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1527
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8/1/2009
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IL
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146th
Edited Date/Time
11/20/2018 5:09pm
The UCI has recently published an update to the general rules that govern all their competitions, including mountain biking. Here are the main changes that will come into effect on Jan 1, 2019:
-In order to avoid any potential confusion around the wording, the paragraph discussing what happens when you leave the course has been updated, and now reads: "If a rider exits the course for any reason, he/she must return to the course between the same two course markers where he/she exited. In case a rider fails to return to the course as provided for in this article, the commissaires’ panel can disqualify the rider."
That removes any doubt as to the intent of the rule (if you exit the course, you need to re-enter between whichever markers you exited between. If you fail to do so, they can review the incident and decide to DQ you). It also means it is not automatic (the commissaire "can" DQ).
-A wording conflict was resolved to address eMTB competition (a previous rule the forbade the use of "electronic bicycles" was amended for the purposes of eMTB racing).
-Here's a doozy: "For Mountain Bike downhill and enduro events, as opposed to the general rule defined in article 1.3.006, the two wheels can be of a different diameter but should comply with the specifications of article 1.3.018."
Why is this a doozy? Because 1.3.018 clearly states that the wheel may not exceed 70cm in diameter including the tire. A 29er is about 74...make of it what you will, we're pretty confident the UCI didn't just ban 29ers from all MTB competitions, but the way the rule book has been written leaves little doubt. Even though that section starts with "excluding MTB, BMX, etc", the fact that the MTB-specific rules then directly refer back to 1.3.018 would mean it takes legal precedent. Loic, YOU WIN! (lol)
-The start order for the finals moves back towards something more logical, with the top-5 qualifying men and top-2 qualifying women going last in reverse order of qualifying results irrespective of whether any protected riders are in the finals. In other words, the fastest qualifiers will go now go last again, as it's supposed to be. Full updated text: "The start order for the final is determined on the basis of the reverse results of the qualifying round (the fastest rider starting last), except for the protected riders (defined in art. 4.5.031) and the fastest 5 men elite and the fastest 2 women elite non-protected riders, who will start as the last group of riders by order of qualifying result, reversed."
-Pump Track is now an officially UCI governed discipline as well. We won't go into the whole thing here, you can read the full regulations provided below for all the details, but here are a few fun excerpts:
"A pump track is a track that consists of rollers and steep turns in various sizes and shapes. The rollers and turns are used to generate speed by pumping the bike, not by pedaling. A pump track is built in a way that promotes technical skills. Speed on a pump track is generated by pumping the bike, - not by pedaling and not by gravity. Large flat sections that promote pedaling are to be avoided."
"A minimum wheel size of 20 inches is required for the men and women open categories." - be careful MTBers, the BMXers are coming for you!
"Regular shoes are mandatory, sandals or other open shoes are not permitted." - get outta here Kiwis.
FULL UPDATE HERE
*bike actually rides pretty well with two different wheel sizes
There's just not enough clickbait bullshit on the interweb these days.
Thanks for working on that.
They don't need banned. over 5'11" consider a 29, 5'10" and below will probably perform better on a 27.5 And remember that Danny Hart couldn't manhandle his 29. Wiki says 5'10" but reality is more like 5'7. Greg Minnaar and the likes are guys that 29' makes sense. In the end riders are fast, not the bikes.
Depending on the circumstances, a national federation and the UCI may grant special exceptions for particular races or events run in its own country.
Particular races or events may consist of:
- events organised occasionally only and which do not belong to the organised sports movement;
- events whose format is not covered by the UCI regulations.
Any national federation intending to grant a special exception must submit its reasoned request to the UCI administration in the beginning of the season and at least two months before the respective event. The decision of the UCI in this respect is final and shall not be subject to appeal.
The penalty is one month suspension of the rider's UCI license and 50 to 100 swiss francs. A lot of semi-professional privateers who augment their income by joining in unsanctioned races will get impacted by this.
I hope their respective national federations adjust to this rule quickly and comprehensively. My federation will waive sanctioning fees next year, I hope yours will do the same.
I wonder if the EWS and Crankworkz are already considered as "special exceptions".
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