Race Manual!

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Contents!!Introduction!

!History of Cycling in Glasgow

Green!!

Our Friends !!

Essentials!!

Pre Race!!

Race!!

Post Race!!

Introduction!!Welcome to the Glasgow Riderz Crit on the Green. Many thanks from everyone at the club for your entry and we hope you have a fantastic day of racing both as a participant and a spectator.!!We have been overwhelmed by the number of entrants, so thank you for helping to make this the largest youth race ever held in Scotland. However, that brings its own challenges and I hope you can be patient with us if things don't go as smoothly as they should. We will do our utmost to make you day as enjoyable as possible. !!The race is the first in the WoSCA series of Youth Crit racing which will include racing throughout spring, summer and autumn. Keep an eye on Facebook and the British Cycling website for further details.!!We are also proud to be hosting the inaugural Glasgow Life Youth Cycle Trophy for Under 16 Boys and Under 14/16 Girls. We hope that this will become an established fixture on the youth racing calendar. A huge thanks to Glasgow Life for their support and encouragement for our event.!!We are also excited to have such great sponsors on board for our event. Billy Bilsland’s Cycles is part of the fabric of the Glasgow cycling community and is so much more than simply a bike shop; it’s an institution and embodies everything a bike shop should be. !!We are also proud to have Siempre Bicycle Cafe as a sponsor. Since opening on Dumbarton Road a few years ago they have become an established fixture in Glasgow’s Westend, with a number of clubs now using it as a starting point for their regular rides.!!This has not happened by accident, combining coffee and bikes seems such an obvious idea now that someone has done it, but it was Siempre that introduced the concept to Glasgow that a bike shop could also be a quality cafe serving healthy tasty food. They also have a fantastic garden area for the summer months and regularly show cycle racing throughout the season. If you haven’t visited Siempre I urge you to make a point of visiting for lunch, you wont be disappointed.!!Finally, but by no means least, we, and many of our club members are excited to have Big Bobble Hats sponsoring our event. Big Bobble Hats first came to prominence at cyclocross races and soon became the must-have fashion item of any self respecting cyclist. Their choice of styles and imaginative designs mean one is never enough and I’m sure many of us have children and friends that have a collection of these hats at home. They are now as mandatory as the cycle cap and bidon.!!We must also extend a huge thanks to Tesco Maryhill, AG Barr, and Tunnocks for their kind donations to the event. !!Finally, a huge thanks to everyone that has helped make this event a reality and a special thanks to Sophie Warburton of Scottish Cycling without whom our idea of a race in Glasgow Green would never have become a reality!!Have a great time,!!Glasgow Riderz!!!!

Glasgow Green, where the race is being held today has seen its fair share of bike racing dating back to the very earliest days of road cycling in Scotland. However, other t h a n a f e w n o t a b l e exceptions like the 2013 British Championships which

started and finished in the park there has been very little bike racing on the green for since the 2006 Scottish championships. !!This was one of the main drivers for us as a club to bring back racing to the Green. It also gave us a perfect opportunity to reflect on the illustrious history of today’s venue and give back its rightful place in Scottish cycling history. !!The formation of the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC) in the 1940s and the ensuing schism between

road racers and testers led to the creation of Brighton to Glasgow stage race. Though the race never finished in Glasgow Green it’s a useful marker to demonst ra te Glasgow’s elevated position

in Britain as one of the major cycling centres since the early days of the sport. Scottish riders were well represented with names such as A lex Hendry o f the Glasgow Wheelers (2nd

overall in 1946) and George Edwards of the Chryston Wheelers among some of the s t rong con t ingent f rom Scotland, who raced, over 5 d a y s , t o G l a s g o w . Interestingly the race leader

each day would carry a letter addressed to the Lord Provost of Glasgow who made the final presentation at the end of the race.!T h e g o l d e n a g e w a s definitely from the 1960s to

Racing in Glasgow Green: A Brief History

the late 1980s when more than a few legends of the s c e n e p a s s e d t h r o u g h beat ing al l comers and propelling themselves into a pro career on the continent. Names such as Billy Bilsland

and Robert Millar almost immediately come to mind but they were only two of many top class cyclists who r a c e d o n t h e G r e e n . Speaking to a few of the knowledgable veterans of the scene from back then, it quickly becomes clear that Bilsland and Millar, though admittedly classy and world c lass cycl ists, certainly weren' t unusual as the s tandard o f cyc l i s ts in Scotland and Glasgow in particular at that time was hugely impressive.!!N a m e s s u c h a s D r e w Robertson, Jamie McGahan, D a v i e W h i t e h a l l , N e i l McLeod, Davie Hassan, B o b b y M e l r o s e , S t e v e McGinty and Stevie Finnegan crop up regularly whenever the modern equivalent of a drum-up happens. Many of these cyclists, though less well known outside of the cycling fraternity, were top quality international cyclists who regularly placed well and

sometimes won, many of the prestigious races of the time such as the Ras, the Tour of Scotland, the Milk Race, the Dauphine, the Peace Race, and of course the Vuelta and Tour de France. !

!As you would expect for a city with such an illustrious number of riders, the clubs were also some of the best in Britain. Clubs such as the Glasgow Wheelers, the Ivy, The ‘Gale and the Regent to name a few produced a conveyor belt of talented cyclists.!!Though there were a number of races in the Green the most high profile race at the

time was the ‘Glasgow Grand Prix’. This consisted of a Junior (won by Robert Millar in the 1970s) and a senior r a c e . T h e e v e n t w a s supported by Glasgow City Council and the start finish line was outside the people’s Palace where the Doulton F o u n t a i n n o w s t a n d s . Bilsland won the very first Grand Prix in 1964.!!The council and organiser also put up prizes for the winners of the race though due to rules about amateur sport at the time they could not offer cash prizes. I’ll leave it to Steve McGinty to explain: !!“Although it was a high-profile event with a relatively large sponsorship f rom Glasgow Council, at that time "amateurs" were not allowed cash prizes so first prize was a full bone-china dinner-set! and as I'd ridden out to the Green I had to ride home to Renfrew with said dinner-set balanced on my bars!”. !!The races then, as they are today, were organised by cycling enthusiasts from the local clubs, with the support of Glasgow Council who

gave their time freely to allow these races to go ahead and to them we all owe a debt of gratitude. Names such as Jim Robinson of the Glasgow Nightingale who organised the race for most of the 1970s and into the 1980s, A l i s t a i r F o r b e s o f t h e Glasgow Ivy and countless others who helped create a piece of Glasgow cycling folklore.!!As well as the Glasgow Grand Prix the Green also played host to a number of prestigious events and was the starting or finishing point of many large races over the years. The Milk Race, the precursor of today’s Tour of Britain, was a regular visitor, attracting some of the biggest names of British cycling. Laterally it’s been used for the Tour of Britain and though the weather has sometimes not been kind this has never put off large crowds who have come to watch the action.!!However, perhaps the event that is most fresh in all our minds was the British Road Championships which used the Green as the starting and finishing point for the race.

30,000 people lined the streets of Glasgow to watch Mark Cavendish and Lizzie A r m i t s t e a d w i n t h e i r respective races and wear the British champion’s jersey. !!That brings us to 2014 and yet again the venue will take c e n t r e s t a g e a s t h e Commonwealth Games road race which will follow the same route as the 2013 championships. Though our

race is much smaller in comparison to many of these events of the past it is worth remembering that the Green has been the starting point for some of the cycling greats, and today we get the chance to watch the future of our sport in this great and historic setting. Hopefully one day in the near future we’ll be writing about the victories on the world stage by some of t he young compe t i t o r s participating today in these races and perhaps when this race is a distant memory there will still be stories being told of the day they first saw the world champion at Glasgow Green in a cycle race as a youth. ! !!!

Our Friends!!Billy Bilslands www.billybilslandcycles.co.uk !!Billy Bilsland Cycles has been the main Glasgow

Riderz sponsor since the early days of the club and has provided us with fantastic support. !!The shop is part of the fabric of Glasgow, Scottish and British cycling culture and exemplifies the very best of what a small independent bike shop should be. It was no surprise that it was again voted one of the top 20 bike shops in the UK. Neil and M a r k a r e b o t h v a s t l y experienced and provide a service second to none. They are ably backed up by top mechanics, Ally, Barry and Thomas, helping to keep the customers bikes in top condition. They also offer personal support to our more accomplished riders.!!The shop was started by Neil’s dad, the legendary professional cyclist Billy Bilsland. Billy was a class act and raced successfully as a continental professional for many years, competing in most of the top continental races and was the first British rider ever to win a stage in the Peace Race which ran in

the 1960s and 1970s. When Billy returned to Glasgow he

brought a young ambitious Glasgow cyclist under his wing. That young cyclist was Robert Millar. Billy helped

nurture this incredible talent and coached him until he went to France to become the legend that we all now know him as. Millar never forgot this and was a regular visitor to the store when he returned to Glasgow. He also presented the shop with an incredible gift; a framed Tour de France King of the Mountains jersey. This still hangs in the shop today and it’s worth visiting the shop just to see this incredible piece of cycling memorabilia. Recently Neil managed to acquire Millar’s original bike used in the Tour and this can be seen pride of place in the shop window. It’s a quite sublime bike though it does also show just how much b i k e t e c h n o l o g y h a s progressed since the time when Millar was King of the Mountains. in store you’ll find a fantastic choice of bikes. The shop is the only official C e r v e l o d e a l e r s h i p i n

Glasgow and stocks a full range available in any build you choose. Cannondale’s Bike of the Year, the Synapse is also available along with Focus, Ridgeback, Frog, Whyte, and Pivot amongst others. !!However, not only do they stock an impressive selection of bikes they also have an i n c r e d i b l e a m o u n t o f equipment and parts in stock, their ability to find in the workshop, the most obscure part is never less than astonishing and backed up by Nei l ’s encyclopaedic knowledge of cycling and bikes, it’s always a pleasure to visit. So pop in and say hi while you take advantage of the 10% voucher on offer.!

!!

Siempre is a bicycle café. What you may ask is a bike cafe? Well to put it simply it merges the very best of a bike shop with the very best of a cafe and adds a special blend of ethics. They opened in September 2012 and q u i c k l y e s t a b l i s h e d themselves both in the Westend, it’s now hard to imagine the communi ty without Siempre being part of it, and also within the cycling community in Glasgow. It quickly became the first and last stop of the traditional Sunday run and the cafe is usually packed with cyclists from a number of based Glasgow clubs. The Glasgow Wheelers use it as the starting point of their Sunday run as do many non affiliated cyclists.!!It is run Kirsteen and Cal who have modelled the cafe on their own principles and ethics, which makes the place simply unique and special in Glasgow.!!They provide bikes, repair services, clothing and food.  They are passionate about what they do and believe in working in partnership with local cycling clubs, hosting events and social rides, as well as providing training. In addition, they also work in partnership with the local

community and work on a number of social enterprise activities and charity events on a non-profit basis. !!Their business focuses on

selling independent quality products and services at reasonable prices from local independent suppliers.  Their values are based on local sourcing by partnering with small independent firms that provide high quality produce

at affordable costs set to UK standards. A business model b a s e d o n w o r k i n g independently with smaller firms to spread economic weal th and reduce the carbon footprint to remain environmentally focused. A flat financial model that shares the company profits with the employees based on a co-operat ive sty le of working, spreading economic wealth in the community. !!One last thing, when the sun is shining there is no better place to enjoy some great food and drink than in their

garden, a fabulous area which seems to get the sun (when it’s out) all day.!!I’m sure you’ll agree it is a privilege for us to be able work with Siempre and help their vision flourish. Chapeau Siempre!!!!!!!!

Siempre Bicycle Cafe http://www.siemprebicyclecafe.com

Big Bobble Hats http://www.bigbobblehats.co.uk!!

Unless you’ve been avoiding cycling over the last few years, or never attended a cyclocross race in Scotland you will know Big Bobble Hats. !!Started by Tamara Hockey this local company has quickly established itself, and if your home is anything like ours you’ll have a collection of these hats, all with their own unique and brilliant design.!!Attend any race or cycling event and the first thing you’ll notice, even before the bikes are the hats everyone from the youngest to the oldest seem to be wearing. If you’re going to wear a hat, wear one with a bobble. If you’re going to wear a hat with a bobble, make it a big bobble, and if you’re going to wear a hat with a big bobble make it one with a multitude of cool designs such as the World

champion bands, the British champion bands, the colours of Belgium, or simply your favourite colours.!!Big Bobble hats come in many different designs but they have all have one thing in common, they have enormous bobbles making them the de-facto head wear for any self respecting cyclist. !!One day soon Sven Nys will be wearing a Big Bobble hat on a cyclocross podium, and remember, you heard it here first. !!So in summary, Big Bobble Hats sell a range of bright warm hats to get you noticed. Whether you are looking for a ski hat, a golf bobble hat, a hat for pre and post race, or just a warm winter hat for the outdoors they have  many funky  designs in a huge range of bright colours.!!They also offer a custom d e s i g n s e r v i c e w h e r e you can design your own Big Bobble Hat.!!!Here at Big Bobble Hats we sell a range of bright warm hats to get you noticed.

Whether you are looking for a ski hat, a golf bobble hat or just a warm winter hat for the outdoors we have many funky designs in a huge range of bright colours.

We also offer a custom design service where you can design your own Big Bobble Hat.

Enjoy browsing the site or designing your own Big Bobble Hat.

!!

Essentials!!Sign On & Gear Check!!!Sign on will be located close to the Arch at the Saltmarket entrance to Glasgow Green!!Parking!!Glasgow Green is located in the eastern end of Glasgow city centre therefore most parking will be metered and the city centre will be busy. Please allow lots of time to get to the Green and find parking. There is a lot of metered street parking on Greendykes Street. However this fills up during the day and is not cheap. !!There is free on street parking to the east of The Peoples Palace though this is extremely limited. There is also free on-street parking on the south side of the River Clyde.!!There is a large car park in the St Enoch Centre as well as to the east of this. Entry is via King Street. It is then a 5-10 minute walk to the race location.!!Please DO NOT attempt to enter the park with your vehicle. This is strictly prohibited. Your car will be removed and your race entry revoked without recourse. No refund will be made available under these circumstances.!!!Other Park Users!!Please remember that the park is used by many other people who will be there for other reasons please be respectful to other park users and if you are riding your bike please be courteous and give way to pedestrians!!Warm up Areas!!There will be ample areas to set up rollers for warm up. However, please be considerate and do not place them where they may cause an obstruction to other park users. !!Though there is no designated area to assemble ezi-ups we do not have a problem with these being erected. However please be careful not damage the grass and if asked to remove it by a park official or a race official please do as they ask.!!Changing Area and Toilets!!There will be limited changing area in the Clydesdale Rowing club adjacent to the course. Though there are also toilets at the clubhouse we would recommend you use the toilets available in the People’s Palace a 5 minute walk from the race course!!!!!

Bike Repairs and Spares!!!Our sponsor Billy Bilsland Cycles is located on Saltmarket and is a 2 minute walk from the race location. They stock a wide range of quality parts and will be able to help with any bike issue you may have on the day. Neil from the shop will be on hand at the sign on area to do bike checks and make essential repairs if required. !!!Demo Bikes!!Billy Bilsland Cycles in conjunction with Frog bikes will be providing demo bikes for you to try on the day. The shop has these bikes for sale and will be happy to help provide more information on these and other bikes available for purchase.!!!Billy Bilsland Cycles 10% Off Voucher in store.!!!Billy Bilslands have kindly offered to give all entrants 10% off all purchases in store on the day. To benefit from this fantastic offer print off your entry acceptance email and give it to the staff who will then take 10% off any purchase.!!This offer is only available on the day and is not available on sale items.!!!!!

Pre Race: The Team!!Without those below, the race could never happen. A huge thanks to all.!!

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Role Person

Chief Commissar Graeme Kerr

Commissar John Davies

Moto Commissar Paul Mullen

Timing official Sophie Warburton

Finish Line Judge Edd Shackley

Finish Line Judge 2 Greig Scott

Finish Line Judge 3 Jim Brewer

Time keeper Stephen Hilbourne

Finish line video Gail Wilson

Finish Line Judge 2 Greig Scott

Sign On Wendy Stewart

Sign On Karen Cruden

Sign On Neil MacDougal

Sign On Christine Jones

Time Chip distribution Les Thomson

Chip Remover Post Race 1 Graeme Robb

Chip Remover Post Race 2 Trish Ramsay

Gear Check 1 Neil McLeod

Gear Check 2 Scott Glasgow

Pre-Race Competitor Marshal Seonaid Bradford

Coffee and Cakes Jan Ziergovel & Bakers Collective

Organising Team Sophie Warburton /Bryan Donnelly

Pre Race - Need to Know!!!Gear Check!!!Prior to the race you will need to have your gears checked to ensure they meet British Cycling mandatory requirements. See the chart below for maximum distance allowed per age category.!The measurement is the distance covered by one revolution of your pedals. !!Please arrive at the gear check with your bike in the largest gear (biggest front ring + smallest back cog). If your bike fails gear check you will need to lock out the offending gear until it is within the distance below. There will be someone to help you with this if you are not confident doing so yourself!!Please note we will not be doing gear check for Youth E (Under 8)!!

!Once your bike has passed gear check you will be given a ticket to take to sign on to confirm your bike has passed.!!!Sign On!!!We will be running a staggered sign on. Please do not try to sign on until your race allocated time shown in the table below. This is to help us make sure that we can process each race quickly and ensure the process is as easy and fast as possible.!!Please have your gear check pass and British Cycling License ready. !If you do not have a race license you will be required to buy a day race license as per BC regulations, these will cost £1.50.!!Please note that if you do not have a race license or have BC membership the first year membership is free for all under 16s and a race license is free until you are a Junior (under 18). Therefore, we would strongly recommend you call British Cycling before the race. They will email you a temporary license immediately.!!At Sign-on the official will take your license which will be kept for the duration of the race. You must return after your race to receive it back at the end.!!You will also be given a number with safety pins. There will be an image at sign-on to advise the correct position of your race number. !

Category Restriction

Youth A 6.93m

Youth B 6.45m

Youth C 6.05m

Youth D 5.40m

Youth E 5.10m

!We are lucky to have the use of Scottish Cycling electronic timing system. This requires that a transponder is attached to the right hand fork of your bike with two cable ties. Both the transponder and cable ties will be provided as part of the sign on process.!!The transponder should be attached to the right hand fork and as low as possible.!!Please note that there will be a £30 charge for any lost transponders. To ensure this does not happen please attach your transponder to your bike as soon as possible and make sure that you give it back at the post-race collection point once your race is over.!!!Before Your Race!!Before your race starts you will be asked to come to the designated muster point. This will be highlighted on the day. If you are in any doubt please ask an official on the day. You will be expected to be there at least 5 minutes before the time of your race starts.!!!Times!!

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Race Sign on Opens Sign on Closes Race Start Race Duration

Youth E 11.30 12.00 12.30 10 mins + 1 lap

Youth D 11.50 12.20 12.50 10 mins + 1 lap

Youth C 12.15 12.45 13.15 15 mins + 2 laps

Youth B Boys 12.45 13.15 13.45 25 mins + 3 laps

Youth A/B Girls 13.25 13.55 14.25 25 mins + 3 laps

Youth A Boys 13.45 14.40 15.10 30 mins + 3 laps

The Race!!The Course!!There will be two courses on the day. See the detailed map of the course at the end of the manual.!The Youth E, D, and C will be on a reduced course which will round the Nelson Monument rather than using the eastern section of the course that runs close to the People’s Palace.!Youth A and B will race on the full course.!Each race will have a Moto Comms !!Gridding!!Each race will be gridded based on the results of the race held at Ingliston last week. The top 8 from each boys and girls race will be called to the front before the start of their respective race.!!Retirements!!Should any riders wish to retire from the race, they must report to a Commissaire or finishing judge immediately. Please do not ride in the opposite direction to the race.!!Crashes & Mechanical Incidents!!Riders will be allowed one lap out for Crashes or Mechanical incidents and must report to the pit area to take their lap out. The pit areas will be immediately before the start finish line. Any rider not returning to the pits will be placed one lap down. Laps out are only permitted until 5 laps to go. Riders must complete the course to take their lap out. Any rider taking a short cut back to the pit area will be relegated. Riders must get back to the pits before the bunch passes the rider otherwise that is their lap out gone. (Tech Reg. 20.3.3)!!First Aid!!There will be a number of qualified first aiders on hand during the event. if you require assistance please seek an official who will be able to direct you to the closest first aider.!!The Course!!The course is 1.4km long and is ridden clockwise. The Start/ Finish line is located close to the Rowing clubhouse on the Clyde. The pits are located just before the finish line.!!The course map can be found at the end of the manual.!!!!!!!!!!

!Post Race!!Timing chips and Entrant gift bags!!At the end of your race you will be presented with a gift bag. Every participant in each race will receive one. To receive this you must first return your timing chip to the marshals collecting them at the end of your race.!!Prize Giving!!To recognise the achievement of the top three in each race, a podium presentation will take place for boys and girls. That is, where a race is mixed this will effectively be two races in one. One race for the Boys and one race for the Girls.!!The approximate time for presentations are as follows!!

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Age Category Time

Youth E!Youth D!Youth C

15.00

Youth B Boys!Youth A/B Girls!Youth A Boys

16.20