Numbers and Finishing

Numbers

To be competitive in the sport of cycling, cyclists will spend enormous amounts of time training, spend copious amounts of money purchasing the latest and lightest equipment, drive hundreds of miles to races, yet all the money in the world and time spent both on and off the bike is worthless if the officials and finishing camera can not see or record a rider's number at the race finish line. It amazes me to see riders that have invested so much into the sport and take a haphazard approach when it comes to properly pinning on a race number. Without a properly placed and pinned number, any rider is at risk of not receiving a placement at the end of the race.

For WCA WI Cup events the finishing camera requires the number to be pinned to the rider's side between the armpit and short (just above the jersey rear pockets, if any). The lowest part of the number should be at the middle of the jersey's side panel where the front and back sides of the jersey meet. Riders have a tendency to pin numbers that are too far to the middle of the back of the jersey or too low to the back. Rich Weiss will be doing all the photo finishes for WCA WI Cup events and I have described number placement to his requirements. Please note that number placement requirements can vary pending the staging area, placement of official, type and location of photofinishing equipment. So when in doubt as to how a number should be properly placed for an event or just to make sure you have pinned your numbers correctly, check with the officials at the race's start/finish or staging area. Doing so will increase your chances of getting your race placement correct the first time. See figure 1.

Figure 1

Don't cover numbers with warm up tops, jackets, vests, etc. If you do start a race with a warm up top, jacket, or vest worn over your number; please go to the back of the pack to remove it so if you crash removing the clothing item you don't take others with you. Put your removed clothing item in your rear jersey pocket or go to the rear of the field and carefully ride along the shoulder and jettison the clothing item. Its best practice to start only with clothing items you attend to wear throughout the race. However, there are times when a race can be quite long and weather conditions can change that would require adding or removing clothing.

When pinning numbers to your race clothing, drive the pin through the number and jersey and back out through the number. Ignore the small holes that many numbers will have in the number's corners. You want the number pinned snug against the jersey, not loose. When driving the pin only once through the number, the pin can rip the number's corner off making the number no longer securely fastened and unreadable. I recommend at least eight pins per number (a pin in each corner and four more between each corner) and at least six pins for shoulder numbers (a pin in each corner and one in the middle of the top two and bottom two pins). If shoulder numbers are required, they are not placed literally on the shoulder but rather over the shoulder blade (scapula). See figures 2 & 3.

Figure 2

Figure 3

According to the 2004 USCF rule book numbers may not be folded, trimmed, crumpled, or otherwise defaced. Crumpling a race number creates many facets that will greatly reduce the clarity of the number picked up by the photofinishing camera. I have often observed riders crumpling their race numbers prior to pinning on their jersey and I really don't understand why. Common sense would be to make your number as visible as possible and crumpling only reduces number visibility.

Normally when I pin on my race numbers I have a volunteer actually pin them on me after I have changed in to my race clothing and assume a bent over race position. However, many times a volunteer may not be available to pin on my numbers so I will stuff a pillow in my jersey or put the jersey over my vehicle's steering wheel and pin the number(s) on myself before I actually wear the clothing.

Most races will have pins available at registration. My advice is to keep your pins for the next race for sometimes a race may run out of pins or may not have any pins available. If you race a lot there should be no excuse for not having any pins to pin on your number. I always keep a stash of pins in my vehicle's ash tray and race bag. Immediately after your race you should remove your numbers for your sweat may cause the pins to rust and stain your jersey, especially if you don't laundry your jersey in a timely fashion.

Types of Numbers

Typically most races only require the use of a single number. When only a single number is used, pin the number on the side that the officials and/or finishing camera are located. Many riders new to the sport of cycling (as well as some old to the sport) will pin their numbers to their chest, upside down or even on the wrong side. Some major cycling events may require two numbers (one on each side) with additional shoulder and frame numbers which are attached to the frame of the bicycle just behind the bicycle's head tube. Shorter riders may not have a head tube tall enough to accommodate a frame number so the number may need to be attached to an alternative location such as the bicycle's seat post. See figures 4, 5, 6, & 7.

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Number plates used in mountain bike events are fine for mountain bike races for riders must finish on the same bike they started the race with. In USCF races whether it be track, road, or cyclo-cross; riders may receive a bike exchange in the event of a mishap. A rider may end up without a number at the finish if number plates are used in a USCF race due to a bike exchange. Number plates are not good for large field finishes since only the lead riders would have their numbers picked since the photo finishing camera would have to take a head on shot. Also number plates would not make it on film with the finish camera focused on the vertical plane above the finish line.

When a rider races at either the Kenosha or Northbrook velodromes they are issued one cloth number to be used for the entire track season. Cloth numbers tend to be more durable and usually will last the whole track season. Some track riders may even sew their number to their jersey.

The Finish

The last lap of a race is designated with the ringing of a bell and the lap cards displaying the number 1. According to the USCF rule book, the finish order of a race is determined by the order that the front tire of the bicycle penetrates the imaginary vertical plane passing through the leading edge of the finish line. Therefore riders must finish the race with their bicycle whether they are riding or carrying their bicycle.

Once a rider has finished the race the rider should never cross the finish line again until the officials officially finish the event and have reopened the course. Sometimes if a camera picks up a number for a second time or more, the race placing is given to the last time the number was recorded.

Never remove your helmet before, during, and after the race unless you are no longer on the course and not riding your bicycle. Not wearing a helmet or a helmet not securely strapped during a race will result in disqualification.

Some riders will throw their arms up in the air for victory as they cross the finish line when they win the race. I would caution anyone in raising their arms. Yes it is a thrill to win a race and to celebrate victory over your competitors by raising your arms. However, in raising your arms you no longer have control over your bicycle and can compromise the safety of yourself, your competitors, and spectators. Usually the officials will not disqualify or relegate a rider for raising their arms but be forewarned in doing so you could be penalized or disqualified for dangerous riding. When the field is sprinting extremely fast to the finish and a rider loses control by raising their arms, the rider and other riders may be harmed by the result of a crash. I have actually seen the whole field crash at the end of a race when the winner raised his arms and then brought them down on the handlebars of the riders next to him. Riders of all abilities have a history of losing races for throwing their arms into the air only to be nipped at the finish line.

After the race has finished don't assume the officials and/or camera got your number at the finish. Many times riders are twisting, sitting up, or their number is not properly placed and the camera will not get a good image of some of the numbers. So be present when the Chief Judge announces or posts the race results. Prizes may not be distributed unless all protests have been answered (if any) and 15 minutes have passed since the results were announced. If you do not agree with your placement or lack of placement you have only 15 minutes to make a protest with the Chief Judge. So it is important to be present at the race finish to secure your proper placement in the results. Regardless of where you think you placed, after 15 minutes without a protest the results are final. Chief Judge, not the camera, makes the final decision in the finishing order. Cameras can record the actual finishing order but can not determine whether a rider is up or down a lap. Therefore the Chief Judge scores the race based on the information provided by their notes, notes provided by other officials, and the camera to get a dynamic image of how the race finished.

My Experiences

When racing in Europe in 1985 it was common to surrender your license at race registration (usually some small smoke filled tavern on the course) and not get your license back until you returned your race number. Many of the numbers I used in Europe were cloth but I would imagine the cloth number used on the road may be a thing of the past.

Some states have district associations that issue permanent numbers for their members to use throughout the season. Each member would be responsible for their own number provided to them from their district association. When racing in Colorado in the early 80's I had to rent a number. The Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado (BRAC) issued permanent side, shoulder, and frame numbers to its members. I, being an out-of-state rider, had to rent a BRAC number when racing in BRAC events. This really wasn't a big deal until I was racing in a stage race near Boulder. I got in a four man breakaway group and gained several minutes on the field. The next day I was very low on GC and to make a long story short I was renting the same number as a BRAC member in my race. The correction was made and I went on to finish second overall on GC in the Indian Peaks Stage Race.

Some races may charge a number deposit of a few dollars to provide an incentive for riders to return their numbers after their race. I haven't experience number deposits in a few years which is a good thing for several occasions I've dealt with promoters and race organizations closing shop immediately after the event with no intent or opportunity given to return number deposits.

There is a whole generation of cyclists that have never used down tube shifters. Prior to Campy and Shimano's integrated shifters and brake levers, the derailleur shifters were located on the bicycles down tube where most derailleur cable stops are located today. When using down tube shifters, I would shift only with my right hand. I could easily shift my rear derailleur and by only using my thumb, I could shift my front derailleur. However, by only using my right hand I ran into problems shifting my front derailleur when frame numbers were used since I rode a 54 cm frame which has a relatively small head tube.

My Recommendations

Over the years I have kept most of my race numbers. My only regret is not writing on the back of each number the date, location, and race placing. So if you are new to the sport of cycling keeping your old numbers could be used to make a race diary. I'm especially proud of my numbers from major cycling events such as the National Sports Festival, National Championships, L'Abitibi, Olympic Trials, Giro del Umbria, and any other races that were of personal significance.

Thanks

I want to thank Rich Weiss for his contribution with this article. Rich Weiss provides photo finishing for all 2004 WCA WI Cup events.

I want to thank Nova Cycle Sport/ISCorp Cycling Team's espoir rider, Matt Wittig, for modeling proper number placement. Matt is also a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison cycling team.

Bottom-line; all Wisconsin Cup events are USCF sanctioned, read your rule book (available via www.usacycling.org), check with the officials to see if your number is pinned on correctly for your event, and be respectful to the race officials if you have a discrepancy with post race results. Have a safe and rewarding racing experience.

Lowell Kellogg, ISCorp Junior/Espoir Coach

Lowell Kellogg is a USAC licensed rider, mechanic, official, and coach.