Criterium Rules
CRITERIUM REGISTRATION closes Race Day, April 25, at 12 noon.
1H5. Maximum Field. Entries shall be accepted in order of receipt by the Race
Director upto the field limit, and subsequent entries shall be returned. The maximum field limit in any youth race shall be 50.
For massed-start road events (road races, circuit races, criteriums) the field limit
for an event that includes Novice men or women shall be 75
1I. Bicycles
1I1. Bicycles used in competition must be propelled solely by the rider’s legs moving in a circular motion, without electric or other assistance. Bicycles shall have the
following characteristics:
(a) Dimensions. Bicycles may be no more than 2 meters long and 75 cm wide,
except that tandems may be up to 3 meters long
(b) There may be no protective shield, fairing, or other device on any part of the
bicycle, which has the effect of reducing air resistance except that spoke covers
may be used.
(c) Wheels may be made with spokes or solid construction. No wheel may contain
special mechanisms to store and release energy. In Cyclocross, the tire must not
incorporate any type of spike or stud.
(d) The handlebar ends shall be solidly plugged and attachments thereto shall be
fashioned in such a way as to minimize danger without impairing steering. In road,
track, or Cyclocross races, handlebars with ends, features, or attachments that
extend forward or upward or that provide support for other than the rider’s hands
are permitted only in time trial and pursuit events (not in Team Sprint); Handlebar coverings are limited to standard handlebar tapes and wraps. No additional
padding, shapes or supports designed to facilitate resting the rider’s forearms on
the bars are allowed in massed start road events.
(e) Brake controls shall be attached to the handlebars and be hand operated.
Brakes shall be operable with hands on the brake supports or positioned on the
handlebar.
(g) Bicycles commonly known as recumbent may not be raced in USA Cycling races
unless there is a separate race for this category of bicycle, and then may be used
only in that category.
(h) A massed-start bicycle is a road or track bicycle that is legal in all events within
the road or track discipline, rather than a bicycle that is restricted to particular
events. Handlebars for massed-start bicycles may not have forearm supports nor
handlebar extensions or attachments that point forward.
12. Riders are responsible for their selection of competition equipment and for
taking reasonable precautions to ensure that its condition is adequate and safe for
use in competition.
(a) To maintain compliance with these regulations, the equipment and uniform
of one or more riders may be examined at any time to discover the use of items
which are not allowed, or which are obviously improperly adjusted, insecurely fastened, or which may present a danger to the rider(s). Equipment may be inspected
irrespective of its use in competition if located at an event venue as defined by
8K3(d).
(b) The Chief Referee shall prohibit the use of any such items discovered during
the examination. Such examinations are conducted at the discretion of the Chief
Referee. An examination of every rider’s equipment is not required.
(c) Evading, refusing or failing to allow or enable an official or other competent
body to conduct an equipment check, including returning after being notified of a
later inspection, shall be sanctioned as follows:
(i)Rider or other team member: suspension of between one month and one
year
(ii)Team: suspension of between one and six months
13. Bicycle Types
(b) For road, Cyclocross and MTB races, only a bicycle with a freewheel and one
working brake on each wheel shall be used, except as allowed elsewhere in these
rules
14. Rider’s Uniform
14. Helmets. At all times when participating in an event held under a USA Cycling
event permit, including club rides, any rider on a bicycle or motorcycle shall wear
a protective, securely fastened helmet that satisfies the standards specified in USA
Cycling Policies. (Policy I, Sections 1 and 2 – see appendices.) “Participating in an
event” means riding a bicycle in the vicinity of a race at any time between the beginning of registration and the last awarding of prizes, but does not apply to riding
rollers or stationary trainers in order to warm up.
15. Jerseys must be worn in all races and shall cover the shoulders.
(a) Sleeveless jerseys are allowed only in non-international MTB races and individual time trials. Skin suits may not be worn in Pro gravity events per UCI rules.
(b) No additional equipment, whether worn over or under a rider’s uniform,
which has the effect of reducing wind resistance is permitted, except in the case of
inclement weather, additional covering designed solely to protect against precipitation or cold may be worn. However, shoe covers are permitted in any conditions.
(c) Advertising may appear only on the uniform, including caps, shoes, and helmet
of riders who are licensed members of registered USA Cycling clubs or teams.
(d) UCI Teams and Category 1 & 2 riders who are members of the same team or
club must wear identifiably similar uniforms when competing in a massed start
race except where different uniforms are called for by USA Cycling regulations. This
also applies to over garments such as vests, jackets, and rain jackets, which must
be transparent or identifiably similar. Members of mixed teams and guest riders
may wear the shorts of their regular team. With the permission of the race organization, they may also wear generic clothing with no advertising in time trial stages.
(e) Club Jerseys. In competition, no rider shall wear the emblem, inscription, or
uniform of any club or team which the rider is not eligible to represent, nor may a
club/team create a jersey, design or emblems that might be confused with the US
National Team or National Champion jersey.
(f) Only current National Champions may wear National Championship jerseys
and only in the specialty (road race, time trial, criterium, cyclocross, short track
cross-country, marathon, downhill, Madison, etc. and class age group (Junior,
Master, U23, Elite) in which the title was won.
Age-graded champions may wear the jersey in other age classes within their
overall class, age group and discipline; e.g., 15-16 road race champion in a 17-18
road race.
(i) In Elite races, only the USA Cycling Elite champion, Amateur, and U23 champion may wear the jersey in the appropriate discipline and specialty.
(ii) In stage races, the jersey may only be worn by the current National
Champion in the same specialty as the stage; e.g., Criterium Champion in a
criterium stage. For MTB stage races, Marathon National Champion wears
their jersey regardless of stage type.
(iii) Members of registered clubs/teams may place advertising on the jersey.
Riders or teams that create their own National Champions jerseys must follow
the approval procedure outlined by USA Cycling and must follow the approved
format recognized internationally. All National Champion’s jerseys must comply with UCI rules for advertising as published on the UCI web site.
(iv) Only former National Champions are permitted to wear the Stars and
Stripes pattern on the trim of their jerseys. The Stars and Stripes pattern may
be worn in all disciplines, not just the discipline in which it was won.
(v) A National Champion in one discipline (mountain bike, collegiate etc.) may
not wear the jersey in events of another discipline, except as noted above.
(vi) The defending National Champion may not wear their National Championship jerseys in the subsequent National Championship.
(g) National Team Jerseys. Members of National teams must wear the uniform
designated by USA Cycling. This uniform may be worn only while actually representing the USA.
(h) In stage races, omniums, and race series, the race leader or those leading other categories must wear a special jersey if it is provided by the Race Director, but
only for the duration of the race and as long as the leadership lasts. The jersey may
bear only the name of the race, the special classification, and the Race Director’s
sponsors on the upper two thirds of the front and back panel of the jersey. The
lower third of the front and back panel shall be in a plain background available for
the rider’s club or UCI team.
(i) No rider shall wear a World Championship jersey or colors (blue-red-black-yel-
low-green stripes in any order) in a race unless entitled to do so under international rules. Only former world champions are permitted to wear the world
championship colors on the trim of their jerseys.
(j) Jersey priority. For all disciplines, unless otherwise stated in the regulations,
should various provisions requiring the wearing of different jerseys apply to the
same rider, the order of priority shall be as follows:
(i) The leader’s jerseys of the stage race
(ii) The world champion’s jersey
(iii) The leader’s jersey of the cup, series or UCI/USA Cycling classification
(iiii) The continental champion’s jersey (as mandated by the Continental
Federation)
(iv) The national champion’s jersey
(iiv) The national team jersey
1J6. The use of radios is limited to events in the road discipline for races that are
composed exclusively of riders that are Category 2 and higher, and in time trial
events on the road for all categories. The use of radios is prohibited for junior and
collegiate races. The use of radios is subject to the following restrictions:
- the power of the transceiver may not exceed 5 watts;
- the range of the system shall be limited to the space occupied by the race;
- its use is limited to exchanges between riders and the sports director and between riders of a same team.
- rider may wear only one earpiece
Audio playback devices are expressly forbidden in all disciplines and categories.
3D. Criterium
3D1. A criterium is a closed-loop course entirely closed to traffic. The length of the course is between 800 m and 5 km. The minimum width throughout the course should be 7 m.
3D2. Riders may only ride in a forward direction on the course but may dismount and run backward to a repair pit when it is safe to do so.
3D3. The following are alternative methods for handling lapped riders or riders out of contention in criteriums. The method chosen by the Race Director with the Chief Referee must be clearly explained to the riders prior to the start of the race. (a) A rider who falls so far behind as to be considered out of contention may be removed from the race by the officials and may be placed according to the distance covered and placing amongst those pulled that lap. (b) Alternatively, lapped riders may be permitted to remain in the race and all will finish on the same lap as the leaders. At the finish, these riders will be placed according to the number of the laps they are down and then their position in the finish.
3D4. Riders who have lost contact with the field, and are then caught by a breakaway from the field, may not lead. Riders off the front of the field may not accept assistance from riders who have lost contact with the back of the field. Lapped riders may rejoin and race with the field in cases where lapped riders are not being withdrawn by the officials.
3D5. Free Lap Rule. Riders shall normally cover the distance of the race regardless of mishaps and must make up any distance lost on their own ability unless a free lap is granted for mishaps. Unless the official race announcement states that no free laps will be allowed, one free lap may be granted for each mishap subject to the following rules. On courses shorter than 1 km, two free laps may be allowed for a given mishap. (a) Bicycle inspection and repairs must be made in an official repair pit. If announced in advance by the Chief Referee, riders are permitted to cut the course to get to a pit, but only while the Free Lap Rule is in effect. There should be repair pits at intervals of 1 km around the course. (b) There must be a referee stationed in each repair pit to determine if the mishap was a legitimate one and if the rider is entitled to a free lap. (c) A rider who is granted a free lap must return to the race in the position held at the time of the mishap. A rider who was in a group shall return at the rear of the same group the next time around. A rider returning to the race after a free lap shall be ineligible for sprint prizes for one lap thereafter. (d) A rider granted a free lap must re-enter the race before the final 8km of the race; after that point in the race a rider in the pit is losing ground on the field. 3D6. Feeding is not permitted unless specifically authorized by the Chief Referee.
3D7. Primes are sprints within a race. They may be for the lead riders or any group or field of riders. A bell shall be sounded on the lap preceding the prime sprint at the appropriate line for that prime sprint. The line used for prime sprints need not be the same as the start or finish line. Primes may be either predetermined for certain laps or spontaneously designated under the supervision of the Chief Referee. All primes won shall be awarded to riders even if they withdraw from the race. Lapped riders are not eligible for primes except in the following situation: when a breakaway has lapped the main field, riders in the main field and the breakaway riders are then both eligible for primes. When primes are announced for a given group, only riders in that group or behind it at the beginning of the prime lap are eligible.
3D8. Field finish option. If two or more riders have lapped, or are about to lap, a substantial group of riders, the Chief Referee may direct all lapped riders to sprint early, usually two to four laps before the end of the race, then retire. The decision to do this shall be communicated to the riders several laps in advance of the final sprint. No continuing rider may take pace from a rider who has finished.
3C3. A lapped rider or one who has fallen too far behind and is considered to be
out of contention may be called off the course by the Chief Referee. Riders on different laps may not give or receive pace from one another. A lapped rider must not
interfere in any prime sprint or finishing sprint and must ride sufficient laps at the
end so as to cover the entire distance in order to qualify for a prize, unless excused
by the Chief Referee from covering the full distance
