Return to Racing 2020

The Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League’s objective is to build strong mind, body and character through interscholastic cycling. We are a youth development organization and not a racing league. That being said, the races have always been a highlight of the year for many. During these unprecedented times when so many sports have had their entire seasons canceled—including many other NICA leagues – we have been working hard to avoid a similar fate.

We're excited to announce that we have developed a plan that will allow us to offer events that support the emotional and physical wellness of our student-athletes. We will have races this year! We are fortunate that our sport is naturally socially distant, but precautions must still be taken. The approach we're taking will allow us to follow social distancing safety guidelines and comply with special event gathering size restrictions set by state and local officials. While our events won't look the same this season, we're delighted to create a platform for our student-athletes to set goals, challenge themselves, measure their progress and HAVE FUN.

Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay positive.

What will a league race look like this season?

Events will still be held over two days on scheduled weekends, however entire teams will compete on a single day. On race weekend, teams will have a designated arrival time at the event site, allowing for a warm-up period, a staging time and a start time. Teams that are closest to the venue will be scheduled earlier in the day, while teams that have further to travel will race later in the day.

Only one team will race at a time – boys and girls, high school and middle school together. Riders will be started at a constant interval and the order will be determined by the team's coaches. The goal is to minimize passing and where passing occurs, for it to take place within a team that has already been practicing together.

Each rider will ride one lap of the course as fast as they can. Once the rider finishes, they will have time to recover and then exit the venue. Student-athletes will be evaluated against all others in their category and there will be individual awards for the fastest riders.

What about the infield and spectators?

Obviously, trade-offs must be made. Managing social distancing guidelines and following gathering size restrictions means that much of what we enjoy and love about event weekends is simply not possible this year. There will be no infield or team tents, and there will be no spectators. Yes, no spectators. If you are not a coach, you will have to drop off your riders at the race venue and pick them up when they are done (waiting in the parking lot is okay). Only coaches will be allowed onsite with their teams.

We are monitoring state and local restrictions, and working closely with our host land managers with the hope that we may be able to bring spectators back to races at some point during the season as conditions improve. We are currently investigating live-streaming options for "virtual spectating". Stay tuned for details.

Will there be a pre-ride?

Pre-riding the race course will not be allowed on an event weekend (Friday–Sunday). This was a tough decision, but the schedule and population cap do not safely allow for it. To address this, we will publish course maps well in advance, strive to utilize the same course that we used in prior seasons when at the same venue and, when allowed by the land manager the course will be lightly marked prior to race weekend. We encourage teams to pre-ride race courses as part of their normal practice routines. We also intend to post online videos for each course so that if you're not able to travel to the venue prior to race weekend, you can still see what it looks like and prepare.

Details are evolving.

This is a very big picture overview of what events will look like and you undoubtedly have questions. Please review the Return to Racing Guidlelines document, which addresses the time trial format in more detail.

Registration Deadline

Student-athletes who are “Practice Ready” in the Pit Zone by August 12 will receive a custom race number plate with their name preprinted on it. Race registration does not need to be paid by this date, only the league registration must be completed.

Student-athletes who intend to race this season must register for all races – Race Package – by August 26. Putting on a socially distant time trial race will involve a lot of complicated calculations on our part. For this reason, at this time we do not anticipate being able to offer a la carte individual race registration this season.

Sponsor Spotlight: Saris

We are grateful to have Saris as a league sponsor again this season. From their home in Madison, WI, where the vast majority of their products are built, Saris is pushing the limits of what's possible to provide solutions and improve the experience of all types of cyclists. Saris racks are intuitive to use because they are designed through your eyes, so you can clearly see how everything works. This instills confidence behind the wheel that your bikes are safe and secure. Thank you Saris for your support in 2020 and beyond.

Sponsor Spotlight: Squirt Cycling Products

For the third year running the Arizona league is proud to have the support of Squirt Cycling Products. Squirt was launched in the United States in 2004 and legends Ned Overend, Mike Closer and Travis Brown were among the first to endorse it. Squirt Chain Lube stays clean, lasts long, extends drive train life and is 100% biodegradable.