NEW FIM RULES

Want to say something about trials? Let the world know in here!

Moderator: Moderators

The Observer
B grade participant
B grade participant
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:15 pm
Location: Canberra

NEW FIM RULES

Postby The Observer » Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:58 am

With the start of the 2010 World Outdoor Championships about to get underway this weekend at Baiona in Spain, the FIM has changed several of the rules for competition. Some examples are:

1. Time limit in sections has been reduced to 60 seconds;
2. Riders cannot walk the sections on the day of competition prior to riding them;
3. The highest placed riders (those with the least points lost), will be the first to ride the next sections - and not wait untill last as has previously been the case.

Shall we adopt these into Club, State and Australian Championships????
Will these requirements require us to back off and make sections shorter?
I know that at the 2009 Aussie Titles many riders nearly or did run out of 90 seconds to complete the sections.

What might this mean for our Australian TDN riders?

Share your thoughts.....



sdeane01
C grade participant
C grade participant
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:57 pm
Bike: Sherco
Club: TCC

Re: NEW FIM RULES

Postby sdeane01 » Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:54 am

Stupid rules i think. How can it be safe to ride and not have looked after they have been ridden, sections do change? What were they thinking? If we adopt these then only the 60 seconds, but then it that enjoyable? Do we change the rules just to suit the TDN riders for one event at the expense of the enjoyment for the rest? Interesting to see what others think.



Tony C
C grade participant
C grade participant
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:11 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: NEW FIM RULES

Postby Tony C » Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:58 pm

With respect to point 2, apart from the danger aspect, we often see our Oz Experts giving advice to riders of lesser ability whilst walking sections (friendly bunch they are).
I can't see this change as being beneficial for a rider of any grade.
Not being able to inspect the section prioir to riding suggests the severity of the section MUST diminish. Maybe in some cases this could be relevant.
Then we come to the duty of care?
How can you decide whether to ride a section if you can't inspect it?
It would be nice to know how & why they come up with these rules & their justification. Are any riders asked to submit proposals, are other Country's' controlling bodies asked to submit ideas or are the FIM sitting around with nothing to do & need to justify their being?
As to whether we follow should raise some interesting comments.

Tony C



kevin_zar
C grade participant
C grade participant
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:39 pm
Location: Sydney

Further details Re: NEW FIM RULES,

Postby kevin_zar » Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:49 pm

Hi Shane and Tony,
I have been keeping up with the FIM and organisers in Europe during the off season, with regards to the changes being implemented for 2010 in the world series. With a bit more information, you can see the intent of the rules.

1. After a huge push to go for no stop rules, and the riders testing and showing delegates the imposibility of it, the decision was to limit the time in the sections so the riders have to ride them almost non stop...so the new rules are 60 seconds. There are also guidelines on sections length, 60 metres, and world sections are more flowing that we have in Sydney area section for example.

2. Section inspection. In 2009 France implemented a rule in their national series, which was initially hated but became liveable, that the riders could not walk inside the section on the day of the event, because in all european series there is an offical rider inspection period the day before the event. Eg, the riders walk the sections on Saturday, do all the kicking and pushing to set the line for sunday, and the section is then not interferred with by riders or their minders on the Sunday. This is to make it fairer for all the competitors, taking some advantage away from those with large teams of minders and assistants. The section stays much closer to the way it was when everyone walked it, it is less pressure on observers as no riders or minders are allowed in the sections so the observer can look the other way to do their jobs. Riders can still walk along side the section tapes on the event day and look into the section, just no being inside the tape.

3. Starting order. The rules for 2010 are that the riders start in current championship ranking order, or for the first event the ranking from last years championship. Eg, Toni Bou will be the first world rider to start at the first world round, with Raga, Fuji, Jeroni and Cabestany then behind. Riders who did not classify last year will start after all riders with a ranking. eg, if I ride a world round in Spain this sunday, I would start after all the world riders from last year in the class I enter. This aim is to attract more riders to attempt the events, as the sections will be as good as they can get by the time all the ranked riders have ridden them. This is a massive change, the old way the first riders were cannon fodder for the later riders, running in the sections, and on top of that you had riders and their minders inside the sections further kicking and preparing the section before the established riders had their go. Number 2 above now keeps the rider and minders outside. Note: All Euro countries have sequential section riding, you have to start at section 1 and ride them in order, no jumping around or coming back to a section.

I hope this helps you understand the new rules. I am very interested to see how they go.

Kevin Zarczynski.



David Lahey
Champion
Champion
Posts: 4062
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 7:01 pm
Bike: Many Twinshocks
Club: CQTC Inc, RTC Inc
Location: Gladstone, Queensland

Re: NEW FIM RULES

Postby David Lahey » Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:26 pm

A similar starting order rule works well in car rallying, which is similar to trials in the way that the early drivers of a section are the ones who generally have the slipperiest conditions. I think it will definitely improve the likelyhood of up-and-coming riders wanting to ride in world rounds.
The unfairness of having the unseeded riders having to ride first in world rounds was the reason Stefan Merriman gave for his move from Trials to the much more level playing field of Enduro competition.


relax, nothing is under control

Peter King
Junior participant
Junior participant
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:47 pm
Bike: Beta 125
Club: OMCC

Re: NEW FIM RULES

Postby Peter King » Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:09 pm

Hi Guys,

Interesting rule changes & thanks to Kev for the background.

I suspect that the 'top riders go first' rule will be abandoned as it will create an anti-climactic finish to the event. At Barzio last year there were several hundred spectators gathered around the final sections watching the top riders finish. If the top riders start first & therefore finish first it'll be a bit of a fizzle (for the spectators) as the youth & junior riders straggle through. Regardless of fairness, keeping the punters happy is bound to win out eventually.

Riders are not allowed to walk the section, but surely minders must be allowed in to catch? Tony already mentioned the duty of care aspect. Minders would then have the added responsibility of reading the section & relaying any changes to the rider. I can see the advent of 'section notes' with the minder performing a similar function to a rally car navigator ("Fast left, followed by second-gear double-step"!!)

As Kev points out, the no walking the sections rule requires riders to be present on the day before competition, so unlikely to see this implemented at club events (in Aus or Europe). Perhaps this could be adopted at the Aus champs for Open Solos, but one event per year is unlikely to assist our riders with TdN potential to acclimatise, so maybe not worth subjecting the other Open Solos to the new rule.

So the only rule change we could feasibly adopt for our A&X riders would be to reduce the time-limit from 90 to 60 seconds.

Regards

Peter King



kevin_zar
C grade participant
C grade participant
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:39 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: NEW FIM RULES

Postby kevin_zar » Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:58 pm

Peter,
A bit more information I should have clarified...

1. Start order is still lowest CLASS first to hardest class, so that is international, junior 125, youth, then world. So the specators will wait for the guns to come through after the others, but yes the last riders on the sections will not be the known leaders, but those riders like us Aussies having a go.

2. Minders in sections, the minders are only allowed in a section to catch, and in a specific taped area of that section where the course setters determine a catch may be required. The organisers usually supply ropes anchored to the rock for any area of risk, often two or three rope points to select from, with the ropes there from before inspection so minders know where the be. After a catch, the minder must remove themself, they are allowed between the section tape and another set of tape that is run outside the section that the spectators must stay outside of, for their own safety.

In regards to event climax, this is a benefit of sequential sections, that is the crowd can find riders because they know the rider has to ride the sections in order.

Those trying to promote participation in world trial also noted that having the ranking riders start first gives greater chance for the up and coming riders to improve, because they get to see the lines the top rider take, and many times will get the see the top riders in the section before they have their own go, which is seen as a great learning opportunity and additional reason a new rider may take up riding the world events.

Riders can still look at the section on the day, even after the first lap if they think it has changed, by looking into the section, just no walking in the tapes.

I look forward to seeing how it goes.
Kevin Zarczynski.




Return to “Trials Talk”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests