From: les@sail.stanford.edu (Les Earnest)
Subject: USCF 1993 Categorization Guidelines
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 09:45:53 GMT

[Here are the "official" categorization rules for 1993, hot off the
fax from USCF Headquarters.  I have taken the liberty of correcting
some obvious editing errors but have left most of the bizarre
capitalization and the functional errors (IMAO) "as is."  I will
comment later on the several problems I see in this scheme. -Les]

Road Categorization

Minimum requirements for Upgrading from 5 to 4

  by Experience:
Need 10 Criterium or Road Races (public races acceptable) with at
least 10 entries.

  by Results:
Need 15 points to upgrade.  Points scored 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 - 1st through 6th
places respectively - in criteriums and road races with at least 10 riders
entered.

Upgrading from 4 to 3

  by Experience:
Need 25 Criterium or Road Races with the following field sizes:
    Senior men	  30
    Senior women  10
    Juniors	  10

  by Results:
Need minimum 15 points in a 12 month period to upgrade.  Points scored
7, 5, 3, 2, 1 - 1st through 6th places respectively - in criteriums and
road races with at least the minimum number of riders from the table above.

Riders who score 35 or more points in a 12 month period will automatically
be upgraded.

Upgrading from 3 to 2

  by Results:
Need 30 points to upgrade.  Points in Qualifying Road Races and Criteriums
(in events that include Category 3 class) scored:
			1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
Road Races - Stage Race  10   8   6   5   4   3   2   1
Road Races		 10   7   5   3   2   1
Criteriums		  7   5   4   3   2   1
    Note: Stage Race GC's do not count towards upgrading

Qualifying Races
	Road Races	Criteriums	   Field Size
Men	50 mi./80 km.	20 mi./32 km./45   min. 60
Women	40 mi./64 km.	15 mi./24 km./30   min. 20
				      ^^
				     [If you are wondering what these numbers
				      are, you are not alone - Les]

Riders who score 30 or more points in a 12 month period may elect to
upgrade to Category 2.

Upgrading from 2 to 1

The top 200 men and 120 women on points at the end of the season,
from the National Ranking System, are Category 1 for the next season,
along with National Team riders.  All Category 1 riders who fail to
finish in top 200 men or 120 women will be automatically downgraded
one category.

Points in Qualify races are scored:
Stage Race   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15
  Final GC  20  17  15  13  11  10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1
  Road Race 10   8   6   5   4   3   2   1
Road Race   10   7   5   3   2   1
Criteriums   7   5   4   3   2   1

Qualifying Races
	Road Races	Criteriums	  Field Size
Men	80 mi./129 km.	45 mi./72 km./90  min. 60
Women	50 mi./80 km.	20 mi./32 km./45  min. 30
				      ^^
				     [??]

For Stage Race GC points, races must meet the following requirements:
  - must be minimum of 2 days of racing
  - stages must be timed
  - stage races must have an overall winner that is decided on the lowest
    accumulated time
  - field sizes must be at least the same as above table at the start of
    the stage race
  - road and criterium distances must be at least the same as above table
  - stage races of 2-4 days cannot contain more than one criterium
  - stage races of 4-10 days cannot contain more than two criteriums

International Racing

For riders competing outside of the U.S. and requesting upgrading by
experience (5 to 4, 4 to 3), riders must provide documentation showing
sufficient experience.  A racing license from foreign federation showing
the racing category assigned by that country is preferred.

For riders upgrading by points (5 to 4, 4 to 3, 3 to 2), riders must
provide documentation to upgrade based on the above criteria, or licenses
from a Foreign Federation showing a higher category.  Results showing
distances must be provided.

Results in competitions outside of the U.S. will not count towards upgrading
from 2 to 1.

Downgrading

Riders will not be downgraded lower than Category 4.

Riders who fail to score points in a 24 month period may elect to be
downgraded one category (2 to 3  or 3 to 4).

Riders who fail to score points in a 24 month period will automatically
be assigned one category lowere than last classified.

Track Categorization

Upgrading

  by Experience (5 to 4, 4 to 3):
Riders must compete in a minimum of 10 race meets.

  by Results (5 to 4, 4 to 3, 3 to 2, 2 to 1):
Individual races within a race meet do not count towards upgrading.
Upgrading points are awarded for a race meet, based on results of all
events for a class, scored as an Omnium (see Rule 2K).  Riders who
elect not to compete in all events in a race meet are place based on
the number of points earned in the events they competed in.  Riders
score points 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 per meet, with minimum 15 points needed
to upgrade.

Note:  Riders who are not Category 1 will qualify for National Championships
       based on meeting qualifying times in competitions.

(Please note that I did NOT write this -- just passing it along.)
--
Les Earnest           Phone:  415 941-3984    Fax: 415 941-3934
Internet: Les@cs.Stanford.edu              USMail: 12769 Dianne Drive
UUCP: . . . decwrl!cs.Stanford.edu!Les         Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.racing