This is believed to be the first such newsletter produced for cyclo-cross commissaires. It is hoped that you will find the content of assistance to you in your work during the new season that is now commencing.

For both last season and this Winter information has been issued to all commissaires involved in officiating at any of the major events listed in the BC-CA handbook. The purpose has been to seek to ensure consistency of application of the regulations for competitors, and to raise standards generally within our premier events.

It was felt that this was increasingly important as the UCI continues to upgrade its regulations, and therefore we need to prepare our top competitors for the conditions that they will have to comply with in international competition. The aim of the Major Events Committee has therefore been to try as far as possible to replicate the higher standards in our major domestic races.

Whilst only the two international calendar events at Nottingham and Eastway , together with the National Elite, Under 23 and Junior Championship races, are required to run under UCI regulations, the Committee has tried to encourage international conditions to also be applied in National Trophy races.

In no way does the Committee expect any other domestic events to apply conditions other than those detailed in the current BC-CA handbook. However, the differences between our regulations and those of the UCI are now becoming increasingly marked and it is important that you are aware of the differences, and hopefully assist in competitor education as to why differing regulations are being applied in different levels of race.

I am sure that we all wish to see better races, and we can all participate in achieving this by adopting a consistent and well informed approach to our work. Pleasant reading, and a good season to all!

You may have seen in the cycling press information regarding the greater responsibility that is likely to be placed upon those involved in the organisation and officiating of cycle races to ensure the safety of competitors, spectators and anyone else involved.

This situation applies equally to off road elements of cyclesport as it does to road races.

For some time now commissaires within mountain biking have assumed with their organisers responsibility for assessing the potential risks associated with courses at which events are held. In a similar way, I am sure that most cyclo-cross commissaires consider potential risks when inspecting courses at which they offficiate. Sadly persons in our sport, as in all walks of life are becoming increasingly litigious, and we overlook that at our peril.

Official directives concerning proper risk assessment arrangements to be applied to cycle races are still to be concluded. In the meantime, all commissaires are asked to take the course inspection part of their duties extremely seriously. Please ensure that any concerns you have about any safety aspects of the course are brought to the attention of the organiser before racing commences, and action taken to minimise the potential risks. All such actions should also be clearly noted onto your report form for the event.

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Straight handlebars.

Straight handlebars, with or without bar ends, have now been banned by the UCI from all international calendar cyclo-cross races. This regulation will be applied in the two international races (Elite events only), and in the three National Championship events detailed above.

In all other domestic races, including all categories of National Trophy events, straight handlebars should continue to be allowed, but the use of bar ends is to be discouraged. Commissaires are asked to exercise discretion in regard to requiring the removal of bar ends by competitors, especially amongst youngsters trying the sport for the first time. But, as this rule is on safety grounds, please make competitors and\or parents aware that such items of equipment are against the regulations.

As suggested by the above new regulation, it is confirmed that mountain bikes are banned from use in international calendar cyclo-cross races.

Domestically they continue to be acceptable, but will not be allowed in the Elite National Trophy races, or the National Championships listed above. Mountain bikes may not even be used as ‘spares’.

For your information any cycle with a tyre width greater than 3.5 cms. Is regarded as a mountain bike.

For international calendar races, all pits are now required to be located in a separate lane parallel to but not part of the actual course. This will apply at both Nottingham and Eastway for all races, and at the National Championships. At National Trophy venues, the Committee will be working with organisers to seek the implementation of this regulation wherever this is practical.

Use of the pit lane by any competitor not intending to exchange equipment is punishable by disqualification.

Although there is no requirement for other domestic races to provide pits in this manner, the Committee would be interested to learn from organisers and\or commissaires, of any experiences they might have of this system, good or bad.

The UCI have now banned the use of such poles on safety grounds.

Many domestic organisers have tended over recent years to moves towards the use of wooden poles etc. rather than metal, and although no domestic regulation exists, all commissaires are asked to discourage the use of metal poles.

In the event of a claim against injury arising from metal poles being used, it would be clearly difficult to defend such an action in the light of the UCI ruling.

The UCI has now set 40 cms. as the single height for obstacles in all international calendar races. (This was previously between 30 – 40 cms.) This regulation will be applied at all major events and to assist in this Impsport has kindly agreed to supply the BC-CA with 6 hurdles of this exact height for use at all major events this Winter.

Although organisers of other domestic events may have difficulty in providing obstacles of this exact height, the main point is to ensure that the obstacles are sufficiently high to ensure that all competitors have to dismount.

The UCI recommend that an anti-slip covering of some sort be applied to the surface of any bridges that have to be crossed . Whilst this is not in our domestic regulations, it is hoped that as simple ‘good practice’ similar measures are adopted wherever possible.

The UCI now stipulate that 90% of a course should be rideable. In an effort to ensure our domestic courses provide similar conditions to those in other countries, it is hoped that as far as practical this guideline is adopted for all races.

The UCI require that the start line for races should be no wider than that required to allow 8 riders to form alongside each other. All others competitors forming similar width rows behind the first.

To make this workable obviously some form of ranking list needs to be available, and it is appreciated that this will not always be available, or even practical at the majority of domestic races. Whilst there is no wish to change the method of an ‘open’ start preferred for many events, clearly control of riders and a fair start is ensured by a more limited width of startline. All commissaires are asked to work with organisers to provide the best form of fair start possible within the limitations of the area used for this purpose.

Appointments to most major races this Winter have now been completed. Three commissaires are to be used at each major race and wherever practical local commissaires are being used to support the appointed chief commissaire.

However, a constant difficulty in achieving this aim is the absence of a full listing of commissaires regularly officiating at races in their own races, and a lack of up to date knowledge of the qualifications that the persons may hold.

To date very little action has been taken to initiate a National Cyclo-Cross Commissaire qualification, but this could be possibly established by holding a theoretical training course, perhaps in conjunction with a major event. Is this something that yourselves, as current commissaires would welcome?

Please pass any views that you might have on this idea to Brian at the BC-CA office. Many thanks.