Proposal 14: 3D.10.3 Mass Start [ Revision 4 ]
Committee: 3. Road RacingSubmitted on 2025-03-20
Status: Review from May 05, 2025 to May 08, 2025
Background
The mass start is the ideal type of start for a confrontational race (Most often organized with heat starts).
Today, there are very few mass starts organized.
The introduction of free distance road races in the 2019 IUF rulebook gives greater freedom in the choice of start (and finish) location, which should encourage the organization of mass starts.
Proposal
Old rule:
3D.10 Starting Con figuration
Line-up order and heats must be assigned prior to the race. There are three allowable formats for designating the starting con guration of a Road Race: individual start (section 3D.10.1), heat start (section 3D.10.2), or mass start (section 3D.10.3).
To determine which start con guration to use, read the following rules from top to bottom. Once you have an outcome, disregard the remaining rules.
• If this is an Individual Time Trial format race, use individual start.
• If the course is too narrow to allow for racers to safely and fairly start in heats, use individual start.
• If you cannot safely start fi ve or more riders across, use individual start.
• If the starting field consists of 30 riders or less, use a mass start.
• If the course does not allow for ten riders to ride abreast for at least 500 meters before the course narrows, use heats of 12 or more riders.
• If the starting field consists of more than 50 riders, use heats of 20 or more riders.
• In all other cases, use a mass start.
The various classes may share the race course, but Standard racers should always start separately from Unlimited racers, also in the case of mass starts. Unlimited racers should start fi rst, unless there is no risk that Unlimited riders have to pass Standard riders (for example they race on dierent days).
In the sections below, fastest rider means fastest rider by seed time. Seed time is defi ned as an estimated finish time, preferably based on past performance in similar event(s). If no seed time is submitted by the rider or their coach, the organization can assign a seed time.
3D.10.3 Mass Start
A mass start is a start in which all racers of a certain class (such as Standard or Unlimited) start together. Males and Females of the same class start at the same time.
New rule:
3D.10 Starting Con figuration
Line-up order and heats must be assigned prior to the race. There are three allowable formats for designating the starting con guration of a Road Race: individual start (section 3D.10.1), heat start (section 3D.10.2), or mass start (section 3D.10.3).
To determine which start con guration to use, read the following rules from top to bottom. Once you have an outcome, disregard the remaining rules.
• If this is an Individual Time Trial format race, use individual start.
• If the course is too narrow to allow for racers to safely and fairly start in heats, use individual start.
• If you cannot safely start fi ve or more riders across, use individual start.
• If the starting field consists of 30 riders or less, use a mass start.
• If the course does not allow for ten riders to ride abreast for at least 500 meters before the course narrows, use heats of 12 or more riders.
• If the starting field consists of more than 100 riders, use heats of 20 or more riders.
• In all other cases, use a mass start.
Unlimited racers should start fi rst, unless there is no risk that Unlimited riders have to pass Standard riders (for example they race on different days).
In the sections below, fastest rider means fastest rider by seed time. Seed time is defi ned as an estimated finish time, preferably based on past performance in similar event(s). If no seed time is submitted by the rider or their coach, the organization can assign a seed time.
3D.10.3 Mass Start
1. A mass start is a grouped start where all participants start the race together. This type of start is commonly used for long-distance races (marathon or longer free distance road races).
2. The organizer may choose to separate the starts based on class and gender, allowing for up to four separate starts, resulting in three possible configurations:
2.1. Standard and Unlimited start together, all genders combined (1 start) (not suitable for road races at UNICON),
2.2. Standard and Unlimited start separately, all genders combined (2 starts),
2.3. Standard and Unlimited start separately, with males and females also starting separately (4 starts).
3. In any case the starting order on the line may be determined based on seed times or other criteria set by the organizer.
Body
In this proposal :
- 3D.10 Starting Con figuration: If the starting field consists of more than 100 riders (instead of 50 riders), use heats of 20 or more riders .
- 3D.10.2 Mass start (and the different starting options). Option 1: Standard and unlimited riders can start at the same time in a mass start (but not at UNICON); Option 3: the most realistic option for an event with many competitors, and was not described in the old rule.
References
Discussion
View DiscussionChange Log:
- Revision 4 changed by Simon JAN (05 May 05:43)
The modifications to section 3D.10.2 are in another proposal.
- Revision 3 changed by Simon JAN (05 Apr 12:49)
- “Wave” instead of "Heat" and simplification of section 3D.10.2
- Revision 2 changed by Simon JAN (24 Mar 07:53)
added modifications to sections 3D.10 and 3D.10.2
- Revision 1 changed by Simon JAN (20 Mar 05:19)