"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Refereeing my first race this w/e - what

are you guys going to try to pull over on me? What sneeky tactics should be tops on my radar?


http://www.ridetolivecentury.com/race%20details.htm

Road race? If so, and there isnt a rolling enclosure or roads closed, yellow/centerline rule. It'll be violated, keep the riders safe with consistent enforcement from the start to the finish of the race.

Crit? pull riders who are out of contention, especially those that are about to be lapped, for the safety of the lapped rider(s) and those doing the lapping.

This is crit on a longer closed (2.3mi car track) course so we won't have a centerline rule. I'm pretty sure no mishap free laps so I won't be checking "flat" tubes, and I'm not sure about pulling lapped riders, the chief will get all that to me on Saturday. There are also cameras everywhere and open shoulders so I doubt anyone will try to hide off course mid-race. I'm more curious about what else I should look for - any peloton tricks?

Make sure everyone is keeping their hands on their bars... and not on other people. Instant disqualification right there and it happens a lot. A teammate of mine got punched last weekend, and now has a broken collarbone because of it. All he did was refuse yield a wheel (racing collegiate A's, cutthroat)

It is at a racetrack--- how crazy can it get?

Last week we had a CAT 4 guy ride with an IPOD and refuse to be leave the course after he got lapped and pulled. It too was on a .4 mile track.

He got pulled but stayed with the pack a lap down. It took a few more laps for the officials noticed. They were more upset that he didn't head their call. They started calling out his number telling him to come off the course. Most riders didn't know their own numbers which caused quite a bit of confusion in the pack. Finally the officals called him out by name and he came off the course- don't know if that's what changed his behavior. After the race it came out that he had an IPOD in his right (outside) ear that the officials didn't ever see.

Additionally, if you use a bull horn watch where it points- innocent officials and a kid helping flip lap numbers kept getting a bullhorn in the ears.

Two rules:
1. the announcer is always right.
2. never forget rule #1.

Watch for numbers pinned upside down. I'd be very suspicious of people who can't get that one right.

Watch for people taking shortcuts. (Is there public transportation on this raceway? Riders have been known to catch a bus.)

Watch and learn.
And never scream.

This is crit on a longer closed (2.3mi car track) course so we won't have a centerline rule. I'm pretty sure no mishap free laps so I won't be checking "flat" tubes, and I'm not sure about pulling lapped riders, the chief will get all that to me on Saturday. There are also cameras everywhere and open shoulders so I doubt anyone will try to hide off course mid-race. I'm more curious about what else I should look for - any peloton tricks?

why bother with officials if that's the case?

why bother with officials if that's the case?
Officials are always needed to fill out the paperwork. :) We didn't have use of all the track's cameras, but we only had one real issue. In one category, a rider that didn't appear on our start sheet shows up leading the third lap (with the group), but then he disappeared again. We never did figure out where he came from/went. Our lead motorcycles didn't see him waiting out on the course, just a mystery cyclist. And he had a proper number, too. All were well behaved today. One of the juniors that rides with us (ahead of me) raced for the first time today and took the Cat 5's. He was worried about the junior gearing but it didn't seem to hurt him.

You did a great job today! What a blast. JK says it's tentatively scheduled again for next year. Maybe it will be warmer.

How about that Milo's rider? or Bob's or privateer, whatever he is. What a hoss. What was it, over a minute lead?

Who won the 1/2's?

Initial break of 5 split into 3 and 2, then the top two distanced themselves from the third place at the end, but the top names escape me, and the CR has my lap and the start sheets. JK should have a copy of the finish sheets for payouts.

Maybe they'll be posted somewhere soon enough.

Make sure everyone is keeping their hands on their bars... and not on other people. Instant disqualification right there and it happens a lot. A teammate of mine got punched last weekend, and now has a broken collarbone because of it. All he did was refuse yield a wheel (racing collegiate A's, cutthroat)

That was pretty rough. He broke it from behind too. Definately second keeping your hand on your bars. Also make sure you have good communication between course marshals.