2009 Women's Prestige Cycling Series
Info & Rules
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For more information:
wpcs2009 @ womencyclists.com |
Registration
The series is open only to teams. Individual riders who wish to participate in the series should either form a team or must join one that will be participating in the series.
Teams must register for the series and submit their original rosters by April 1 to wpcs2009@womencyclists.com. Teams that have not submitted their rosters by March 25 will not get credit for participating in Redlands. Rosters may include all members of the team, although riders may not appear on more than one Series roster. These rosters must include racing ages. Contact wpcs2009@womencyclists.com for a registration form.
Revised rosters may be submitted to wpcs2009@womencyclists.com at any time, but scoring will be subject to the following rules.
Riders may only be included on a team’s roster if the team is shown on the rider’s license or if the rider has explicitly agreed to be included.
Team Requirements
The series is an initiative that is being advanced by the elite women’s teams themselves. This is an opportunity for them to seize control of their own futures. But, to make this initiative work, the teams are going to have to make a serious commitment to it.
Teams will commit to have at least four riders at each event in the series. At least two of these riders must appear on the original roster submitted before the April 1 deadline. Teams who miss one Series event will not be eligible for travel funds. Teams that miss two will be eliminated from the Series.
Riders Changing Teams
Riders may transfer teams during the series. Riders who do so will retain their individual, Best Young Rider and Sprint Competition points. Their team points will remain with the team on which they earned them. The rider will not contribute any points to the new team for the Team Competition as long as their original team remains a part of the Series.
Riders who do not appear on the rosters of one of the Series teams may join a Series team during the season. Unlike riders transferring between Series teams, the points accrued by new rides can contribute to the Team Competition.
Riders whose team is eliminated from the series as a result of missing two series events will also be eliminated from the series. They may return to the series by transferring to a team that remains eligible for the series. Points that they may have accrued when riding for their original team will apply towards their standings in the individual, sprinter and best young rider competition, but will NOT apply towards the team competition. However, since their original team is no longer part of the Series, points earned while racing for the new team will apply towards that team’s standings.
Roster changes are not official until they have been communicated to the Series secretary at wpcs2009@womencyclists.com.
Eligible Riders
Only riders who appear on an original or revised roster that was submitted to series organizers are eligible for series points. Although riders who are not on a roster could attend series events, they will not be eligible for series points.
Riders may only receive points when they are riding for an eligible team and are listed on that team’s roster. Should a rider participate in a series event while not on an eligible team or not on that team’s roster, they will receive no points at that event.
Team standings will be recalculated for the entire Series after the Cascade Cycling Classic. In addition to the foregoing rules, a rider can only contribute to the team’s recalculated standings if either (a) that team appeared on the rider’s racing license at the Series events to be included in the calculation or (b) the rider has participated as a member of that team in at least two Series events.
Scoring and Jerseys
The series will include four competitions: Individual, Best Young Rider, Sprinter and Team:
Individual: Points will be awarded for all Series race finishes using the same points table used for GC at a 2.2 NRC event in 2009. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
Sprint Competition: For those events that include sprint competitions, the final standing will be determined after each event and series points will be awarded according to the 2009 NRC 2.2 points table. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
(Note: Individual and sprint standings from each component event are likely to include both riders who are eligible and ineligible for the series. Ineligible riders will not be removed from the standings prior to the assignment of points. Points that correspond to positions held by ineligible riders will not be assigned.)
Best Young Rider: The finish positions of riders of racing age 25 or under who are eligible for the series will be determined after each event. For stage races, “finish position” refers to the General Classification. Eligible U26 will be ranked in a separate list and points will be awarded according to the 2009 NRC 2.2 points table. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
Team Competition: The team standings will be determined by adding the points earned at each event by the top four team members who are eligible for the team competition (see Registration, Riders Changing Teams and Eligible Riders, above) at that event. If an eligible U26 rider is one of the top four eligible riders for their team, their points will be doubled. If an eligible U26 rider is not one of the top four riders for their team, their points will be added to the team total. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
Tie Breakers: The sum of the results from each Series event will be determined and the individual or team with the highest total will be the leader. If the individuals or teams remain tied, the tie will be broken using the placings in the most recent Series event. If teams remain tied, the tie will be broken by the placings of the top rider for each tied team in the most recent Series event.
Protests: Scoring sheets will be sent to team managers after each Series event. Team managers (but not riders) may submit written protests within 48 hours of receiving the scoring sheets. Only Series scoring errors may be protested. Protests related to the results of a Series event must be resolved by that event and are not subject to review by the Series organizers.
Champion Systems leader’s jerseys will be awarded for the Individual and Best Young Rider after each event. A sprint leader’s jersey will also be awarded after each event that included sprint competition. Leader’s jersey must be worn in the following series event.
The Series leader’s jerseys must be worn in Series events. In stage races, race leaders’ jerseys will take precedence over the Series leader’s jerseys. If the leader in one of the Series competitions is obliged to wear an event’s leader’s jersey, the best placed rider in that Series competition who has no obligation to wear an event jersey will wear the Series jersey. Riders who fail to wear a Series leader’s jersey when required to do so will receive no Series points from that event and their team will receive no points from that rider’s performance at that event.
Fees Paid by Participating Events
Each Series event will contribute $2,000.
Fees are to be paid before the Cascade Cycling Classic, the final event of the Series.
Half of the collected fees will be used to fund a prize list and the other half will be divided equally among all of the teams that complete all four of the Series events.
Marketing and Media
The mission of the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series is to promote women’s racing by providing them with a spotlight that they don’t have to share with the men. The Series can only achieve this goal if participating events aggressively promote both their women’s race and the Series.
Web site exposure – The WPCS name and logo must appear on the home page of participating events. The web site must also include content, either on the home page or on a page dedicated to the Series, that describes the Series. Copy will be provided by the Series for this purpose or the event may use its own as long as message remains the same.
Pre-event media relations – The WPCS must be mentioned in any press release that announces the event.
Media relations during the events – Each event must, at a minimum, send stories to the following cycling web sites after each day’s racing. These stories need not focus on the Series, but they must mention it.
Cyclingnews.com
DailyPeloton.com
VeloNews.com
CanadianCyclist.com
PedalMag
Callups – At each WPCS event after the opening event, the leaders in each of the Series competitions must be included in any callup and their leadership of that competition must be identified.
Jerseys & awards ceremonies – The WPCS will provide leader’s jerseys that the events must award as part of their own high-profile awards ceremonies. The jersey will display one logo from each participating event. Podium photos must be taken and sent to the Series organizer.
PA Announcements – The event announcer must make regular mention of the WPCS during the women’s races. |
