Cruise the Blues 2008
Rules and Regulations

RACE CLASSES
All age classifications are based on the age of each rider/racer as of August 30th, 2008. The minimum age for racing is 5.  A team must be either all in the “Joy” class or all in the “Glory” class.

 

 2008 Divisions & Categories

 Joy Categories

 

Solo Men

Solo Women

 

5-15 yrs

5-15 yrs

 

16-30 yrs

16-30 yrs

 

31 - 50 yrs

31 - 50 yrs

 

51 and older

51 and older

 

 

 

 

Teams (two people combined ages)

Men's Teams

Women's Teams

Coed Teams

30 yrs & Under

30 yrs & Under

30 yrs & Under

31-60 yrs

31-60 yrs

31-60 yrs

61-90 yrs

61-90 yrs

61-90 yrs

91 yrs & Over

91 yrs & Over

91 yrs & Over

 

Glory Categories

Solo

Teams (two people)

Open Men

Open Men

Open Women

Open Women

The participants’ age on race-day will be used to determine their eligible category.  The teams will be categorized by summing the total age of the individuals that make up that team.  (Example:  Rider 1 = 22 yrs old, Rider 2 = 36 yrs old for a total age of 58.  This team would thus compete in the 31-60 yrs category.)

STARTING PROCEDURES
The race will start in the middle of farmstead as a group – PROMPTLY AT 11 A.M.  It will be a mounted start with the riders/racers positioned Glory Individual – Glory Team – Joy Individual – Joy Team.  All riders/racers must start the race with their number strap.  ROLL WILL BE CALLED 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RACE. (10:45 AM)  If you or your team’s first rider is not present at the roll call you MUST log in at the log-in tent before you start the race. 

GENERAL RULES
  1. Team Captains:  Each team will designate a team captain. Team captains will represent the team in all official correspondence and communications before, during and after the event.  Only team captains may file protests.

  2. Pre-race Meeting:  The team captain must attend the pre-race meeting; however, everyone is welcome.

  3. Team Pit Area:  Team's must designate one and only one pit area.  Typically, this is at your campsite.  Riders/racers may change or repair any equipment in their Pit Area.  Pit areas are not allowed on the course or in the Start/Finish area.  However, emergency repairs may be performed in the Start/Finish area; you may even swap entire bikes. In the Start/Finish area or the team's pit area, riders/racers may accept support from anyone. Also, teams may bring as many support people as they would like, but their support is limited to the Start/Finish and the team's pit areas, not on the course.

  4. Support on the Course:  Support on the course may only be supplied by other registered riders/racers. Supporting riders/racers must access the course under their own power (i.e. foot travel or on bike) and that access can only be achieved by following the course in the riding/racing direction. Shortcutting the course is not allowed (see rule #12). Supporting riders/racers should stay clear of all competing riders/racers. Supporting riders/racers may take any equipment or tools with them; they may even swap bikes with their teammates. Cannibalizing bicycle parts is legal. Support can be provided by any registered racer on any team to any registered racer on any team. 

  5. Water and Food:  Water and food may be supplied to any rider/racer, by anyone, anywhere on the course. However, riders/racers must stay well clear of the course when taking food or water. (And please do not throw energy food wrappers on the ground. Remember: Leave No Trace).

  6. Permitted Course Riders:  Only officially registered riders/racers, credentialed media and event staff may ride on the designated racecourse during the event.

  7. Team Number Display:  Riders/racers must display their race number on the front of their bikes, whenever on course. In the case of a bike swap, riders/racers must swap the bike number to the new bike prior to continuing the race. Race officials may request to see this at any time.

  8. Right of Way:  Riders/racers riding bicycles have the right of way over riders/racers pushing bicycles. When practical, riders/racers pushing or carrying their bikes should stay on the least rideable portion of the trail when being passed. Riders/racers pushing or carrying their bikes may overtake a racer riding his bike provided that they do not interfere with the riding racer.

  9. Lapped Riders/racers:  Lapped riders/racers should yield to leaders. Leaders should be very vocal when preparing to pass any racer. "PASSING on your LEFT!," "PASSING on your RIGHT!" should be called out. It is the responsibility of the challenging racer to overtake safely. Riders/racers being lapped must yield on the first command.

  10. Vying for Position:  When two riders/racers are vying for position, the leading racer does not necessarily have to yield position to the challenging racer. However, a racer may not bodily interfere, with intent to impede another racer's progress; this is considered to be highly unsportsmanlike behavior (see rule #14).

  11. Shortcutting:  Shortcutting the course by any registered racer shall result in a disqualification of that rider/racer or that team.

  12. Law Abiding:   Federal, state and county laws and ordinances will be abided by at all times.

  13. Sportsmanship:  Foul riding, use of profane or abusive language and other unsportsmanlike behavior will be taken very seriously. Such behavior by any racer shall subject that racer's team to a warning or immediate disqualification. This will be strictly applied when such behavior is directed at course officials, volunteers or spectators. The penalty imposed is at the discretion of the race director or co-director, should the race director be unavailable.

  14. Protests:  Protests can only be made by team captains.  Protests will be made in writing and delivered to the race director or co-director any time during the race or after the end of the race, up to 30 minutes after the posting of the final results. Protests should contain any information that supports the protest, including description of the incident, witnesses, names, addresses, phone numbers and signature of protesting team captain. A $50 fee shall be submitted, in cash, with the protest. The race director, after his own discovery, will promptly rule on the protest. The fee will be forfeited to the race director if the protest is denied or refunded if the protest is upheld.

  15. Final Rulings:  The race director has the final say in any ruling, including rulings made by the co-director.

  16. Log Tent:  After the start, riders/racers must log-in and log-out on each lap at the Log Tent located at the Start/Finish Area. Team riders/racers must dismount at the log-in area. They must then give their number strap to the log-in official, who records the log-out time. The number strap is then passed back to the rider/racer. In the case of teams passing the number strap to the next team member, the log-in official will pass the number strap to the next team member.

  17. Consecutive Laps:  A rider/racer may ride consecutive laps, but must stop at the Log Tent after his first lap in order to log-in for his second lap. If a racer is staying in for an additional lap, that rider/racer must log-out from the first lap by passing the number strap to the log-in official. He/she may continue the consecutive lap after receiving the number strap from the official. Solo riders/racers will do this every lap. Each team member must complete a minimum of 30% of the completed laps by that team.

  18. Loss of number strap:   Loss of the number strap will result in a 5-minute time penalty that will be applied to the teams finish time on its last lap and will accrue to the racer finishing that final lap. The log-in official will issue a new number strap.

  19. Verifying the Log Sheet:  It is the team's responsibility to verify that each rider/racer is logged-in and logged-out correctly. Please be courteous and patient while verifying information with your Registrar. Registrars and race officials may request to see your race number on your handlebar at any time. Helpful Hint: When the rider/racer "on-deck" receives the number strap from the Registrar, they should repeat their team # and name to confirm that the Registrar is logging them in correctly.

  20. Canceling a Lap:  Once on course, a rider/racer must complete his or her lap. However, the team has the option of canceling a rider/racer's lap and restarting the lap from the Log Tent with a substitute. This is a difficult and costly decision, but if the first rider/racer is unable to complete the lap for any reason, it may be to the team's advantage to cancel that rider/racer's lap. Any team member can cancel a rider/racer's lap by notifying the team's Registrar at the Log Tent and initializing the log sheet next to the canceled lap. If a team cancels a rider/racer's lap and is restarting with a new rider/racer's, a new number strap will be issued without penalty. The new rider/racer inherits the log-in time of the canceled rider/racer's lap. Once a cancellation has been made, it cannot be rescinded. The canceled lap does not count as a completed lap.

  21. Substituting a Rider/Racer:  To substitute a rider/racer, the new rider/racer must fill out an Accident Waiver, complete with team name and original signature, and deliver it to the race director no later than the end of Registration.  No rider/racer substitutions will be accepted after Registration closes.

  22. Finishing prior to 4-PM:     At anytime during the ride/race, a participant may choose to turn in their number strap, state that they are finished riding/racing, sign the log-sheet and their final lap and finish time will be recorded for ranking.  If the rider/racer does not execute this option – it will be assumed that they are proceeding with a new lap and they must complete that lap to receive a final lap number and time.  If you start a lap and do not finish that lap you will be listed as DNF (did not finish).

  23. The Finish:  The race will start at 11:00Am and end at 4:00PM.  Riders/racers must log-off the course from 4:00PM on. Each team's final placing will be determined by the number of laps the team has completed and the sequential order of finish within the team's last lap. For example, a team that has completed 9 laps with a finish time of 4:31 p.m. would beat a team that completed 9 laps, with a finish time of 4:45 p.m. And, of course, a team that completed 10 laps, with a finish time of 5PM., would beat them both. RIDERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO START A NEW LAP AFTER 6:00 PM.

  24. Catastrophic Failure:  In the case of catastrophic failure due to weather or another extenuating circumstance that prevents the ongoing scoring of the event or creates a racing environment that is deemed too dangerous for the participants, the race director may call the race as of a certain time. Final results will be calculated based on each team's placement at the call time as determined by that team's last completed lap. This rule is intended to be exercised as a last resort, in the most dire situations, when no other means is available to continue scoring the event or when the potential for serious harm or loss of life becomes imminent.

  25. EMS Ghost Rider:  In the event that a rider/racer stops to assist in the care of a seriously injured fellow rider/racer that requires an EMS response, Ghost Rider procedures will be implemented. The EMS personnel will radio to the Log Tent the name and number of the assisting rider/racer. Race staff will then inform the team of the assisting racer to prepare the next rider/racer on their team. That rider/racer will be allowed to start his or her lap based on the assisting rider/racer’s “ghost rider” lap time which will be based on the fastest of either the assisting rider/racer’s average lap time or the team’s average lap time.