Our Round 4 is also the Eastern Region of British Cycling’s Regional Championships on Sunday 23 May 2021.
It’s a pleasure to welcome some new riders to our course and we hope they will be enthusiastic about coming back to any race, but also to the second of our XCO races on Sunday 6 June.
Gridding will never be correct. Being able to predict the outcome of a race would hardly lead a person into organising races. Consideration has been made of rider performances in recent competition, but since there have been so few races and no ranking points there’s been a fair amount of skill and judgement (..guesswork) involved.
Riders are requested to note the grid line allocated and make their way to it, ready to start. Direction is facing away from the hill, ready to head up the Hoggenberg and along the hedge before riding the infield section to start lap 1.
There will be a Feed and Tech Zone with service points at 1km and 4km into the course. Helpers must follow rules on social distancing outdoors.
Under 12 & u10 riders race the short course and their grid is on the upper infield
Timetable for the day
Short course open from 09.30
10.00 – under 10 10mins short course
10.15 – under 12 15mins short course
10.35 – 10.40 Full course entry open for practice
11.00 – Youth & Juveniles 30mins
11.35 – 11.40 Full course entry open for practice
12.00 – Veteran Men 1h15
13.30 – Women (seniors, veterans and juniors) 1h15
14.50 – 14.55 Full course entry open for practice
15.15 – Men; seniors and juniors 1h30
We are sorry not to offer a devoted practice session immediately prior to the 13.30 start but our volunteers need to get lunch and take a short break in the middle of a busy day.
If you do not have a Beastway MTB chipped number there will be one waiting for you at the distanced registration desk. This will be near the main entry to the building or on the verandah past the cafe, depending on wind strength/direction.
Riders already with a chipped number should be ready for their race and have pre-ridden the course with the number showing. Riders with numbers who are not entered will be taken off the course. Please do not ride on any part of the course during other races and certainly not without your number board fitted.
Do not fold your number board as you will be required to straighten it out and only use the tabs provided.
Yes please, if you are not intending to race any further rounds we would like your number board returned.
The course is riding very nicely since we raced it on Wednesday after a lot of rain had softened the ground. Long sections are on made trails which are not affected by rain so most people ride with a bit less grip than if the course was all earthen singletrack. We have amended the course slightly to avoid the worst wet ground in the lower woods. There are A and B lines in three places, all of which are signed. At the bridge crossover the B-line requires you to give way when passing across the live course in order to get to your continuation. At recent races there were very few takers on the B-line.
Under 12 & 10s course is cut shorter using lines in blue
Podiums are not allowed under the terms of ‘Return to Racing’ but we will set out awards for self-service when the time is right and we will tell you this on the PA, making a distanced medal pic opportunity possible. Medal awards are offered by BC Eastern Region for its championships and we will have an award for the winner of each race, regardless of region. Please give us a little extra time to make sure we have the three eligible riders from the complete category result. Regional medal awards, gold, silver, bronze will be made as follows;-
Juvenile M F
Youth M F
Junior M
Senior M
Vet M 40+
Vet M 50+
Vet M 60+
Women
We will add awards for women winners in each category of that race where BC has determined that numbers entered are too low for an award in some categories.
The u10 and u12 events are ‘unofficial’ regional championships so we will award the winner of each race with this title.
British Cycling has categorised this event as suitable for the award of Regional A points on the appropriate tariff. We hope this will help riders with their gridding at national events.
In these times it is complicated to put on events and we will see what we can do with regard to a prize list.
The Centre is registered for Test & Trace and is COVID-secure. The pavilion will be open for toilets and lockers are open, but of course distancing, hand washing and mask wearing is all obligatory. Showers and changing rooms remain closed. Mask-wearing indoors and distancing at all times remain a condition of our presence. No groups of more than six, unless from a single household…
A distanced seating arrangement may be in place in the cafe which means a greatly reduced capacity, so the main focus will be on serving food to take outdoors. You will not be welcome to ‘camp out’ there. Kit left in any way that inconveniences other users is likely to be removed for later reclaim. Bring a Pound coin for the lockers – it’s returned after use.
Car parking is ample, but only if everyone parks tidily in rows. There is not room for mobile homes or team set-ups in these times. Overflow unrestricted parking is available along the opposite side of Forest Road from the main entrance.
Beastway MTB 2022 