USAC Changing Upgrade Policy

[JCrockett]

Will definitely allow people to get to Cat 3 much quicker by not having to do 10 races to go 5>4.

[BMAC615]

Based on the info I got, the process will be done in Colorado and mostly automated. Not as much scrutiny as in the past.

[TLRozzle]

Is USAC going to actually start enforcing mandatory upgrades? I’m really tired of racing against people with four times the mandatory upgrade in cat 4 CX. They will never go to cat-3 if they aren’t forced.

[BMAC615]

Proactiveness will probably depend on the district, but, if you report someone with mandatory wins or points, they will be upgraded.

[stevemz]

@BMAC615

if you report someone with mandatory wins or points, they will be upgraded.

Time to write a bot that just scans road and cross results to find sandbaggers and email local race directors…

[BMAC615]

From what I’m hearing, USAC has written one and will be doing automated upgrades.

[Wheatstraw53]

I wonder if we’ll see some different crit category groupings on race day, instead of the usual
1/2
3/4
4/5
5

I know a lot of people currently stop racing once they get to 2. They do well in 3, get their upgrade, and just can’t hang at all in the 1/2 field. This structure could allow people to sort out a little more naturally and give riders options in most categories. How about
1/2
2/3
3/4
4/5

5s can still get upgrades by completing events. After that every category has a choice of a race where they can have a better chance to podium or one where they’re in a stronger field.

[Majoeric]

Exactly… as a 3 that trains with some very fast 1/2’s, I know how much more natural talent/genetics and training is required to be a competitive 1/2. Between a stressful job, family, baby, etc… I just don’t have the time or motivation to race in the 1/2’s. For me this is just for fun and getting dropped every race isn’t fun.

[Majoeric]

People actually do that? Let USAC do it’s job.

[trpnhntr]

@jsteelfex

It doesn’t even look like everyone has to finish the race anymore, only start if I’m reading it correct

This is not a change - it has always been based on starters. This is a good thing as winning a particularly hard race where many people had to drop out should still count (although annoying since many promoters do not list DNFs in the results they submit to USAC)

@jsteelfex

I’m not sure I like the idea that upper cat riders get to count everyone in combined races for upgrade points

I imagine they are doing this primarily to ease the administrative burden on themselves. Looking at a race from two years ago and figuring out who was what cat at that time is probably a bit of a pain. Not saying whether I agree with it or not, just my guess as to reasoning

@rbonick

my impression from friends who have been in a while was that it was always effectively voluntary (e.g. if you had 5 decent races you could cat up early) anyways

This has always depended on your regional official - some of them are very strict, some of them are not. I started as a very fit, but very race naive 5 and upgraded to 4 after a handful of races, nearly all of which were podiums, the last of which I solo lapped the field. I didn’t learn a thing about racing as a 5, but probably wouldn’t have learned much more since I didn’t need tactics

@kurt.braeckel

So that means I can submit my voluntary novice-> 4 upgrade as of the first three events last year, then request upgrade based on points earned in races for a 4->3 upgrade now?

No - there is a point in the rules that says you reset to 0 points when you change categories

• Riders who have upgraded will start with a zero race points balance in their new category.

[mmpgh]

Good points! What I was trying to say is that I’m competitive in the local Cat 3 but have gotten smashed many, many times in the non local Cat 3 and therefore Cat 2 would almost be an insta-drop haha

[JHow]

Basically. I think I did three or four races and bumped to a four the next year. A bunch of new teammates did about the same, maybe five and requested upgrades.

[kurt.braeckel]

@trpnhntr

No - there is a point in the rules that says you reset to 0 points when you change categories

• Riders who have upgraded will start with a zero race points balance in their new category.

I understand that, but the language they wrote was that points could be counted back 36 months for voluntary upgrades. Since Novice → 4 is an at will upgrade now, my question is if I can go back, “at will” myself to 4 (with zero points) in June and then count the win and several podiums from July onward in last season’s races to go to 3.

The answer is probably “no”, but I may ask anyway.

[professore]

This is pretty much the system we had when i first started racing in the early 90s. Citizen and then 4-1/pro. I think increasing 4 field sizes may be a good thing in order to get people more comfortable in bigger groups and speed?

I guess we will all see how this goes.

[kurt.braeckel]

I’ll let you know if I get sideswiped by a 4 with one crit under his belt this year.

[professore]

Yeah…yeah i fully understand. 4’s were synonymous with crazy danger when i first started racing.

The racing dev program is a huge boon to road racing safety IMHO.

In MD/DC/VA area field sizes were also very robust back then. I was very happy to move up (and stagnate) into 3’s, just because things got a touch (even if ever so small a touch) safer.

[mcneese.chad]

I could post this in a separate thread, but this email I got this morning, seems very connected to the changes here, in what appears their effort to regain relevance in the cycling scene in the US, but opening their arms wider:

USA Cycling is excited about the year that stretches ahead! In 2020 we’re proud to celebrate our 100th anniversary, and with this milestone we’ve got some significant goals on the horizon.

First, in the coming weeks, we will launch a new, more inclusive membership program. While continuing to support competitive racing in all disciplines, USA Cycling will shift into a higher gear to embrace a larger community where racers, riders and enthusiasts of all abilities can feel welcome. Among a breadth of great benefits, we’re lowering the cost of becoming a member for youth and families, aiming to get riders involved from an early age to feel more connected to the excitement of cycling. With a focus on youth and diversity, we’re strengthening partnerships with youth cycling leagues and clubs nationwide. We’re also working with event directors across the country to offer our members special perks like early and discounted registration, and VIP start and finish experiences.

Second, with the Tokyo Games this summer, we are redoubling our efforts to send the strongest team to compete. On the heels of the six World Championships our athletes won last year, Team USA is well-positioned for success in Tokyo. Our roster includes the world’s best male and female riders in BMX Freestyle, the 2019 Women’s World Cup Mountain Bike Champion, the 2019 Women’s Time Trial World Champion, and a women’s track team with a history of multiple Olympic medals. USA Cycling is proud to support their journey.

Finally, we are working to improve our member services, increasing the transparency of where your membership dollars go, and modernizing our website and customer support. Better coordination with our partners will ensure that we clearly communicate the benefits of USA Cycling to all members of the community. We are also streamlining the way we oversee our sport and work with the many dedicated volunteers, teams and officials that make racing – and everyday riding – more accessible, safe and fun.

On behalf of our entire team, I want to thank you for being part of USA Cycling and the promise of Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics. If you’d like to know more details about our new 2020 membership program, events and other offerings, please visit our website, usacycling.org.

Sincerely,
Rob DeMartini
President and CEO
USA Cycling

[dzellefrow]

I don’t see anything that indicates that you can retroactively ‘at will’ or otherwise upgrade your cat. Just that you can count results from the past 36 months on upgrade requests today or whenever these new rules apply.

I think it’s more if you were close to a cat 3 upgrade and a bunch of results you had were in crits or mixed fields where you could now earn more points under the new rules, you can ask for your upgrade today. That upgrade would zero you out today, so any past results would no longer count towards a 3>2 upgrade.

[lyarbro42]

Hey guys,

I’m a member of our LA board and someone that has recently gone through the upgrade process multiple times. I am new to the LA but I have always been critical of USAC and their decisions on lots of things. Luckily, I view this new system as * far * better than the prior. Even as someone who is disadvantaged in the process.

My takes:

• The new system will distribute riders far more to the middle categories and, honestly, this is the way it should be. For far too long, the fitness barrier in lower categories was something many couldn’t overcome in a short time and would get shelled before they could build any racecraft. My hope and vision for the new Novice category is that the fields are small and allows racers to familiarize, not just with racing, but with the format, logistics, and the whole nuance of racing. Category 4 will become more of a transitional category to “real” racer in the 3s (bring on the sweet sweet memes). Once there, you can more prove your mettle as a racer.

• The difference between RR and Crit should have been done away with long ago. I don’t even understand this one.

• The introduction to Gran Fondos is unexpected, but welcome. We are actually implementing Fondos into our series as well so this is a nice addition.

• Things just got a whole lot simpler and the calculus and focus around just hunting for upgrades is gone. We should all be focused on the racing and not just chasing an upgrade (sorry Nate).

• I see promoters going to a P1/2, 3/4, etc. format real soon because of the shift. And it makes a lot more sense.

Happy to answer any questions that anyone might have, but you all have the same info we do at this point.

[RKW]

My only wish would have been that it included time trials for the 3>2 and 2>1 upgrade.

As a whole, the system is set up to reward a total body of work and results. Time Trialing successfully is a skill just like road racing or criteriums. It would be nice to see some recognition of the work associated there. The convenient thing for USAC is that there aren’t enough TT’s to really upgrade solely off of those results anyhow.