Attention Circuit Racers

arm262

Attention all circuit racers

British cycling has just confirmed to all commissaries that with immediate effect there will be no laps out in circuit races.
This applies to all categories, youth & adult

davewells

Well, saves carrying spare wheels to races, I suppose - makes it an expensive day out if you get a puncture in your first lap, though...

arm262

I agree although overall it should make the racing fairer for all riders. As a commissiare it was increasingly difficult to police the laps out consistently particularly after crashes, where people took a lap just because they were caught behind a crash or for 'mechanicals' where you couldn't actually identify what the issue was, but the rider enjoyed a rest......

You will of course be able to rejoin the race after a puncture - just not with a lap out,

I gather that at some of the races at Lee Valley they have been operating with no laps out since the start of the year.

davewells

Yes, I wouldn't want to have to police it - don't know where you'd start! At Lea Valley, as early as November we were being told no laps out. To be honest, always thought the chances of getting a puncture in a convenient place to then go and get my spare wheel was minimal anyway, and the only time I have taken a lap out due to a (genuine!) mechanical, I found it impossible to go from a standing start to fast enough to tag onto the disappearing bunch, but maybe others were better at it than me...

Mitchy

I punctured at a couple of crits last winter, and aside from the panic of trying to change a wheel did feel I benefited slightly from the rest. Problem is the cost of entering and traveling to a crit only to have the race cut short by a puncture. Makes winter crits a riskier investment.