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Race Types

AMCC provide opportunities for bike racers to partake in the following race event types:
  • Road Races (graded, or handicapped);
  • Criteriums (graded, or team); and
  • Time Trials (individual).
The Rules, Regulations and Penalties associated with each type of racing outlined below can be reviewed on the AVCC (http://ausvetcycling.com/html/rules.html) and SAMCA websites (https://www.samc.org.au/samca/#!/legalandrace). All riders should familiarise themselves with these official rules, regulations and penalties before entering their first event.
Road Races are conducted on open roads as either graded scratch races (GSRs), or handicaps (HCPs):
  • Grade Scratch Races (GSRs): GSRs involve the handicapping of riders. Each rider is assessed (graded), by the club's handicapper, as either an A, B, C, D, E, or F grade rider. At the race event riders with the same grading (e.g. A graders) start at separate times and ride against each other over the prescribed distance. 
  • Handicaps (HCPs). A HCP is more complicated to organise than a GSR for the following reasons:
    • Prior to the start of the race riders are assembled in groups. These group are assembled roughly (but not exactly) along grade lines (i.e..A, B, C, D, E, F).
    • The handicapper asses the relative strength of each group and allocates a handicap to each group. The strongest group (referred to as scratch) will receive a handicap of zero minutes. The next strongest group will receive a handicap of as many minutes as the handicapper deems it will require to complete the distance and finish at the same time as the strongest group. The remaining groups will similarly be allocated additional minutes relative to their assessed strength.
    • The objective is to allocate handicap minutes so that each group in theory should finish at exactly the same time.
    • The race starts with the group with the largest handicap (minutes) going first. Remaining groups then start, and chase the preceding group, based on their handicaps (minutes) until the last group (scratch, zero minutes) starts and chases the rest of the field.
Criterium Races (Criteriums) are conducted on a closed circuit generally around 1.3-1.6 kilometres.  Historically AMCC has conducted its Criteriums at the Victoria Park criterium track. Two types of racing can take place:
  • GSRs: Each grade starts separately and races for a specified time until a warning bell is sounded indicating 2 laps to go until the finish. Higher grades race longer than lower grades for a specified time until 2 laps to go is signalled (a bell) after which riders compete to win, place or simply complete the race. Typically races last from 60 - 30 minutes depending on the grade.
  • Team races: On occasion teams of up to 5 riders race against each other. Teams ride against each other and not against riders racing in a grade competition. 
Time Trials: Time trials are held over a variety of distances on open roads. Riders start at 1 minute intervals and try to complete the allotted course as fast as they can. Typically time trials are raced (competed) on an age group basis.
Track, Gravel, Mountain Bike, and BMX racing are not conducted by AMCC at this stage.

 

 

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