3D.X Lead vehicle

This discussion has an associated proposal. View Proposal Details here.

Comments about this discussion:

Started 11 May 12:44

There is no section that defines the role of a lead vehicle in a road race. It is common for the lead vehicle to be caught and overtaken by the head of the race, and I think this is a problem.

A lead vehicle should be recommended for all races on open roads (where traffic may occur), with the exception of time trials.

The lead vehicle must stay far enough ahead of the race to anticipate traffic problems, but not too far away to prevent a vehicle from inserting itself between the lead vehicle and the race leader. In practice, a distance between 50 and 100 meters seems reasonable to me.

I would recommend: 1/ using a vehicle with two wheels, which would prevent the lead vehicle from being blocked on the course. 2/ a motorized vehicle (which is not limited to 25km/h), otherwise it can be a cyclist, but only an elite cyclist.

Comment 12 May 02:31

Is such a lead vehicle actually used regularly in road races? If so, we should indeed introduce a short section on this in Section 3D.

Comment 12 May 05:27

In most open-road races, there's a lead vehicle, but sometimes this isn't the case.

I think the rulebook should recommend having a lead vehicle, as it's a safety feature for the head of the race and those behind. Even if the marshals are in radio communication with the officials, the physical presence of a lead vehicle is a good thing. In races without a lead vehicle, the marshals usually get caught by surprise when the first one(s) arrives, which can cause safety issues.

At the last UNICON, I think there were volunteer positions for lead cyclists: in the 10km race, a cyclist started a few minutes before the start, and we quickly caught up and overtook him. This is quite common, actually.

Comment 21 May 22:11

I agree that incorporating a lead vehicle capable of maintaining a fixed distance—or possibly a fixed time gap, such as 10 seconds—from the lead competitor would be ideal and should be included in this section.

This might not be necessary, but in scenarios where a sufficiently fast lead vehicle isn’t available, and multiple slower lead vehicles are, a staggered departure could be used to maintain coverage. This would ensure a lead vehicle is always ahead of the front competitor without being too far ahead.

For example:

Competitor pace: 30 km/h over 10 km (20 minutes total time)
Two lead vehicles available, each with a max speed of 25 km/h (24 minutes over 10 km, or 12 minutes for 5 km)

Lead Vehicle B departs 5 minutes before the race start, reaching the finish line approximately 1 minute ahead of the lead competitor.
Lead Vehicle A departs 2 minutes early, likely being overtaken around the 5 km mark.

This setup keeps a lead vehicle roughly 1–2 minutes ahead of the first competitor at all times.

Comment 24 May 07:03

Simply for the fact that it can be hard enough to convince local authorities to let us have a closed course for such a "strange" sport as unicycling I am against this. If at Unicon 21 we had asked for a motorized vehicle on that particular trail, we never would have been allowed on that trail. If an e-bike would've been sufficient in speed we MIGHT've been able to use that - but that would've been a stretch.

Unicon organizing is hard enough when it is all volunteer lead and unicycling is such a niche sport that you have to convince people is a real thing. To add a potentially difficult element to get approved.... I cannot be for this proposal.

But in concept, I agree!

I also don't see this adding value to enough of the racers. And it is a potential cost - rental of a vehicle if no one is willing to lend a personal vehicle. For that Unicon registration could go up and part of Unicon's appeal is keeping the cost affordable for as many people as possible.

Comment 29 May 03:01

The lead vehicle is nothing new in road racing, and I don't think it should be removed—quite the opposite, in fact.

I think a section should be added to define its role and make recommendations without being prescriptive. It's not just about UNICON and it can help the organizers.

Its role is particularly important for the head of the race and is less visible to following competitors. However, if there is a real safety issue for the head of the race, it can lead to the race being canceled for all the competitors.

Once the head of the race has passed, the marshals are aware that the other competitors will pass, but from experience, I know that when there is no lead vehicle (or when it has been overtaken by the head of the race), the marshals are surprised and do not fully fulfill their role.

From experience, I know that when it is planned in advance, it is easy to find someone who agrees to be in the front row of the spectacle of a race with their personal vehicle, whether motorized or not. In the context of a national or international event, this is a role rather suited to a local because of the need for a personal vehicle.

I will prepare a proposal and we can continue to discuss it.

Comment 30 May 01:12

The proposal looks good to me.

Comment 30 May 21:59

I think it's a good proposal too. Just because it's there doesn't mean it needs to be used, but gives guidance and expectations on the requirements of the lead vehicle.