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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can Greenbelt Park races be counted for upgrades?

Greenbelt Park races may be counted for upgrade from Senior Men Cat. 5 to Cat. 4. For this upgrade it is not an absolute requirement that the rider be scored in order for the race to count -- see question 11, below.

In general, no other upgrade application should include Greenbelt Park results. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances are possible, but these are at the discretion of the MABRA Upgrade Coordinator. For a thorough exposition of the Upgrade Coordinator's philosophy, see the following discussion in the MABRA-USCF Google group: http://tinyurl.com/nxuxc8 Qualifying distances and field sizes may be found in the USA Cycling Road Rulebook; Greenbelt is considered a circuit race.

2. Can I use my leftover voucher from last year?

In general, yes you can. Unused single race vouchers and 4 Race BikeReg passes with unused punches may be redeemed the following season. Unclaimed 4 Race passes are retained by the Promoter and may be picked up at your first race next year. Beginning with the 2010 season, the Season Pass is presented as a package of 4 Race passes and works the same way as a 4 Race pass. For a minimally used or unclaimed 2009 or earlier Season Pass, contact the Promoter.

3. I bought a racing license at usacycling.org, but it hasn't come in the mail yet. What should I do?

Go back to usacycling.org and print the 'Authorization to Ride' form. Bring this with you to the Park. It will help us process your entry faster.

4. I came out to the Park last night, but the gate was locked. What happened? How can I find out if the race is on or not?

By the terms of our permit with the Park, the race is subject to cancellation in the event of bad weather. There is some flexibility, but not a whole lot. Please see 'Contact Info' at the bottom of the Info page to learn how to find out the race status.

If the race status is 'on', that means the Promoter will be going to the Park as usual to start setting up, and that officials and other race staff will be in place at their normal appointed times. It is not a guarantee that the race will not be rained out -- you have to use your own judgment to decide whether to make the trip. However, if the likelihood of rain sufficient to result in stopping the race seems strong enough at the time when a decision needs to be made, then we will cancel early so that you don't have to fight rush hour traffic getting out to the Park only to be told 'no race'.

5. I got to the Park at 5:50 and they wouldn't let me drive up to the parking lot. Why do you do that?

The course is open to motor vehicle traffic during the races, but using an altered traffic pattern. In order to establish the altered pattern it is necessary to completely clear the course of motor vehicles. We begin this operation at approximately 5:45PM, and it must be completed before we can start the C race at 6PM. Unfortunately your only options to avoid being held up at the main entrance are to arrive either before 5:45PM or after 6PM.

6. Why can't I register online on race day?

Completion of the online registration process involves some computer work on the part of the Promoter, in order to print the 4 Race or Season pass that you buy online. It is not feasible to perform this task on race day, so it is done the night before. In order to guarantee that a pass is printed for every rider who paid for one, it is necessary to stop selling passes before starting this task; therefore online registration needs to be closed. If you miss the 6PM Tuesday closing of online registration you will need to visit our on-site salesperson; see the Registration page for details.

7. Why can't I buy a 4-Race Pass at T.G.I. Friday's?

Discounted pricing for the 4-Race Pass is available only at BikeReg. The purpose is to offer incentive to riders to register online, in the form of both cost and time savings -- buying online saves you the trip across the street to T.G.I. Friday's each week, which is an extra 10 minutes under the most favorable conditions. While we will always offer day-of sales, the processing of online entries is faster and easier both for us and for you, so the pricing structure is intended to nudge you toward online purchase. The Season Pass offered on BikeReg provides additional savings.

8. Why do I have to have a release form every week?

This is a requirement levied on series events by USA Cycling's insurance carrier. You can minimize the nuisance caused by this requirement by filling in the release form on your own computer and printing before coming to the race. Leave the date blank, print a bunch of copies, and stick them in your race kit. When you get to the Park, date and sign one copy. If all riders have their releases properly filled out and signed when they come to the table, the line will move much more quickly. The form is available online in Adobe Reader PDF format at [www.usacycling.org/forms/rider_release.pdf].

9. Why can't I enter the C race as warmup for the B or A race?

The C race serves an important function in MABRA as a low-key, fun, weekly racing experience for riders new to the sport. If we allowed stronger, more experienced riders to enter the race, the speed would go up and new racers would be dropped very quickly. Thus we would be undercutting the primary reason for the existence of a novice race. We consider this function crucial enough that we even have a rule that requires C riders who improve to the point where they are consistently dominating the race to move up to the B's; this is called the "anti-sandbagging clause."

10. Why do I have to turn in my bib number after the race?

There are multiple reasons for this. Re-issuing numbers each week guarantees that we have a sequentially numbered start list, which makes our officials' job easier. We reuse the numbers to save on expenses, but also because we can afford to use custom printed numbers this way. The color backgrounds make it easier for the officials to distinguish A's from B's, so it improves their scoring accuracy. Since we post results with names as well as numbers, you don't need to know your number to see where you finished. Lastly, it's less wasteful, and therefore more environmentally conscious: in most cases numbers have at least 3 or 4 races in them before they start to look bad.

11. I was not scored, or scored incorrectly, in last night's race. Is there anything that can be done about it?

USA Cycling Road rules provide for a 15 minute protest period after results are posted at the race. We can make the occasional exception and try to resolve your issue in an email exchange with the evening's officials, but if you care about being scored correctly you will need to get in the habit of sticking around after your race long enough to look at the results sheet and resolving any issues with the officials before they leave the Park.

There is no guarantee that you will be scored in the Greenbelt Park race (or any other road race, for that matter). The officials are highly trained and experienced, and they score the race as deeply as they can, but they can't always get everybody. Beyond the 15 minute protest period, your only other remedy is to train harder, race smarter, and finish in a more highly placed position to increase the likelihood that you will be scored.

You can also improve your chances of being scored correctly by doing two things: pinning on your bib number so that the officials can read it, and not sitting up as you cross the line. The following link will take you to an instructional series of photographs that show why these are important: http://westernpaofficials.webs.com/badnumberpinning.htm

Lastly, riders pursuing an upgrade to Senior Men Cat. 4 do not have to be scored in order for the race to count toward their 10 mass starts. Per USA Cycling Road rules:

"1D2. Road Upgrades (a) Guidelines and Notes by Category: 5-4: Experience in 10 mass start races."

"Experience" is generally recognized as starting the race, and it is not an absolute requirement that the rider be scored in order for the race to count; however, riders are advised to be judicious in submitting with their upgrade application races in which they were not scored. For further discussion on this topic from the MABRA Upgrade Coordinator, see the following post in the MABRA-USCF Google group: http://tinyurl.com/2bddor6

12. Why don't the officials use a video camera to score the race?

There is no compelling rationale for the use of video cameras to score a race that cannot be applied toward an upgrade beyond Senior Men 4 -- that level of effort is not commensurate with the nature of the race. The consensus among Promoter, officials, and MABRA staff is that since Greenbelt is a training race, the focus should be more on training than on results.