3D.1 Venue - Course design

Comments about this discussion:

Started 26 Feb 13:58

Current rule:
3D.1 Venue
These are races held usually on roadways or bike paths.
For any road race over a fixed (traditional) distance, it is encouraged that the course
complies with the requirements for IUF World Records. In short:
(1) The start and finish points of the course, measured along a theoretical straight line
between them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance.
(2) The overall decrease in elevation between the start and finish shall not exceed 1:1000,
i.e. 1m per km (0.1%).
Please refer to the IUF World Records Guidelines for details.

The article on venue does not specify requirements for the design of race course. It is especially important that the race course is safe for riders at speed.

I would like to propose this wording:

3D.1.1 Course design

The course must be designed with rider safety as a top priority, incorporating clear signage, road barriers, and an adequate number of marshals to guide and protect participants.

The road should be smooth, durable, and in good condition, free of hazards such as deep potholes, cracks, off-camber sections, or uneven terrain that could endanger riders. Rough surfaces, narrow sections, and other obstacles should be avoided or properly addressed to ensure a safe racing environment. If dedicated bicycle roads are included, they must be sufficiently wide to accommodate riders at speed and clear of any hazards. Objects adjacent to the road, such as benches, trees, or metal posts, should be considered potential hazards and must be properly safeguarded. All areas that pose a risk to rider safety should be adequately protected to minimize potential danger.

3D.1.2 Compliance with IUF World Record
...

Comment 27 Feb 01:53

I think I would structure rule 3D.1 Venue differently - the basis for this would be a complete list and description of the official road racing disciplines in section 3B. Based on this, I would list the requirements or recommendations for the corresponding disciplines. So roughly the following structure:

3D.1 Venue
3D.1 Fixed Distance Races
3D.2 Free Distance Races
3D.3 Criterium
3D.4 Time Trials

Your suggestion about course design probably applies to all raod races - this could be put directly under 3D.1 before the specific requirements of the individual disciplines come up.

Comment 01 Mar 09:43

I agree in principle with adding the paragraph proposed by Maksym.
I also agree with Jan that this is relevant to all road races.

Regarding the structure of the rulebook, I understand that it will need to be revised, but at this stage, it seems difficult to determine how to organize the sections.

I have also planned to propose safety recommendations for the finish area, but this would only apply to confrontation races (heat start and mass start).

I would prefer to move forward with the ongoing discussions rather than starting new ones. I hope this will give members who have not yet shared their opinions the opportunity to participate in the current discussions before proceeding to a vote.

IUF 2025