We like to race, hard but fair. These terms are open to some interpretation so we’d like to set correct expectations.
The ultimate judge of fairness is the Club President, or in their absence at a race, the Course Director. They have the ability to disqualify a participant from a race or undertake any sort of adjudication as is required. Any disqualification will be justified with a written report to be presented to the next meeting of the Organizing Committee.
Fair Riding
Bike racing involves physical and mechanical risk. Because of this, bike racing is a non-contact sport. You can not touch another rider with your hand, elbow, feet or head whilst riding. You can not change direction on your bike whilst riding if that would force another rider to have to deviate from their existing course. You should not brake suddenly or erratically.
If you see an obstacle in the road that could cause danger (like a pothole, or loose stones on the road surface), do your best to warn the following riders about it.
Falling off your bike can be dangerous and painful. We do not think our competitions should mean taking extra risks to win, that could result in avoidable injury. We ask that riders always chose safety over race position, both for themselves and their fellow bike riders.
We are OK with supporters driving on the circuit at Bonita or Midweek, under two conditions. (1) They never impede riders from making progress, get in the way, or increase the danger a rider is exposed to. Supporter cars can only circulate in the SAME direction the riders are racing in. (2) SDupporters can offer mechanical assistance if there is a problem like a puncture. However, any drafting, sheltering or towing will result in a disqualification (DQF) in the results and we may ban the rider (or team) from having a support vehicle on the course in the future. Very simply, if you give an unfair advantage (beyond mechanical assistance) then it breaks our principle of fair racing and will not be tolerated.
Fair Safety
The organizing committee does everything practically possible to reduce risk to riders. We select our courses to minimise interaction with other road traffic. We inspect our courses before events start. We sweep corners and remove any dangerous debris we find. We provide race briefings to all participants before every event.
It is impossible to remove all risks. All participants accept that they are ultimately responsible for the risks that they take, including personal safety during race events.
We ask riders to confirm this each time they register for an event, so that this responsibility remains present in their thinking and behaviour.
If a rider sees anything that they consider to be an actionable safety risk, they should tell a marshall or a Committee member as soon as possible. This includes unsporting or dangerous behaviour by another rider.
The Course Director or Club President have the right to immediately exclude a rider from an event if it is felt that they have acted in a reckless, threatening or dangerous way. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to refuse registration to future races for any unacceptable behaviour (and we are happy that we have never had to discuss using this right in the past).
Fair Results – Chip Timing
Riders are timed during races. Everyone has the same start time, no matter when they cross the timing mats at the beginning of the race. All our road races feature a ‘rolling start’ out on the course, to add to rider safety, so it’s not so important if you cross the mat at the front or the back of the bunch, because the first few kilometres are easy pedalling for everyone.
The timing is achieved by fitting a transponder chip to your bike. Club members are given their own chip, but ‘day racers’ are loaned a chip for one race. It is up to club members to correctly enter their chip number in the online race registration form. If you put the wrong number in to the form, it is your mistake and your times will not appear on the final race results.
If you bring a different transponder chip than the one you registered online, again it is your mistake and you will not receive a listing in the race results. Riyadh Wheelers Committee members can not fix this issue for you. You are responsible for the correct registration of your chip.
The race chips are designed to work in one direction (so the chip number can be read like normal text. There is a section in the FAQs about how to fit your transponder chip correctly. If you fit the chip incorrectly, there is a danger you may not trigger a time on the timing system. RW Committee members will not accept alternative timing measurements from your GPS sport watch, or sport activity website. Only the timings from our Race Results timing system are official.
Race chips can be borrowed for a day (200 SAR deposit) or you can purchase one to keep and use any time you like (price is 200 SAR). We ask that riders do not swap or lend race chips as this usually ends up with incorrect registration and timing data.
Riders will be briefed before the race, how many laps need to be done to complete the course, and the positioning of the timing mats. Riders must not take shortcuts on the course or skip timing mats. Any absences in the timing logs will end up with a rider being marked as not having completed the course and they will receive a “Did Not Finish (DNF) standing”. DNFs do not receive any Championship Points.
Even if a rider innocently makes a wrong turn, if the timing system shows the course is not completed, a rider can not be allocated a race position or championship Points. It is each riders’ responsibility to know the course and follow it. Any rider seen deviating from the course for their advantage, will be disqualified.
Fair Performance
Bike racing has a long history of being affected by the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). We believe that this is a fundamentally unfair practice. We caution all riders to understand the effects of food supplements, medications and prescribed medications, both in terms of performance enhancement, but also negative effects on good physical and mental health.
Knowing abuse of any drug on the UCI banned list would be a reason for us to disqualify a rider from our competitions.
Fair Clothing and Equipment
Bike racing is a constant struggle against air! The wind blows in your face and you go slower. The faster you pedal, the more the air resists you. This is the reason why bike racers wear tight-fitting clothing – it offers the least aerodynamic resistance.
Clothing that flaps about in the wind, makes you go slower and can catch in wheels and brakes, and is therefore quite dangerous.
Riding hard generates lots of heat in your body. To be able to sustain hard efforts, it helps to wear clothing which allows heat to dissipate from your skin. Apart from very cold days in December and January, it is normal to ride in Saudi in cycling shorts and short-sleeved jerseys. People are welcome to wear long bib-tights and long-sleeved jerseys if it is cold, or for reasons of modesty. This is a personal choice and Riyadh Wheelers do not enforce any dress or modesty code.
Helmets. These are mandatory. Your helmet must be in good condition (they should be replaced every 2-3 years and not left outside in sunlight). A helmet should be replaced after a crash where it hits the ground, even if it looks to be in good condition (structural damage can happen inside the protective foam that is not visible to the eye).
Your helmet strap should be adjusted to be reasonably tight under the chin, so that the helmet can not be pulled over your head with your hands. Your helmet should cover your forehead so that it comes down to be 1-2 cms above your eyebrows.
Cleated Cycling Shoes help you have a much stronger attachment to your bike, allowing your muscles to pull up on the pedals, as well as pushing down. They make bike racing safer because they prevent your feet flying off the pedals over bumps or in corners, so we recommend using them.
B-Racers might not yet be comfortable with cleated shoes, or not yet have them. That’s OK with us but we suggest you work towards getting them for a superior cycling experience.
Sunglasses help protect from Ultra-Violet light for long-term eye health but more immediately, can stop stones, dirt and dust getting in your eyes and if you fall off your bike, can offer a bit of extra protection for your face. We recommend them.
