Women's Cycling Initiative
Friday, November 14, 2003
Series Technical Details:
Individual Series Leader and Competition:
The rider with the most accumulated points in the Series. Including Race Results, Sprinter Competition Placing, Espoir Competition Placing and Stage Placing.
Team Competition:
The team with the most accumulated points in the Series based on the top four riders of each individual race. Including, Sprinter Competition Placing, Espoir Competition Placing and Stage Placing.
Sprinter Competition:
The rider with the most accumulated points in the Series. Including Sprinter Competition Placing.
NOTE some events do not have Sprinter Competition. We need to list those that do below….
Espoir Competition:
The rider with the most accumulated points in the Series. Including Espoir Competition Placing.
NOTE only top 4 placing riders per race of each team are eligible for points towards the Team Competition.
NOTES FOR US TO BE CLEAR:
All riders regarding of # on a team at an event get points towards individual.
NOTE: I feel we should not penalize riders for being on a team, yet not give the team the advantage for having all the riders.
Only top 4 riders from each team get points towards the team competition. NOTE: FROM EACH EVENT. NOT THE TOP 4 IN THE SERIES STANDINGS.
This makes scoring easier because if not we would have this scenario:
An Espoir finishes 23rd place, yet it is the 5th best placing rider on her team. Does she get her espoir points etc.
Also I feel that the Individual Competition should include your points as an espoir and sprinter. This gives a young rider a chance at placing better in the individual competition with riders who are winning the GC of the races. It also gives sprinters an opportunity against stage race riders. And our series is looking very suited towards stage racers.
The Establishment of a National Women’s Racing Series
At both of the Yoplait Women’s Cycling Summit Conference, women’s teams asked that a focused series of 10 – 20 events be established. Few women’s teams have the travel budget to attend more than a fraction of the races on the National Racing Calendar. A focused series would help them prioritize their seasons and would reduce the impact that travel budget has on National standings. A series could also recognize and reward the events that were the most committed to promoting women’s racing.
The series should be composed of those events that already have a record of supporting women’s racing. Factors that should be considered include prize lists, travel support, podium policies, efforts to market the women’s races and the difficulty of the stages. It isn’t necessary that the treat men’s and women’s racing identically, but they also shouldn’t allow their women’s races to disappear in the shadows of their men’s races.
Races which have been proposed for the inaugural 2004 calendar are:
3/24-28 Redlands Bicycle Classic 2.2
6/06 Wachovia Liberty Classic 1.1
6/10-13 Nature Valley Grand Prix 2.2
7/26-8/01 Tour de Toona 2.2
9/11 San Rafael Cycling Classic 1.5
9/12 T-Mobile International 1.1
9/16-19 Bermuda Grand Prix * Hors Category
* The top ten teams following the T-Mobile International will receive free airline tickets and housing to attend the Bermuda Grand Prix.
The original draft calendar included 14 events, but was trimmed back to those listed here following feedback from the teams.
Scoring and Jerseys
To facilitate scoring, teams will be required to submit rosters by March 31. These rosters must include racing ages and can include their entire team. Although riders who are not on the roster could attend series events, they will not be eligible for series points. Riders who transfer teams during the season 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 series will include four competitions: Individual, Best Young Rider, Sprinter and Team:
Individual: Points will be awarded for race finishes according the attached tables. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
Best Young Rider: The finish positions of riders of racing age 25 or under will be determined after each event and points will be awarded according to the attached tables. For stage races, “finish position” refers to the General Classification. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event. 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 attached 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 at that event and all points earned by that team in the Best Young Rider competition. Series standing will be determined by the sum of the points earned at each event.
Leader’s jerseys will be awarded for the overall and Best Young Riderafter each event and that jersey will be worn in the following series event. A sprint leader’s jersey will also be awarded after each event that included sprint competition. In stage races, the race leader’s jersey will take precedence over the series leader’s jersey. These jerseys will be simple and will not include sponsors’ logos, although there will be space for teams to place stickers.
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. In particular:
• Teams will commit to have at least four riders at each event in the series. No more than two of these riders can be guests.
• Teams will commit to participating in community appearances at all series events. These appearances, which will be arranged by the promoters, will include such things as school visits, hospital visits, participation/coaching women’s clinics and participation in women’s rides.
Promoters will:
• Pay $3,000 to the series. This money will be divided equally among all teams that complete the entire series. Checks will be issued at the Bermuda Grand Prix for the top ten teams and at the T-Molile International for any other team that completes all events up to that point. Payment will be due from all promoters before the first event in the series.
• Provide assistance in setting up community appearances.
• Be strongly encouraged to provide housing.
• Be strongly encouraged to offer discounts for pre-payment of entry fees.
Promotion of the Series
The Series will be promoted in its own section of the women’s movement web site. This section will include a calendar with links to each event, series standings, press releases and photographs from the events.
A top priority of the series will be to find ways to promote the series and, through it, women’s racing. Strong sponsorship might allow us to hire a PR agency. Alternatively, an intern might be able to get the job done. The targets for this media effort will primarily be cycling publications and web sites, although mainstream National media will be particularly beneficial to women’s cycling.
Maxxis will buy at least on full-page ad in a major cycling publication to promote the series and the component events.
Names currently under consideration are the Women’s Prestige Cycling Calendar and the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series. Tasteful people prefer the first one. Go figure. (See what happens when you ask me to write up the notes?)
Cheers! - Giana
