Podium_Mar2012Why: With increasing race numbers and many new riders, this is an important safety initiative.

When: Commencing this week.
 
Racing, particularly crit racing, requires both strength and skill.  Many riders have developed their strength and speed on the bike, but the development of racing skills takes time, thought and many, many races. The challenge to any handicapping system is to find the balance these two requirements.
 
During the past weeks, the race committee along with the newly appointed club handicappers, Brad Speller and Rene Bueman, have reviewed the race results for the past couple of summers.

The aim of the new club handicapping system is to promote safe racing in all grades and to ensure equal skills and abilities within the grades.

Whilst past race results, or lack thereof, were the main criteria for promotion or relegation, personal observation and rider feedback were also considered. It is our strongest preference that riders progress through the grades sequentially, improving skills, fitness and racecraft along the way. Where this has not been evident we have made decisions accordingly. If riders have been relegated, it could also be due to us having inadequate information regarding their race history.

It is to be stressed that this grading only relates to SKCC and the Pt Melb criterium course. 

In future seasons we will be considering a points based system but this is still under review. Suffice to say “a win and two places” in any grade will mean that riders will be considered for promotion. Decisions may be reviewed with the race committee and we envisage that there will be a right of appeal process.

If you have been asked to complete a race history form it is mostly because of lack of information…so please do so as quickly as you can so that an informed decision can be made. Handicap information and the handicappers will be there for each race to help you and answer any questions. 
 
This initiative is very important for rider safety! We will not get every grading right, so please work with us to improve the system and improve rider safety.