USA Cycling has specific rules regarding racing age categories, which determine the grouping of athletes based on their age and enable fair competition within various age brackets. The racing age is the age that an athlete attains during the current calendar year, which may differ from their actual birthdate. The purpose of using racing age is to maintain consistency throughout the racing season, as athletes progress through different age categories as the year advances.
To determine an athlete's racing age for a given year, USA Cycling follows the following guidelines:
1. Birthdate: The athlete's birthdate is the primary factor in determining their racing age. It serves as the basis for determining which age category an athlete falls into at the beginning of the year.
2. Racing Age Calculation: The racing age is determined by subtracting the athlete's birth year from the current calendar year. For example, if an athlete was born in 1990 and the current year is 2023, their racing age for that year would be 2023 - 1990 = 33.
3. Age Category Placement: USA Cycling has different age categories for both road and mountain bike racing. Here are the general age categories for each discipline:
Road Racing:
- Junior: 18 years and younger
- U23: 19 to 22 years
- Elite: 23 to 29 years
- Masters: Various age groups for riders aged 30 and above, typically categorized in five-year increments (e.g., 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, etc.)
Mountain Bike Racing:
- Junior: 18 years and younger
- U23: 19 to 22 years
- Elite: 23 to 29 years
- Masters: Various age groups for riders aged 30 and above, typically categorized in five-year increments (e.g., 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, etc.)
Cyclocross Racing:
The cyclocross cycling event is slightly different as the season runs across two calendar years starting in the fall and ending in February of the following year. Therefore CX race age is determined by an athletes racing age on DEC 31st of the year that Cyclocross season ends. CX season starts in September and goes until the end of February. A quick way to remember CX racing age is your current race age +1.
- Junior: 18 years and younger
- U23: 19 to 22 years
- Elite: 23 to 29 years
- Masters: Various age groups for riders aged 30 and above, typically categorized in five-year increments (e.g., 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, etc.)
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