Club Road Races - 2024 Thursday Evening Race Series Schedule

Subject to change due to weather conditions and emergencies. Check the ride board/Facebook/emails for any last minute changes.

Alta Alpina races are open to everyone in the cycling community. The race categories make it easy for anyone from racing veterans to first-timers to have a great race experience. Racing is one of the best ways to get some excellent cycling exercise and social time for cyclists of any age.

To save time at roadside race registration, please come to the spring party on April 11th to purchase your 2024 Season Race Pass and get your 2024 RFID Tag. If you still have your RFID Tag from last year (or earlier), bring it and race with it, or trade it in for a new tag.

Race Schedule

   
April 18Fredericksburg Prologue
(category determination,
10 points for participation)
Time Trial
April 25Diamond Valley Short CourseRoad Race
May 2GrandviewCriterium
May 9East ValleyTime Trial
May 16PinenutRoad Race
May 23GrandviewCriterium
May 30KingsburyTime Trial
June 6Diamond ValleyRoad Race
June 13Jacks ValleyTime Trial
June 20 Diamond Valley
Double Back
Road Race
June 27 Fredericksburg
(10 points for participation)
Two Up Time Trial
July 11Eagle RidgeCircuit Race
July 18Blue LakesTime Trial
July 25PinenutRoad Race
August 1KingsburyTime Trial
August 8Diamond ValleyRoad Race
August 15Blue LakesTime Trial
August 22GrandviewCriterium
August 29FredericksburgTime Trial
September 5Diamond Valley
Short Course Finale
(followed by pizza party)
Road Race
Race Results: Find results of each race at: www.webscorer.com/altaalpina

General Info

Race Director: Joseph Whiteley racedirector@altaalpina.org
Assistant Director: Tony Parenti
Additional Help Wanted! Inquire at: raceadmin@altaalpina.org

Registration: 5:30-6:00. Registration ends at 6:00!
(Reason: The race steward needs time to prepare for the race.)

Cost:
Season Pass:
Alta Alpina members - $120.00
Free passes for board members, AACC junior team, and ROP juniors.

Weekly Basis, First Race:
Alta Alpina members - $17.00, non-members - $23.00
First race fee can be applied to subsequent Season Pass purchase.

Weekly Basis, Subsequent Races:
Alta Alpina members - $12.00, non-members - $18.00

All racers pay a $20 deposit for an RFID chip for the season.
Pair of zip ties included with chip. Pair of O-rings available for $1.

Race Registration Form

Complete, print, and sign this registration form. Bring it to the Spring Party or Rider Roundup or to your first race with a check for race fees and deposit. Racers under 19 years of age MUST have a parent/guardian's signature on their form.

Race Categories

Racers continue to be grouped into 5 categories. Racers compete within their category for points through the season. In road race, criterium, and circuit format races all racers of the same category start together and may draft one another but may not draft racers in a different race category. Use the following guidelines for choosing your category initially:
    Category A: Advanced/Very Fit/Race Experience/Train for Racing.
    Category B: Competitive/Very Fit/Race Experience
    Category C: Competitive/Fit/Masters 50+/Strong Endurance
    Category D: New Racers/Masters 60+
    Juniors: 18 years and younger who don't want to race with adults
Everyone is strongly encouraged to participate in the Fredericksburg Prologue (all participants get 10 points). This race is the best time to validate category choice. Results will be available at the end of the race and everyone is free to change categories based on their standings. Subsequently, points earned in one category cannot be moved to a different category. However a racer can switch categories right at the conclusion of a Time Trial and have their time ranked within their new category. Racers can only switch categories once after the Fredericksburg Prologue.

Series Points

All results are within categories both for individual races and for the whole series. Racers collect points from every race and the top three points holders within each category at the end of the season receive awards (i.e. first/second/third in each of the 5 categories). Generally points for a race are awarded based on ranking within a category. First place earns 20 points. Second place earns 17 points. Third place earns 14 points. Fourth through twelfth earns: 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Everyone finishing after twelfth in their category earns 1 point.

Participation Points
All participants in the Fredericksburg Prologue Time Trial and the Fredericksburg Two Up Time Trial receive 10 points regardless of their rank.

Terminated Races
Races will take place rain or shine. However, the Race Steward reserves the right to adjust the course, timing, or number of laps to reflect weather conditions. If a race must be terminated early all racers will receive 5 points.

Crashes
Crashes are rare, but if one occurs, everyone in the category should to stop to help. The race for that person's category will be neutralized and everyone will receive 10 points.

Safety Rules

Helmets: You must wear a helmet to race. No helmet, no race.
Center Line: Never cross the center line marked on the road (except when making a U-turn in a Time Trial).
Turns: DO NOT turn into the path of vehicles or other cyclists--slow down or stop if necessary.
Aero-bars: Can be used ONLY at Time Trials. You will be asked to take them off if you show up for Road Races, Criteriums, or Circuit Races with them.
Warm Up: DO NOT warm up on the course when races are in progress.
Finish: Ride thru the finish DO NOT sit up or get in the way of the riders behind you. Please DO NOT cool down by following the other groups that are still racing.
Mentoring: There will be NO mentoring during actual races this can be done off the course and special days will be set aside for training.

Race Formats

Time Trials
All categories start at 6:15 starting with Juniors, then Ds, Cs, Bs, and As. Race Steward determines racer order within categories. Each racer is timed individually and starts are 15-35 seconds apart as determined by Race Steward.
Racers may NOT draft others at any time during the time trial.
Two Up Time Trial
All categories start at 6:15 starting with Juniors, then Ds, Cs, Bs, and As. Race Steward determines racer order within categories. Racers start and work together in pairs. Both partners receive time of the second to finish. Starts are 15-35 seconds apart as determined by Race Steward.
Racers may draft their partner but may NOT draft anyone else.
Road Races
All categories start at 6:15 starting with As, then Bs, Cs, Ds, and Juniors in waves approximately 1 minute apart as determined by Race Steward.
Racers may draft others in their category but may NOT draft racers in other categories. Racer categories can be identified by the color of their RFID chip tag.
Criteriums
Criterium course has a limited capacity for racers so Race Steward will determine start times for each category. Typically Cs, Ds, and Juniors will start at 6:15 in separate waves and As and Bs will start around 6:50 in separate waves. For each category Race Steward will announce the amount of time followed by the number of laps for the race. Typically Cs, Ds, and Juniors will race 30 minutes followed by 3 laps and As and Bs will race 45 minutes followed be 3 laps. The race for a given category ends when the lead racer crosses the finish line after completing the last lap. All racers behind that racer will be ranked by their sequence behind the leader and number of laps completed.
Racers may draft others in their category but may NOT draft racers in other categories. Racer categories can be identified by the color of their RFID chip tag.
Circuit Races
Circuit Races are the same as criteriums except that there is not a time component--Race Steward will announce a number of laps for each category.

Race Venues

Past Race Seasons