Minnesota Mountain Bike Series

Many thanks to those who raced the Freewheel Frolic and Lifetime Avalanche at Afton last weekend. The attendance at both races was outstanding. Here are some reminders and also some actions we will be taking and considering to improve the wave starts.

For the response to pulling racers who have been lapped:
From the Series perspective, we have a schedule that provides racing for up to 570 people that begins at 9 am and ends around 3 PM. The ‘getting pulled after being lapped” rule is not so much aimed at Expert or Pro racers, as is it aimed at the Sport and Comp racers who are unable to maintain a “race” pace throughout their race. At the Freewheel Frolic, we had two or three racers beginning their last lap 20 minutes after the top 10 had finished. This delays the beginning of the next race, as well as the medal ceremony, and prolongs a very long day for our heroic volunteers who are staffing the event. These last racers, when asked to leave the course, will get the same finishing order as if they completed the lap. The only thing that’s really happening by letting them slog through the lap is that the entire program is being held up while they finish. Our series is a “racing” series. It’s not a “training” or “endurance” series. If you’re unable to maintain a race pace for the class you’ve entered, you need to think about dropping down a class.
2. For the headphones issue – The MNMBS Guidebook, on page 9, clearly states that wearing headphones or ‘listening devices” is prohibited. If we see you wearing headphones, we’ll ask you to leave the race immediately.
3. For cutting the course/switchback trails – cutting the course, under any circumstances, is prohibited as indicated in the Guidebook, page 9.
4. Wave starts A) – the Executive Committee of the MNMBS Series is aware of this issue. In some cases, due to inexperienced racers, it’s ignorance. In other cases, we’re not sure if some people are taking advantage by starting in earlier waves. If they are, this is blatant cheating and pathetic.
To help rectify this situation, we’re going to implement Wave Start signs in the starting area so each wave knows where to gather prior to call-ups. We’ll also ask that announcers clearly repeat the wave starting order, and that just prior to the start, the announcer will ask racers individually to check that they’re in the right wave. We’ll also request that promoters post in several locations (registration, the restrooms, etc.) a list of wave start times and age groups, and we can post this on the MNMBS web site two days prior to the event.
As you know, to allow different classes or age groups the opportunity to get a clear start, we rotate the order of the wave starts. So it’s important for the racers to assume the responsibility to know when their wave starts and seek out this information. We can’t get these methods into place before the Dirt Spanker, but we’ll have them in place for the Bluff Rider’s Charge on June 27th.
5. Wave starts B) – The Series can implement various methods to ensure that the right age group is in the right wave start order. But “self- policing” by the racers will be the most effective manner to keep the right age group in the waves. Peer pressure works best of all. If you see someone who is clearly in the wrong wave, bring it to the attention of the announcer or start line personnel.
6. Wave starts C) – if the methods implemented above still haven’t effectively dealt with wave start issues after the Bluff Rider’s Charge, the Series will look at other methods (duplicate number bibs on the back of the jersey, for example) to rectify this issue. Keep in mind that duplicate numbers means additional race and administrative costs for the racers. We’re trying to keep costs down, so would rather not have to impose additional expense for a process that’s really pretty simple to comprehend.