Sabie Experience 2011 » General Race Info
Ten Golden Rules of Stage Racing
- Always ride with your helmet on and properly fastened.
- Comply with traffic regulations.
- Ride on the left-hand side of the road.
- Stay within sight of your team partner at all times.
- Carry a first aid kit with you.
- Carry enough hydration liquid and nutrition for up to 45km of strenuous riding.
- Carry a cell phone - the emergency number will be printed behind your race number.
- Have respect for the environment and wildlife.
- Be cautious when approaching forestry operations and transport vehicles.
- Be careful to follow the route markers. Marshals are provided to assist with safety.
- Marshals will be situated at strategic points along the route to guide riders and assist with safety, especially at crossings or blind intersections. They will be identifiable by their red flags.
- Traffic officers will be positioned where riders have to cross public roads. They will endeavour to give riders right of way, but riders MUST OBEY THEIR EVERY COMMAND.
- In the absence of a marshal or traffic officer riders are to comply with all traffic regulations.
- The Sabie Experience route markers will consist of black arrows on white background, with The Sabie Experience logo positioned BELOW the arrow. If the arrow has been rotated or slipped from position, riders will still be able to determine the correct direction. If no route markers are present, carry straight on.
- At strategic intersections some roads or tracks may also be taped off with red/white candy tape to prevent riders from taking the wrong road.
- The correct route may also be confirmed with luminous orange (bio-degradable) spray paint, or luminous orange marker squares attached to grass or vegetation.
- Stages 2 to 4 will all have a neutral zone start until out of town for several km or until the lead vehicle pulls off the road or well ahead of the bunch. The speed will be limited to 30km/hr. You are NOT PERMITTED TO PASS THIS VEHICLE IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE WHILE IT HAS A RED FLAG UP. Doing so will lead to immediate disqualification.
- Use this opportunity to warm up properly, and ensure to keep within sight of your partner.
- Be sure to keep a safe distance between yourself and the rider in front of you, and be ready to take avoiding action in case of any sudden braking.
- Try not to do anything unpredictable, keep your line and do not brake suddenly without reason.
- All stages start and finish at the York Timbers sports grounds.
- Riders may ride through town to the stage finish and may ride through intersections and normal traffic.
- All traffic officials and marshals must be obeyed, and in their absence traffic regulations are to be obeyed.
- Riding recklessly or at high speed may result in an accident which may cost you a stage finish or the entire race. - do not risk it!
- Race etiquette is the mark of a top rider. A few seconds can easily be caught up over the next stage.
- Teams are expected to carry sufficient water and nutrition for at least 45km.
- Stages 2 and 3 will each have 3 water points on the route where energy drinks and water will be available. There is also a water point at the finish. Stage 4 will have two water points.
- No water point will be provided on Stage 4 except at the finish.
- In emergencies, riders may safely drink the water from the mountain streams above 1400m above sea level.
- The start times for the Prologue will have been predetermined by race officials. Your start time will be communicated via the website at least a week before the race. Your time on the Prologue will determine your batch for the next day.
- Eight start zones (A – H) of about 50 teams each will be cordoned off each morning. The start is at 07h00.
- From Stage 2 start zone A will contain at least the top five teams from each of the categories, based on their performance over the previous stage(s). Teams wearing the leader jerseys will have their own start zone in front of A.
- Other teams will be seeded overall according to their accumulated times and allocated in zones B to H.
- Teams must determine their start zone each morning from a list displayed at the start at 06h00.
- The teams then report to the marshal in charge of their allocated zone and he/she will check against the start list.
- Do NOT try to move up into the start zone in front of you if you have already been allocated and signed in. Teams spotted doing this will be penalized.
Teams will be seeded according to Prologue times and results from the other stages. Riders will be given a start zone as well. Please adhere to the above rules and principles.
