MDcatV

New upgrade requirements summarized, along with other rules for 2008.

https://www.usacycling.org/forms/USAC_rulebook.pdf

ElJamoquio

*******s. Poorly attended events were my only hope.

LowCel 

This is going to make it even more fun trying to upgrade, especially since the races I do never even turn in their results.

Treefox

A fifteen mile road race? What's the point in that? I think British Cycling sets a minimum of 40 miles...

And that doesn't seem to say anything about going from Cat 5 to 4 by points...

(I only express concern as I may be moving to the States late spring / early summer and fancy getting out of Cat 5 at the earliest opportunity)

waterrockets 

Cat 5 isn't about gaining performance, it's about gaining experience.

bdcheung

1) Don't think there are any 15 mile road races.
2) Don't think there are any points to be acquired as a 5.

MDcatV

It doesnt matter if the race organizer turns results into usa cycling. It's on you to keep a race resume that details the information pertaining to your performance, it's on page 4 of the rulebook.


Page 5 details Cat 5 ->4 requirements, it's experiential, there are no points.

ElJamoquio

If you're experienced already, talk to the co-ordinator, and they'll probably start you out higher.

calhoun1

W00t, my spreadsheet will come in handy. Keeping a race log of every race.

ElJamoquio

So now I have to count how many people are starting...?

LowCel 

Kind of what I was getting at. I do keep my own records of how I finish but sucks having to try to figure out how many people are at the starting line as well. Oh well, if the results don't get turned in I guess that means that 53 people were at the starting line.

MDcatV

# starters should be listed on the results when posted, which you'll probably not need to check since you'll be otf soloing for 1st all season

FatguyRacer

Point 1 - Yes there are. Circuit races on loop courses that are not classified as Critierums (ie, no full road closure) are still deemed Road Races by definition.


Point 2 - A cat 5 can earn novice points in Cat 4/5 combined races. Those points count toward Cat 3 upgrade so long as its within a 12 month period IIRC.

wfrogge

They give upgrades like candy on Halloween so this is a non-issue unless they are REALLY going to enforce max point upgrades now.

Lithuania

big changes on the cross side. stoked!

Voodoo76

Can't you just upgrade based on Power Tap data????

Cypress

Looks like Montanans are ****ed.

carpediemracing 

What caught my eye is the small number of points for an automatic upgrade. 40 makes you a 2 no matter what, before it was 60. I think there were a bunch of guys floating about 35-45 points, so making it 40 points is going to make "staying a 3" harder.

Since I'm not a 2 I never paid attention to their auto upgrade points but it seems that must have been reduced too.

Also you get points for small fields, which is good. The stage race points got defined better. Basically any Cat 3 that does well (around here) at, say, Fitchburg, will probably be a 2 by the end of the summer, based on the 40 point rule.

Nothing on how Masters races are treated. Interesting.

I got zero points right now.

cdr

curveship

Looks like they lowered the mandatory 3 -> 2 upgrade from 60 to 40 points. Paging the Doctor.

ZeCanon

Cool, I only have to win 3 races with 50+ starters within the next year to upgrade.


Like that will ever happen

Cat 1-O-Meter: F-

Duke of Kent

The way I see it, this encourages people to head to small, little races in the middle of nowhere. The 11-20 starters for 4pts seems like a good bet.

Tour de Bumblefock Criterium, Bumblefock, AL, here I come!

transplant

i'll carpool with you.

recursive

There are a lot of criteriums around here less than 20 miles. But allllmost 20 miles. Like 40:00+2 is a common format. So, theoretically, those don't count for upgrades. Intriguing.

jrennie

Excatly. The new rules are a benifit to womens, masters and small districts. Points going 3 deep in a field of 5-11 sounds like pretty good odds to me. They only group to get caught out is the 3's with the lower auto upgrade and lower stage race max from 20 down to 15.

MDcatV

maybe the fields will race faster now so that you guys can get in your 20 mi.