The KCA with USAC’s blessing is beginning a Race Mentor Program to help novice racers through the sometimes difficult learning period. Experienced (Cat 1, 2 or 3 racers) may start in a Cat 4 or 5 race to train an individual Cat 5 or 4 racer. This will hopefully improve race safety and increase the number of new racers that stick with it. KCA’s program is mirrored off the Southern California/Nevada district and a number of other districts around the country which have successfully run similar programs in recent years.
To (hopefully) avoid any misunderstanding – THIS ONLY APPLIES TO SMALL RACES IN KANSAS.
All of the rules are below. Any decisions on who may or may not be allowed in which races are up to the KCA president (Roger Lomshek) and the chief referee of the race. Basic guidelines are below but final decisions will be made with racer safety in mind.
1) Only experienced Cat 1, 2 (minimum of two years Cat 1 or two) or 3 (minimum 10 years preferably with some years as Cat 1 or 2) riders with pre-approval of the mentoring overseer (Roger Lomshek) and the CR at a race may take part. Mentoring will be limited to select women’s Cat 4 and Men’s Cat 4 or 5 races. Championship or large events will not be used.
2) The mentor must wear a high visibility vest (provided by the mentor) to clearly identify themselves as not a competitor.
3) The mentor will take extraordinary steps to avoid affecting the outcome of the race. The mentor is only authorized to ride with, beside or behind the main field, never in a breakaway. At no time is the mentor allowed to increase the pace, bridge to or help bridge to or chase a breakaway, initiate a break, impede other racers efforts or interfere with the natural flow of the race in any way. If caught in the rotation the mentor may pull through only to avoid causing a disruption and then cleanly extract themselves from the rotation order. The mentor will not berate or debase other racers for any real or imagined errors. Gentle suggestions of encouragement are the only acceptable form of communication. At all times the mentor will conduct themselves as the ambassador they are.
4) The mentor is allowed to ride with a novice rider only to teach them the finer points of riding in a pack (cornering, maneuvering in the pack, saving energy, etc.). If the novice rider is constantly at the front pulling or in a break they do not need the mentor’s assistance nor is it merited. The mentor will never push or sling the novice racer to help them stay in contact, if a rider is getting dropped they must train harder. Assisting a too weak rider to stay in contact can only create an unsafe race and is absolutely forbidden.
5) If instructed by the officials the mentor must withdraw.
6) The mentor must be registered to race that day in their appropriate category or age group race both for insurance coverage and because this is not a free training day for the mentor. The promoter will not charge the mentor any additional fee beyond their category’s normal entry fee.
7) The mentor will smoothly withdraw from the race in the last lap or two so as to not create a disruption in the field.
8) To be approved as a mentor you must contact Roger Lomshek roger@tailwindcyclists.com Include a resume/race history, references, name of person you are assisting and a brief explanation of their ride history.
Roger Lomshek
KCA president