Beloved ECCC - There have been a number of questions flowing in about a number of different things, so here are some clarifications, reminders, and helpful notes. In an effort to keep the total number of emails to a minimum, this is going to be a long-ish one. Keep in mind that conference staff (myself, John Frey of Velocity Results and all of the USA Cycling officials) are here to make your racing experience an enjoyable one. If you have any questions or need assistance, just ask. We are here for you. 1. Know the rules 2. Eligibility / full-time status 3. Introduction to bicycle racing category 4. Licensing for individuals & teams 5. Categories & upgrading 6. Clothing & uniforms 7. What does "no aero time trial" really mean? 1. KNOW THE RULES ----------------- It is the responsibility of each rider to be familiar with the rules, it's good karma and makes you the life of the party (just ask Ariel from MIT!). Be sure to read three documents: the 2007 Collegiate Cycling Rulebook, the 2007 ECCC Rulebook, and the meeting minutes from the ECCC Annual meeting. If you are really a glutton for rules, there are more USA Cycling and UCI rulebooks available, but these three are really key documents to consume. A huge thanks to Mike from NYU for compiling the *new* ECCC Rulebook! * http://www.eccc-info.com/content/2007_collegiate_rulebook.pdf * http://www.eccc-info.com/content/2007_eccc_rulebook.pdf * http://www.eccc-info.com/2007/meeting/2006_11_18_meeting_minutes.pdf 2. ELIGIBILITY / FULL-TIME STATUS --------------------------------- From the 2007 Collegiate Cycling Rulebook: "3.2.1 Collegiate Cycling individual members must be full time students in good standing, as defined by the bursar or registrar at the member’s post-secondary school." This means that your school is the ultimate authority on what "full-time" means. There have been a number of questions about students who are taking plenty of classes, but for whatever reason are not considered full-time due to thesis writing, payment status, or other school-specific anomalies. Petitions for exception may be made to the Collegiate Cycling Board of Trustees, but this rule is clear: you must be full-time as defined and certified by your school. Please ask if you have any questions; ineligible riders found racing will be removed from the results and we'll have to re-score the entire season. 3. INTRODUCTION TO BICYCLE RACING CATEGORY ------------------------------------------ "You are never ready for your first bike race," is a common phrase. Enter the Introduction to Bicycle Racing category, NEW for 2007. The general format for the events is 50% coaching clinic and 50% bike race in a safe, supportive environment. Experienced riders and coaches will make sure that your entry into the sport is fun! Spread the word on campus and bring out new riders who want to test the waters. 4. LICENSING FOR INDIVIDUALS & TEAMS ------------------------------------ A) Team license - please make sure that your team is properly licensed. See the USA Cycling collegiate team listing for current status. If your school name is red, you need to renew for 2007: * http://www.usacycling.org/clubs/index.php?org=Collegiate&st=&club=&order=name B) Individual license ($30 annually or $10/one-day) - please purchase this online ahead of time to save time at registration, but annual Collegiate Cycling licenses are available on raceday. Make sure that you "attach" to your school and specify your collegiate club when you get your license. If your school has not renewed, you will not be able to attach. For way too much detail on the Collegiate Cycling license, see: * http://lists.topica.com/lists/eccc_info/read/message.html?mid=811635681 5. CATEGORIES & UPGRADING ------------------------- A) From the ECCC Rulebook: "3.1. Riders must race in the same ECCC category in all mass-start races throughout a single weekend." That should clear up some registration errors made for Rutgers. B) Upgrading your USA Cycling Road category is handled through your online USA Cycling account. There have been a couple of questions and issues surrounding the new categorization requirements, but they are explained in-depty in the ECCC Meeting Minutes, linked above. C) ECCC Conference Staff will not be amused by attempts made to "game the system." There have already been questions such as, "Can I race the Men's intro race to reduce my required races to five from ten, and then jump into the Men's B race?" Short answer: no. 6. CLOTHING & UNIFORMS ---------------------- Not everyone is going to have their latest duds ready for the season start, and this tends to happen every year. The important things to consider are that: * All of your jerseys match in a given category * Your school name is the most prominent feature of the jersey * No trade team or non-collegiate club clothing may be worn Be awesome like SUNY Cortland and Sharpie your way to success! Really anything will do as long as it meets the above, but the officials are very understanding in the early part of the season. Any problems, just ask. 7. WHO IS READY FOR THE REAL RACE OF TRUTH? ------------------------------------------- For this weekend's first event, the "Rutgers No-Aero ITT," bring your standard, mass-start legal road bike and leave the aero equipment at home. No aero helmets, no disc wheels, use your head and believe in the spirit of the event. It will be fun and painful, guaranteed, and a true test of rider against rider. If you have further questions, read: * http://lists.topica.com/lists/eccc_info/read/message.html?mid=811816260 Thanks and see you this weekend at Rutgers! Mark Abramson ECCC Conference Director