LCW TRAINING RULES

 Unless otherwise indicated, infractions of any of the following rules are punishable by a warning in the first instance and disqualification for the remainder of the year in the second instance.

Even if not specifically mentioned below, provisions of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the applicable rules of the UCI, CCA, and OCA apply to LCW training events. Check your rule books. In case of conflict OHTA rules take precedence over all others, followed by UCI, CCA, OCA, and LCW in that order.   Except as specified below, the LCW does not enforce UCI regulations 1.3.006-1.3.025 (governing the configuration of bicycles).  It is the individual riders' responsibility to ensure that their bicycles are sound and in good working order.

Participants must be paid-up members of the LCW and have signed a waiver for the current year. Those who do not meet these conditions in advance of attending may not participate in any LCW event.

Participants are individually responsible for obeying all rules of the road.  In particular, participants may not cross over the yellow line and must come to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights.

At road races outside of city limits U19 racers must arrange to be followed by an adult in a motor vehicle.

Participants are bound by the provisions of the LCW code of conduct.  In particular, participants may not direct profanity or abuse at pedestrians, operators of other vehicles, or non-member cyclists; change kit in public; litter; damage private property adjoining any course; urinate in public or on private property; leave parking lots, lawns, or other property in a state worse than it was before arrival, or unnecessarily impede the flow of traffic.

Participants must obey the instructions of race officials.

Participants may not question the decisions of race officials.

Handlebar extensions (aero bars) are not permitted in mass start races.

At the start of a road race participants are to line up no more than two deep at the right hand side of the road. Only race officials may park on the course.

A participant who falls must perform a bike and helmet check before resuming the race.  A participant whose helmet shows signs of impact may not resume the race.

The first rider to come up to a stop sign shall not make the right turn unless all riders present in the group can make the turn without impeding the flow of traffic.  It remains the responsibility of each following rider to check that the turn may be made safely.  Riders who are reported to have attacked their group coming out of a stop sign shall be relegated.

Where a stop sign is present, the race shall be neutralized from the stop sign to a point 200m beyond the stop sign, or until all riders who were within three bike lengths of any rider coming up to the stop sign have rejoined the group, whichever comes first.

Sections of the course may be identified prior to the race start as subject to a “white line” rule.  The intent of this rule is to prevent participants from “guttering” the field against the yellow line in right-hand side winds on busier sections of the course.  The white line rule requires the lead rider to ride at tempo on the white line, or on the section of pavement were a white line would be painted where one is not present.  As long as the lead rider is riding tempo, following riders are obliged to pull through on the left and take a turn at the front.  No rider may “sit in” and no rider may be allowed to “hang out there.”  Where the white line rule is in effect, participants may still attack at any time where traffic conditions allow, but they must attack to the white line.  Those pursuing the attack must pursue on the white line and may not echelon to the left.  They are not obliged to pull through until such time as the pace falls back to tempo, though they may do so if traffic conditions allow it. 

Where the white line rule is not in effect, riders shall not echelon so far out to the left as to make it difficult for approaching motor vehicles to see whether the oncoming traffic lanes are clear.

No rider shall attempt to overtake another rider on the inside on the approach to a turn.

In out-and-back time trials, it is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that the U-turn at the half-way point can be made safely, and the final judgment about whether the U turn is safe rests with the participant.  The turn-around marshal shall estimate the time of the delay caused to participants who judge that they must wait for traffic to clear.

In points sprints and finish sprints, all riders must hold their line, where a line is a line parallel to the center line of the road.

In points sprints and finish sprints all riders in the same group as the fifth rider from the front at the point where the sprint starts must do everything in their power to maintain the speed of the fastest rider.  No rider in the group may “ease up.”  For purposes of this clause the group of the fifth rider is understood to be the first five riders plus all riders following the fifth rider to a gap of more than 10 bike lengths.At the end of a road race or criterium, the top 5 finishers in each category must report to the starter/lap counter. Failure to do so could result in loss of points.

As they cross the finish line for a time trial, participants must shout out their assigned start number. Failure to do so could result in an incorrect finish time.

At the end of a time trial participants should assemble in the parking area to wait for results. They may not approach the time keeper while he or she is at the side of the road.

Separate A/B Criteriums:

Those struggling to keep up with or getting dropped from the A criterium must do the B criterium. Those doing the A criterium may not join the B criterium.

In B criteriums participants who are lapped by the B field must finish with 1 lap to go and exit the course as soon as it is safe to do so. Dropped participants must keep to the right. 

In “A” criteriums participants who are lapped by the field must finish with 1 to go and exit the course as soon as it is safe to do so.

Combined A/B Criteriums:

Participants who are lapped by their field must finish with 1 to go and exit the course as soon as it is safe to do so. Participants  starting with the B group are considered to be caught, rather than lapped, the first time they are passed by an A rider. They may finish with the A group if they are not lapped subsequently. Participants starting with the B group are considered to have caught, rather than lapped an A rider the first time they pass that rider. Dropped riders and B riders must watch for the approach of the A group and keep to the right to allow the group to pass.  Those participating in the B finish must exit the course as soon as it is safe to do so.

A/B Road Races

Participants starting with the A group must finish with the A group.  If they are dropped they must stay clear of the B group, particularly over the last 10 km of the race.  Pulling at the front of the B group, blocking, coaching B riders, or riding in any other way that might affect the outcome of the B race is prohibited.  Those who start in the B group and catch up to the A group, even for a short time, are considered to have become A riders and are disqualified from the B race. They may contest the A finish and receive A points, but they may not rejoin the B group.  Should the A group lap the B group, B riders may not join the A group.  Lapped riders must stay clear of the riders who have lapped them.

Points

Points are awarded to the top 5 finishers in each of 5 categories: A, B, women, U19 women, U19 men.  Women or U19’s who start and place in the top 5 in either an A or a B group will receive points in that category as well as points in their own category.  U19 women who finish ahead of the 5th woman in the women's category will receive points in that category as well as their own category.  Points are awarded as follows: A: 10, 7, 5, 3, 2; all other categories: 7, 5, 3, 2, 1.  Where there are fewer than 5 finishers in a category, points are awarded from the bottom up (e.g., where there are just 3 finishers in a race, they get 3rd, 4th, and 5th place points).

In combined A/B criteriums and time trials, points are only awarded to the A, women, U19 women, and U19 men categories. 

Club Championships

The club awards trophies to the overall best rider on points and the individually best rider on points in each of the road, criterium, and individual time trial series.  The club also awards gold medals to these riders and silver and bronze medals to the overall best riders on points. Trophies and medals are awarded in each of the A, women, U19 women, and U19 men categories. To be eligible for an award in one of the individual events, a rider must have completed at least 4 races in that series in the year. To be eligible for the overall award in either of the U19 categories, a rider must have completed at least 3 races in each of the road, criterium, and time trial series.