stolen (but truthful) lines...

Hi All-


Since Sunday I've read over the new UCI rules and the USACycling press release about the new rules several times. I have also read over Shawn's latest TD updates regarding the 80% rule. As I read it the 80% rule is completely optional for *all* UCI races except for the World Cups and the World Championships. All other races can continue to use the "old" rule 5.1.051: Lapped riders must complete the lap during which they were lapped and leave the event via an exit located before the finishing straight or in the “80%” zone as described in article 5.1.052, if that rule applies. They will be listed in the results in the order in which they are pulled out of the race plus number of laps which have not been completed. And based on the USAC press release and Shawn's TD updates I believe that the rule is optional for all amateur/USAC categories as well.

Having now worked 7 UCI cyclo-cross races in some capacity this year I would say that given the unique participant based nature of American cyclo-cross, the 80% rule is draconian in nature and should not be applied in the US except in extreme circumstances and at the National Championships. As other have mentioned in this email discussion so far this season we have had riders pulled from competition who would in all likelihood never have been caught by their leader. In the UCI categories many times these are the newest elite riders, some of whom have just stepped up to the elite ranks this year. In the non-UCI categories we have had riders pulled who are new to the sport and who are participating in beginner level categories such as Cat 4 and Women 3/4. Specific to the situation in Providence where I was providing the results service, it is becoming clear to me that there were many riders pulled from races under the 80% rule who never had their numbers recorded and were completely omitted from the results. In my opinion this is a customer experience that reflects poorly on the promoters, on USACycling, and on my own results business. It is also my opinion that this poor customer experience is something we can and should avoid.

It seems to me, and please correct me if I am wrong here, that so far this year the officiating crews have been operating under the assumption that the 80% rule is either mandatory for Elites (Vermont,Loon & Gloucester) or that if riders are to be pulled the 80% rule is the only available choice (Providence) for both Elite and amateur categories. This not the case as I understand it, and I think it would be helpful for all concerned to issue some clarifications as to the optional nature of the 80% rule and the availability of the traditional lapped rider rules in both elite and amateur categories. I would also suggest that for 2011 the USACycling rulebook clarify the language surrounding the 3 options for handling lapped riders, or better yet 'soften' the 80% rule to allow officials to pull riders between 80 and 100% of the leaders first lap. This softening would hopefully give officials the flexibility to allow riders to race as long as possible before being pulled and still allow them to pull riders before the leader catches them.

I can only speak for the cyclo-cross races in the northeast, but I feel that between the knee-warmer and tire puncturing incidents in Vermont, and the hard implementation of the 80% rule, the officiating crews have created some serious animosity here this season. When the reigning US National Champion takes time to slow down during a race to ask the officials to stop pulling riders I think it shows something needs to change. It is always a challenge to adapt and implement rules created for the elite based European cyclo-cross races to the participant based US races. But I think we have been able to bridge that divide quite successfully in the past, and have managed to balance the 'letter of the law' with the 'spirit of the rules'. I am confident that we can do this again, but I feel that we need to be very proactive about this current situation regarding lapped riders. I feel that it possible to achieve a balance between allowing riders to compete and keeping the scoring and results situation manageable without resorting to the 80% rule, and I would urge you to ask that officiating crews only apply it under the most extreme circumstances.

Respectfully,
JD Bilodeau
Pioneer Event Productions
SupaFan.com