Friday before the race, some families will head up early and stake out the team's camping area. Usually, the family pulling the trailer will go up on Friday and get the pop-ups, tables, etc. set up for the arrival of the rest of the team on Saturday. Some venues with exceptional trails or trail features (Reveille, Erwin) are very popular on Friday since none of the features can be used on Saturday or Sunday when NICA is in control of the venue. 

Note: No riders (coaches included) are allowed on-course without a race plate. No one at the venue is allowed to have a leg over a bike without a helmet - being seen without a helmet is a red-level penalty, will get the athlete a 5-minute penalty and can get the entire team sanctioned. 

Saturday we will need everyone there 1 hour before our scheduled pre-ride time. Early pre-ride times (~10 am)are given to closer teams and later pre-ride times (~4pm) are given to teams traveling long distances. 15 minutes before our scheduled pre-ride, our team will gather at the start gate and ride the race loop. Race loops are ~5 miles long. We'll ride and coach the whole loop stopping at features and letting riders take a few tries at anything they need to get comfortable with. More experienced riders are encouraged to take this opportunity to do a lap at heart rate zone 3 to see how the features flow closer to race speed.

Saturday afternoons, usually around 3, NICA will have the GRiT ride. GRiT is a women-only tour of the course. All women in attendance are invited to ride (racers, coaches, parents, siblings, etc.).

Saturday evening we have our Team Meal (assuming a parent volunteer stepped up) and we'll hang out with the team, sometimes NICA will have a gathering for the whole race to attend. 

Sunday is race day! Head coaches (and other key coaches) meet with NICA officials starting at 7am for an informational meeting. They'll bring any info or updates back to the team campsite by 7:30. Racing starts at 8am, usually varsity goes off first followed by JV. Middle school will usually start around noon. However, depending on heat middle school can have start times swapped with JV or Varsity to protect the younger kids from overheating. 

Races will wrap up around 1:30 - 2pm. After the races finish everyone pitches in, all coaches, athletes, and spectators, to take the start/finish gates apart. Once that work has been done race podiums begin. Families are usually driving out by 4:30 on Sunday. 

Rules/notes:

• All riders (including Varsity) must ride at their designated team pre-ride time.

• Ear-buds or other speakers are not allowed when on your bike; warming up, pre-ride or racing.