Points Racing Is Coming To Pakapakanthi
To make sure we don't all get too comfortable racing a crit at Pakapakanthi / Victoria Park at the beginning of the season, CSA has decided to run Round 1 on the short course with a twist! Instead of a criterium format where the rider over the line first at the end of the prescribed time wins, we'll be racing a points race.
Familiar to those who have raced track, a points race looks much like a criterium, but - as you might have guessed from the name - points are awarded throughout the duration of the race at regular intervals to the first riders over the line. On the short course, this means racers will compete for points every 4 laps and the first four riders over the line will be awarded 5, 3, 2 and 1 points each. The final sprint at the finish of each race will be awarded double points, and the rider with the most points at the completion of the race wins!
Teams with an outstanding sprinter will want to keep things together and hold position for almost the entire race, but if a break gets away it can spell disaster for the big engines. This rings especially true if the break takes a lap - any rider who laps the field is awarded 20 points - the equivalent of 4 sprint wins! This should make for fast-paced and exciting racing for the entire day on September 21, as every team in every grade tries to get an early head start and get themselves a leader's jersey!
More information about the ins and outs of this points race will be made available to team managers in the coming weeks, and individual series and round entries aren't far off - so keep your eyes peeled!