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Key locations
Crystal Palace Park – Canada Gate Entrance (cycles and car parking): Anerley Hill, SE19 2BA
Crystal Palace Park – Fisherman’s Gate Entrance (cycles only): Crystal Palace Park Rd, SE26 6UW
Sign-on / DP Liaison: Google Pin
Youth Races
Any rider under 16 years old is categorised as a Youth rider under British Cycling regs (though once you turn 16, you have a choice to ride out the season as youth or convert to Junior). Youth categories are A, B, C, D and E which equate to under 16, under 14, under 12, under 10 and under 8. Youth riders can ONLY enter on the evening of the race itself. The desk where you enter is located a few metres from the start / finish line of the circuit, within the park. Please see the circuit map where the location is marked in orange as “DP Liaison”. Youth riders must present a British Cycling racing licence when entering (or an equivalent UCI-recognised licence if they are normally based outside the UK).
We have decided that for 2023 all youth races will remain free to enter. In exchange for your race licence you will receive a pair of race numbers and a helmet cover in a colour that matches your category. If your helmet is the same colour as the helmet cover, then you don’t need to wear the cover – just hand it back to the signing-on staff showing them your helmet. Pin your race numbers one either side, on your lower back.
Race times are as follows:
CDE categories 6:30pm
AB categories 7:00pm on 18th and 25th April; 6:45pm thereafter
Each category will start separately and get its own result. Once you have finished your race, please hand back your helmet cover and race number in exchange for your licence.
Note to mums, dads and helpers: please do join in with judging the races – it’s fun and you will get to know other mums and dads of youngsters who are friends with your own son or daughter.
Senior & Junior Races
To avoid having a crowd of people inside a confined space, for 2023 the sign-on and sign-off for seniors and juniors will NOT be at Cadence but within the park.
Anyone over 16 but under 18 is classified as a Junior rider and anyone over 18 is a senior. Additionally you will have a category of Elite, 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th. The Crystal Palace Crits races are not normally open to 4th category riders – however this will be kept under review so please check later in the season using the CALENDAR button or on the British Cycling race listings.
If you are a 1st claim member of a supporting club (see SUPPORT button) then you can enter in advance on RiderHQ for £17.50 plus transaction fee; entries open a fortnight before each race. If you miss entering in advance or are not in a supporting club then you can still enter on the evening by showing up at the park in good time (see the circuit map where the location of sign-on is marked in orange: “DP Liaison” by the start-finish line). Entry on the day will be £20.00 in 2023 and will only be payable via contactless Credit or Debit Card Payment (not cash).
If you have signed up but can no longer attend, follow the steps on RiderHQ to request a refund well in advance. If a race is cancelled (eg in case of rain), you will be refunded via RiderHQ or offered a move to another race. Here is the timetable for Senior / Junior races:
Signing-on desk opens 5:45pm
Signing-on desk closes 6:55pm sharp
When the desk closes, at 6:55pm sharp, spaces for any pre-entered riders who have not shown up are released to riders wanting to enter on the evening. This means that if you are pre-entered and turn up after 6:55pm you are in danger of losing your place to someone else – with no refund!
E12 cat men’s race begins: 7:15pm
3rd cat men’s race begins: 30s after E12 (approx.)
E123 women’s race begins: 1 minute after E12 (approx.)
The races are run as three separate races and a shortcut may be used to keep them separate. Please pay attention to officials’ directions on whether to take the shortcut on any particular lap – this is indicated by orange flags and a loud whistle. Using the shortcut may not always be feasible: if one race does catch another, the slower group (the one having been caught) must give way to the faster (catching) group. The caught group is effectively neutralised until the faster group is 150 metres clear of it (roughly the distance from start/finish to hairpin).
Race distances will vary from just over 20 laps up to 30 laps according to the amount of light available. Race direction depends principally on wind direction but is at the discretion of the chief commissaire and organiser on the night. A NE wind usually leads to the race running clockwise; a SW wind to the race running anti-clockwise.
The finish of the races will be staggered as follows:
3rd cat: bell at 6 laps to go / finish at 5 laps to go
Women: bell at 4 laps to go / finish at 3 laps to go
Elite-1st-2nd cat: bell at 1 lap to go / finish at 0 laps to go
Sign-off (return of race numbers, retrieval of your race licence, collection of primes and prizes) is at in the park at the same location as sign-on.
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