Mt Torrens Rocky Paddock

SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2008

AMBC SA XC Winter series Round 8 Mt Torrens.

DIRECTIONS

The property that we held the 2006 race has been sold, but the original owner has another rocky paddock nearby that we used for 2007 and will use again this year.

If your travelling up the SE Freeway, turn off to Verdun, and turn onto the Onkapringa Way road, through Balhannah, Oakbank and Woodside. Follow this road through to a T junction, and turn right to Mt Torrens. When in Mt Torrens go straight through the town, and up the hill. Follow the bitumen road for exactly 10km (don't turn off to old track and don't turn off any roads to Harrogate). Turn right at the signposted road to our event (past the old shaering shed). Follow the dirt road for 2 km, turn right at the T junction. The entry is about 1 km on the right. All turns of the bitumen road will be sign posted.

If your coming from Gorge Road, follow this through into Birdwood, and turn right on the Mt Torrens road. Follow this through to Mt Torrens, and in the middle of Mt Torrens turn left, up the hill, and then follow the directions above.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

Daylight savings starts this weekend - thurn your clocks foward 1 hour, or you will be an hour late turning up to the event.

PARKING

Parking is inside the gate. The parking area is flat and will be marked.

TEAM AND SPONSOR TENTS

Team tents and sponsor tents etc can be set up at the start finish line area.

MT TORRENS RACE COURSE DESCRIPTION -

Mt Torrens rocky paddock track is different to all the other tracks we use for racing. The entire loop is within a large paddock, and it is all off road. It is longer than the old track, but slightly less technical.

The track is in a large clover leaf layout.

There are a number of obstacles (rocks!!) to traverse, but these will have alternative routes around them. The track doesn’t have too many large hills, but several short sharp climbs, with the track following undulating terrain. It is a fun track to ride, and a good spectator track.

Lap length is just over 6km.

RACE TRACK MARKINGS

The race track is marked by 20 x 20cm white/red arrows. Where there is a forward pointing arrow on either side of the race track - this forms a gate, and the competitor must pass through this gate.

PRACTICE TIMES BEFORE RACE

Mt Torrens Rock paddock is a private property, and will not be available for practice until 3pm Saturday. Please note that there may be modifications and changes made to the track by the race Director to the track up until 9.30am on race day. Apart from the Race Director, no competitor or spectator is to alter the track.

WEARING OF HELMETS AT EVENTS

It is important that your wear your helmet at all times that your are on your bike - before, during and after the your race - if your on your bike, you must be wearing your helmet.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF LAPS FOR MT TORRENS RACE

Current planned laps are

Elite Men 6 laps

Senior Men 5 laps

Veterans A 4 laps

Single Speed Class 4 Laps

Masters A 4 Laps

Super Masters A 4 Laps

Elite Women 4 laps

Sports Men 4 laps

Sub Sports Men 3 laps

Vets B men 3 laps

Sub-Juniors 3 laps

Senior Women 3 laps

Masters B 3 laps

Super Masters B 3 laps

Vet Women 2 laps

Master Women 2 Laps

Recreation Men 2 laps

Recreation Women 2 Laps

MORNING RACE START SEQUENCE - 10.30 AM

Sub Sports Men

Vets B Men

Masters B and Super Masters B

Sub Juniors

Senior Women, Vets Women and Master Women

Recreation Men, Recreation Women

AFTERNOON RACE START SEQUENCE - 1.15PM (after morning prize presentations)

Elite Men

Senior Men

Veterans A Men

Single Speed

Masters A and Super Masters A

Sport Men and Elite Women

PRACTICE DURING THE EVENT

The track is closed for practice from the start of morning racing (10.30am) until 11.45am. Riders who are practicing the track must not impede any competitor who is competing in the morning event. Please do not ride in front, or directly behind a morning competitor when practicing.

If you are doing a practice lap on race day, please do not ride through the start finish line, as it complicates time keeping. Also, once you have finished, please do not ride thro the finish line again. Either go around, or cover your plate.

TIMEKEEPING DURING THE EVENT

Please do not stand in front of the time keeping tent during the race, or when you finish. The time keepers need to see the riders coming through the finish line. Also while the event is in progress, do not ask the time keepers questions as they need to concentrate on correctly recording numbers.

TIME-KEEPERS

As Always we need assistance on time keeping.

If you can assist, or know someone who can, let me know at

info@amtbc.com

The new computerized timing system has made timing much easier, however we still need some help to call and record numbers.

RACE PLATES

Please ensure that your race plate is firmly attached to the front of your bike, and is fully visible to the timekeepers. Do your twisty ties up firmly. If we cannot see your plate, we WILL NOT be able to record your time. The onus in on the competitor to ensure the race plate is attached to their bike at all times during the event.

SIGN-ON PROCEDURES

Pre entry is available via our secure payment site. This is $23 for members, and $33 for non members. There is a $10 plate deposit for your race plate.

HERE is the link to the pre payment site.

For those who don't pre enter, you can enter on the day. Sign in starts at 9am in the morning - so if you want to miss out on lines come early and then you can also pre-ride the course. Please allow time to fit in a practice lap, we always recommend you do one.

Also if people could bring the right money this will also speed up lines.

Race entry on the day is $25 for members, $35 for non members. Plate deposit is $10, which is refundable when you bring your plate back.

Afternoon sign in starts at 12.15pm.

INSURANCE

All competitors require accident insurance cover. If you are a member of the Adelaide Mountain Bike club, you will be covered under our capital benefits accident insurance. If you are a member of inside line, you must be a current MTBA card holder. If you are a member of Bike SA, you must provide proof that you have accident insurance through Bike SA’s insurance.

If you do not meet the above requirement, then you will need to be signed up as a day member to the Adelaide Mountain bike club.

So don’t forget your membership card.

A reminder of sign-on procedures.

If you haven't pre-entered, you must fill in and sign an indemnity form and then line up to have your name entered onto the timing system. You will be issued a race plate.

You must show your membership card.

If you have pre entered, just be on the start line at your start time.

Why is your plate so important? On our timing system you are tracked by your number/name/category. If you keep your number all season, then your number and name is ready and waiting in the system at the next race. Also the numbers for each category are unique - so if you change category, your race plate will also change. So if your changing category, please let the people at sign on know, and they will exchange your plate for a new one, in the new category.

MEMBERSHIP

Full AMBC membership is available at the event. To speed things up, you can print off a copy of the membership form from www.amtbc.com

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES - CLARIFICATION ON WHO GIVES WAY

We have provided some alternative routes around obstacles. If you choose to use the alternative route, you must give way to riders who have ridden the obstacle, when you re-enter the race line. This will prevent collisions between riders. The alternative lines are slower lines, so the rider who rides the obstacle will be travelling faster.

RIDERS WHO DO NOT FINISH

If you decide that you are not going to start or finish the race, can you let the timekeepers know as soon as you can. This is important, as we need to know where all riders are, so that we know when everyone is finished.

ONE LAP DOWN RULE

Some people have been misinterpreting the one lap down rule.

Just to clarify it, here are the relevant parts of the rule –

“4.3 Once the first competitor of a category has finished a race, all remaining competitors in the same category will be deemed to be on their final lap, and will be flagged as they cross the finish line. In this case a lapped rider will not be belled. Lapped riders will have their time recorded as on the time sheet as "1LD" (one lap down).

4.4 Only riders who have completed the entire lap when flagged will be recorded as one lap down. Riders who partially complete a lap when flagged will not be recorded as one lap down.”

So you need to have completed the entire course on your last lap to be able to be recorded as one lap down.

LITTERING AT EVENTS

On of the conditions of use of this area for racing is that we clean up all litter. This is getting increasingly difficult, and also frustrating with the number of gel packs that have to be picked up as the track is packed up. If you are one of the offenders who are dropping used gel packed, please stop doing this, and place them in your jersey, or somewhere that is not on the ground!