Practical guide for organising mountain bike events - UCI

Practical guide for organising hc | c1 | c2 | c3 mountain bike eventsPractical guide for organising hc | c1 | c2 | c3 mountain bike events2Categories minimum maximumJunior Men 1.30 (1h15*) 1.45Junior Women 1.15 (1h00*) 1.30Under 23 Men 1.45 (1h15*) 2.00Under 23 Women 1.30 (1h15*) 1.45Elite Men 2.00 (1h30*) 2.15Elite Women 1.45 (1h30*) 2.00Masters Men 1.45 2.00Masters Women 1.30 1.45* Minimum time for a Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 event on the international calendar.In the event of very severe weather conditions, the president of the commissaires panel shall aim for a race timeas close as possible to the minimum time.Steep and/or potentially dangerous downhills must be marked using safety tape. The tape is fixed to slalom markerpoles, which are made of PVC or other materials, generally around 50 centimetres above the ground. Metal markerpoles are prohibited.At appropriate places along the circuit (for example, on walls, treestumps or tree trunks), take measures to protect the riders by usingseveral mattresses or ad hoc safety padding. The safety paddingshould be fixed in such a way that it does not give way on impact.12• Circuit parametersThe criteria for a good circuit are varied. Naturally, the circuit must represent a challenge for the best riders, but it mustalso present a level of difficulty which is achievable when on a bike and must meet safety and visibility requirements asfar as the media and spectators are concerned.The whole circuit must be feasible when on a bike, whatever the natural conditions and weather conditions may be. Itis essential to take the risks of bad weather into account and to see to it that any changes required are anticipatedfrom the start.Circuits in a «clover leaf» or «eight of clubs» format are the best as they provide numerous viewing points for thespectators and avoid the riders having to complete laps that are too short. A clover leaf configuration reduces the areato be covered, which presents considerable advantages as regards radio communication, medical evacuation andhow the marshals are distributed around the course. It is important to find a compromise between interesting views forthe spectators and laps which do not seem boring for the riders.Every time the situation dictates (for example, at the edge of a precipice,a tight bend at the foot of a downhill), safety netting must beput in place. Any sharp-edged wire netting is banned. It is possibleto use a fine structure but with a hole size measuring a maximum of5 cm x 5 cm.Bridges and ramps made of wood must be covered with a skid resistantmaterial (abrasive paper, carpet, etc.).13Spray a biodegradable fluorescent paint on any exposed roots,stumps and rocks to enable riders pedalling at full speed to easilyidentify these obstacles.800 - 840 mm 840 - 880 mm 880 - 920 mm 920 - 944 mmCross-country Olympic circuits must be a minimum distance of 5 kilometres and a maximum distance of 9 kilometres.85% of each lap must be off-road.Do not include man-made obstacles simply to entertain the spectators. If certain natural obstacles or interestingsections are near the start area/finishing zone, they must be highlighted and indicated.Before the UCI carries out its inspection, the positions allocated to the marshals must be numbered. This makesit much easier to indicate the sections where work may take place and above all, help the person carrying out theinspection to assess how the marshals are distributed along the course.