Pre- Race and Race Day Information Sheet 2022/23

If you are either new to cross or a seasoned regular, sometimes it is nice to have a little bit of information about the race day and how things work in Lincolnshire Cyclo-Cross for the coming season. We hope this answers a few questions you may have about the day. If you have not already, please take a closer look at the British Cycling website for a full and comprehensive set of rules and regulations for racing Cyclo-cross in Britain.

I don’t live in Lincolnshire, can I compete? 

You don’t need to live in Lincolnshire to compete in the races, but you can only be eligible for points for the Lincolnshire Championship if you are a Lincolnshire resident. 

**New for this year**  If you live outside of Lincolnshire you can now take part in the 11 race series known as the "Trophy Day Series". This runs at every race of the season with league tables running for all riders regardless of residency (so it includes Lincs riders as well as guest riders)  

All riders, regardless of residency,  will also be able to take away individual prizes on the day of every race (should you finish in the prizes of course !).

League Registrations

All riders need to register for the league to facilitate online race entry. You can select "Lincs Championship" or "Trophy day" registration. 

Lincs champs is only for Lincolnshire (including North Lincolnshire) residents. You will automatically be enrolled in the trophy day league as well

Trophy Day is for all riders and includes riders who do not live in Lincolnshire or North Lincolnshire

What if I miss the registration deadline? 

There is no deadline ! Registration will be open all season however you cannot score retrospective points - you will only start accumulating points in the leagues from the date you join. If you are not bothered about league points you still need to join the league just so you can entre races via our RiderHQ platform. Once registered your details are stored so this makes future race entry easier as you dont have to enter them again

Which race do I complete in? 

You can only compete in the race for your age category. No veterans can decide they wish to compete as a Senior. Similarly, Under 12’s may not decide that they want to ride up into the Youths. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule. If you are new to the sport then you can try out the Novice race

Race Entry - ONLINE and **NEW ** on-the-day entry

All races will have ONLINE ENTRY . Entry will open up 6 weeks before the race date and close at 23.59hrs on the Wednesday before race day.. Enter all races HERE (you must process your registration before you can enter)
** New for this year ** we are now able to take entry on race day. Payment is via Card/Phone only (no cash). Prices are higher than for advance online entry as we want to encourage people to enter in advance as this is easier for our admin and race prep. You cannot guarantee a race place on race day as the race maybe full of pre-entries, however this is unlikely. We only have a couple of races in the calendar where numbers are restricted (for safety reasons) and we update our facebook page and CXHubz app with clear information if these races are looking like they will sell out. This is usually only in the Vet Male category

RACE DAY INFO

Signing on.

Signing on will close 30 minutes before each race starts. Riders will have been allocated a race number by online race entry system These will be assigned in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to find your own name and number.

You will just need to present at sign on, show your licence and collect your number and timing chip. IMPORTANT – These numbers and chips are NOT yours to keep, they MUST be returned to signing on at the end of the races. Please wear the chip on your left ankle (to avoid it interfering with your drivetrain) and ensure it is secure. Please do not cut the strap in any way. You will be required to provide your British Cycling Race Licence; without it, you will be required to fill out a day licence form and pay an additional £3 (this is for insurance purposes)

For 2023-24 we have had to impose riders limits on a few races for safety reasons. The online entry system will manage this so it will be clear how many places are remaining. Once its full its full and we cannot make exceptions . There will be a reserve list for each event.

Entry Fees

Licences - Under 9s, Under 12s, Youth. No licence required
Juniors/Seniors/Veterans - valid British cycling licence required or £3 for a day licence

ONLINE ENTRY CUT OFF - 23.59HRS ON THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE RACE DAY.

Race Day Timings & Durations

• 9.20am - Sign on open and course open for practice*
• 10:15am start - Youths (Under 14 & Under 16) (Approx 30 minutes)
• 10.17am start - Novice Race* (Approx 30 minutes)
• 11:00am start - Under 9s (Approx 10-12 minutes)
• 11:20am start - Under 12s (Approx 12-15 minutes)
• 11:40am - Course open for practice*
• 12:15pm start - Seniors & Juniors (Seniors Approx 60 minutes, Juniors Approx 40 minutes)
• 12:17pm start - Ladies (Junior, Seniors & Veterans) (Approx 40 minutes)
• 1.25pm - Course open for practice*
• 1.45 pm start - Veterans (40-49; 50-59; 60+) (Approx 40 minutes)

*Practice timings at the discretion of the commissaries.

Race durations are approximate as they are affected by the field size and ability spread in each race. If you are at the tail end of a category it is likely you will race for longer, unless you are lapped.

Practice Laps

Course opening times are at the sole discretion of the Chief Commissiare. Delays can occur, particularly with the initial opening of the course in the morning. A course inspection has to take place and this may result in changes having to be implemented due to external factors such as overnight weather / course damage / safety concerns. This will lead to delays but is for everyone’s safety and enjoyment. You can practice / warm up on the course but only when there is no other event taking place. If you are caught warming up on the circuit around the other competitors or before all competitors in the previous race have finished, you may receive a warning by the commissaires or a disqualification from your event. There is of course some common sense applied here as you may join the course where the final few riders are nearing the finish. Please be sensible and respect all other riders before you start your sighting laps. It is also important that you do not cross the finish line with your chip timing tag on during another race. This will interfere with the programme and result. Please keep away from the finish area during other races, especially if you have your chip timing tag on already.

The Start 

All races are a mass start with all entrants starting at the same time. Please try to be around the start area 10-15 minutes before the advertised start time. This will allow the commissaires to begin the process of gridding. This is essential for the safety of the riders during the start. Gridding is completed by the commissaires who will call riders up by name. If you don’t hear your name and are gridded towards the back, please be respectful. If you are caught sneaking up, you may be placed at the very back or even disqualified. If you did not agree with your gridding position, you need to speak with the commissaire after the event. Gridding is worked out based upon your results from the current season and the previous season.

Being lapped and lapping 

Please remember that this is a race and the lead riders are racing for victories and Championship points for overall victories. If being lapped, you are required to surrender the racing line and let them through as quickly as possible – this is a British Cycling rule for Cyclo-cross. Similarly, riders lapping need to be respectful and polite. Lapping riders should call out clearly and in good time which side they will be passing on (i.e. “on your left” means that I will be passing you on your left so please move right).

These calls should be given in good time and not when a few meters away and approaching at speed. When being lapped in tight areas sometimes it is better to stop to that side if there is somewhere safe and appropriate to do so. Speeding up won’t help as the leaders are moving much quicker. Don’t worry about your competitor ahead as they will soon have to stop for the leader too. Please remember that you all need to be polite. Any foul language being heard could result in a disqualification.

Lapping riders should not expect the person they are lapping to simply evaporate !! There is inevitably a time delay between you polite request to pass and the person being able to safely get out of the way. Bullying a rider out of the way is NOT ACCEPTABLE. We are all in this together and have paid for a fun and safe race. PATIENCE please ! Also a rash / risky move could end the race of both riders. Similarly riders who are being lapped have to do the best to get out of the way quickly so as not to affect the race result. Co-operation and respect at all times please.

General etiquette 

Swearing or offensive language is not acceptable. We are racing where the public often walk, and there are many people watching. It is not pleasant.

Please keep hold of gel/bar wrappers. If it fits in your pocket when it’s full then it fits when it’s empty ! If you are caught littering on the circuit will receive a warning from the commissaires and risk further punishments if caught again. We rely heavily on the goodwill and co-operation of many landowners. If we don’t look after their land we will not be allowed to come back.

Updates/Social media 

We have a Website, mailing list, Facebook page and new CXHubz App. We will keep people posted using these. Should you wish to contact us, please use the email link on the website. The Facebook page is there to keep people updated and may be used for general queries too. The Facebook page is not a place to voice any concerns or make any complaints. Any posts made in this way which are offensive or argumentative will be removed. The Facebook page is for sharing updates and passion for CycloCross..

Any last minute updates that need to go out on the weekend of a race or on race day will be posted on facebook and the CX Hubz App. Please check facebook/app before travelling for any updates.

Download the App here : https://cxhubz.app.link/install?league=

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Lincolnshirecyclocross

Results and league points 

Results will be published on the chip timing website D3Racetec  (usually) on the Sunday evening and they will be published on our website in the week. Updating the league points is a fairly time consuming job. This will be done as quickly as possible and we will inform you when it has been updated and published. Please be patient with us while we sort the results and league points out and get them published. Who to contact if you have a results query please fill out the details HERE.This must be done by Tuesday following the race to enable them to look into it that week. (we have a manual backup system at each race in case of any technical issues) If you have a query regarding league points, please use the link on the website for league points queries. 

General Queries

For any other queries please use the contact us page on the website HERE

Happy Racing and PLEASE REMEMBER TO HAND IN YOUR RACE NUMBER AND TIMING CHIP AFTER EACH EVENT!

Lincolnshire Cyclo-Cross Association