With

that in mind, there will very likely be some adjustments that will need to be made as

the season progresses so that group size and competitiveness can be maintained.

The option of a rider upgrading from one group to the next will be available, but

individuals will have to meet some rather loose criteria. The upgrade system will

be somewhat similar to that of USCF category racing. Riders may move up to the

next group based on results or experience.

If an individual is frequently and blatantly pummeling the group in which they race,

the Board may ask the rider to consider moving up to the next group. Similarly,

those riders that finish the season in the top places of their group may want to

consider upgrading for the following season. Please keep in mind he ultimate goal of

the A, B, C group racing is to hold three groups of races in which Club members can

find enjoyable, challenging and attainable competition. And to that end the Board

does not want to sandbagging to be part of the Club’s weekly racing program.

Upgrading will be possible in the midst of the season, but any rider wishing to do so

will want to seriously contemplate the move. A rider will need to have at least a

two-hundred point standing in the B or C group to be eligible for a midseason

upgrade to the next level. The consequence of the upgrade, however, is that no

points earned from the previous group will transfer to the next level. The rider

will start from zero when earning points in the upgraded group. What this will mean

is that a rider wishing to affect an upgrade will need to consider whether the move

up is of greater reward and importance than forfeiting a high overall place in the

previous group.

The Club’s goal is for members to enjoy the racing experience. Thus, a provision

will be in place for a rider who upgrades midseason to then return to the group

from which the upgrade made, and do so in the same season. Should this happen, the

rider will reenter the previous group with the same points earned prior to the

upgrade. Any points earned while briefly racing in the upgraded level will not

transfer to the downgraded level.

In general the rules and requirements for upgrading will be relaxed and riders’

requests to upgrade will typically be honored. However, please keep in mind the

Club’s goal of providing enjoyable, challenging and attainable competition for racers

with different skills and fitness. So that the Club can hold three levels of races on

a weekly basis a situation could arise such that the Board would deny a rider’s

request for a midseason upgrade. If such a rider’s absence from their original

group would noticeably detract from the quality of that group’s races, then the

Board may request the rider defer their upgrade and to continue in the original

group for the remainder of the season.

As mentioned previously, downgrading will be permissible, but not for the purposes

of sandbagging. The same rules regarding the transferring of points that apply to

midseason upgrades will also apply to midseason downgrades.

Please bear in mind this award structure may well require adjustments and changes

as the A, B, C group format evolves and matures. The award systems that was in

place for the age group racing was the result of many seasons of development.

Please offer some patience with this structure and feel free to provide the Board

with your comments, thoughts and ideas.

The Club will continue to have both an overall award system as well as an award

structure for each of the three groups. However, there will be some changes from

previous seasons.

The Club Champion will be scored from the A group only, thus the rider with the

most points in the A group will be the Club’s overall winner. The Wheelman of the

Year (WoY) and Most Improved Rider awards will not change, and a vote will

continue to determine the recipients of each of those honors.

Unfortunately, for this first year of A, B, C group racing a Women’s Club Champion

will not be awarded. The Club’s women’s field is simply not deep enough to hold a

separate women’s race, and the Board is anticipating the Club’s female members to

be spread throughout the three groups. With that likelihood in mind, the Board has

not been able to devise an equitable method for determining a Women’s Club

Champion. The Board welcomes members’ ideas and input in resolving this matter.

Thursday night criteriums and road races will essentially be three separate races,

each with their own sprint or prime laps. Consequently, three year-end awards will

be given for Sprint Champion consisting of one award for each of the three racing

Trial Champion. Since a TT is ultimately an individual race with a rider’s course

time being an objective, quantifiable result, the TT Champions have the possibility

(although such may be unlikely) of coming from any of the three groups.

The criteria for TT Champions will be based on an overall point system. For each

TT overall points will be awarded to each rider regardless of their A, B, C group

standing. The TT Champions will be determined by combining the points from a

rider’s single best short distance TT overall placing, single best intermediate

distance TT overall placing and single best long distance TT overall placing. The

one male and one female with the greatest point total will be awarded their

respective Club Time Trial Champion honors. In the event of a tie, the rider with

the best overall placing in the Club Championship TT event be will awarded TT Club

Champion. If one of the tied riders did not participate, or did not finish. the Club

Championship TT event, then the rider who did participate and finish will be awarded

Club TT Champion.

Time trials will also be scored on an A, B, C group basis to be applied to group

points standings, but there will be no individual A, B, C group TT champions.

Awards will be given for the top five end-of-season placings in each of the three

racing groups. Like the previous age group champions, the A, B, C Group Champions

will will be scored on a rider’s best twelve races. In the event the rider with the

highest group point standing did not compete in twelve races, they will still be

declared the group winner.

As in previous seasons, each racing Club member will still be required to serve as a

worker or director at two races. For each of the two races worked twenty points

will be awarded to the member’s group points total. The forty points earned for

race working will be in addition to the rider’s point total for their best twelve

races.

The majority of the races will be run as follows. The A group will start first,

followed thirty seconds later by the B group, and then another thirty seconds after

that by the C group.

As the case has been in past seasons with age group racing, there will be races in

the A, B, C format (particularly criteriums) where rides of one group will catch and

pass riders for another group. In such instances, per USCF rules, riders of the

group being overtaken and not permitted to ride with, nor take advantage of, the

riders in the overtaking group. Any rider of the overtaken group who rides with, or

takes advantage of, the overtaking riders will be relegated to last place in their

group standing.

Likewise, in the event later starting riders catch a earlier starting group, the laters

tarting riders are not permitted to ride with, nor take advantage of, the riders in

the earlier starting group. Any rider doing so will be relegated to last place in

their group standing.

For reasons of race safety and for ease of race logistics all omnium and point races

will be run as a single mass start event that combines the riders of the A, B, C

groups. The A, B C group scoring for these races will be handled in the same manner

as was the age group scoring from previous years.

In addition to the omnium and point races, a limited number of criteriums and road

races will be held as single mass start events that combine the riders of the A, B, C

groups. The purpose of such is to allow Club races to retain the feel of large group

racing. The races will provide riders of the B and C groups the opportunity to

experience riding in a faster paced event with a larger field. Although these races

will be a combined field they will be scored only as individual group races.

For example, if in such a race six A group riders are the first finishers followed by

a seventh B group racer, then the A group riders will receive placings one through

six for the A group and the B racer will be awarded first place for the B group.

And such will be the process for the entire field mixed with A, B, C riders.

For each race the Club will provide each rider with a colored wrist band that will

serve to identify the group to which each rider belongs. Similarly each group will

sign-in for the race on a separate sign-in sheet. To simplify race logistics the

color of the sign-in sheet for each group will correspond to the color of the wrist

band assigned to each group

The Board realizes the transition from age group racing to that of A, B, C group

racing was not a unanimous decision within the membership, and there are members

who are opposed to the new format. The Board asks all Club members to recognize

the reason for which this shift was made, and to understand the goals of this new

format.

Ultimately, this new system is intended to provide a means for Club members of all

abilities with a venue for equal competition. Members with little experience would

have the opportunity to actually compete in a series, while providing the same to

those of intermediate and advance ability. It is intended to provide a sense of

competition to all riders. This shift in format is also designed to make bike racing

less intimidating, and thereby more accommodating of new members or members new

to racing. And in doing that the Club hopes to broaden its appeal and increase its

membership. Of course, this system may not serve its purposes as intended. If

such proves to be the case and the membership so deems, then a shift back to age

group racing can be made the following season.

Lastly, The Board also asks for members to employ patience and tolerance with the

new system, especially during the first races of the year. There will be some

problems, and perhaps unforeseen issues, that requiring resolution. Members input

and constructive ideas will be welcomed by the Board.