A criterium is a short duration road race consisting of several laps around a short course, typically 800-3,000m, with four to six turns.

Road races take places on longer courses, may be run point-to-point, and are generally of longer duration.

Requirements for Participation in LCC Criteriums and Road Races

In order to participate you must:

• Be a member of LCC, in good standing

• Have successfully completed an LCC Learn-to-race session, as determined by the session leader

  OR

• Have previously held a UCI race license AND have completed at least one road, criterium, or track race.

There will be no exceptions.

Rules

All participants shall sign in with the starter/lap counter, at the start/finish location, prior to the start of the event.

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 LCC training events. Check your rule books. In case of conflict OHTA rules take precedence over all others, followed by UCI, CCA, OCA, and LCC in that order. Except as specified below, the LCC 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 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.

Participants are bound by the provisions of the LCC 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, and must be removed.

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 any 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 and/or higher traffic speed 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.

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

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 3 finishers in each category must report to the starter/lap counter. Failure to do so could result in loss of points.

Criterium-specific Rules

Free laps will be granted for mechanical issues with the exception of during the final three laps of the race.

Lapped riders may rejoin the race, and participate in the finish sprint, but will not be classified in the results.

Road Race Specific Rules

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.