What to expect from international races

If it’s your first time racing at international level, you’ll notice a few differences to a UK domestic race. This is a quick guide to what to be aware of in the race itself, aside from the logistical differences involved in entering, course practice and so on.

Gridding

As you are called to the grid they will check your tyre width and your back number (plus the transponder), so roll up, stop and lift up your warm-up layer at the back. Depending on the event and category, they will also check your frame and wheels for UCI-approved stickers. The requirement for UCI approval began being rolled out in 2024-25 and there are different timescales for different categories of rider, with increasingly stringent requirements over the next couple of seasons.

Photos by Alex Farqhar (L, C) and Sarah Naylor (R)

Be prepared for the fact that the grid will be disorganised. The commissaires will grid you and then people will try and work their way up and push their way into gaps in the grid, so expect to be fairly tightly packed in when the race starts. Take particular note of this if you are a junior woman rather than a junior man: if you don’t have a separate race in the schedule, you’ll be in with the elites. In this case the top 8 women will take their places after everyone else and then the remainder of the grid will be allowed to move forwards, so there is lots of scope for things to close up. This will be the same for any U23s, men or women, who will normally be in with the elites.

The race

You’ll often start on lights (a simple red to green), but not always. Sometimes it may be a whistle. Make sure you pay attention to the commissaires just in case. The race will be fast and robust from the start and won’t slow down. This is one of the most common things riders say to us after their first international experience: “It went really fast and didn’t slow down!!” When I asked Andy Naylor what he meant by ‘robust’ he replied: “I mean that people will try and dive under you in corners and won’t be afraid to push you about. They will race for any small gap so expect it. Be ready to try and hold your own.” So you may well need pointy elbows, but don’t get carried away! And of course, don't forget to expect crowd noise - at some venues, with crowds 5-deep, there can be a huge amount. Don't be intimidated by it, let it inspire you.

Photos by Alex Farqhar (L, C) and Balint Hamvas (R)

The standard of course will generally be more challenging than in the UK, especially at World Cups. Andy Naylor also said, “You tend to find that because the standard of riding is high, everybody is riding the same best line. This means that ruts form. Then people use those ruts so they become even better developed.” You should learn to ride in and use these ruts. If you’re having to run a section, push your bike in the rut. Don’t run over the rut with your feet as you’ll destroy the line for next lap and annoy everybody else!

Photos by Balint Hamvas

When it’s over

When you finish remember they’ll want to cut your transponder out of your number before you can ride off. Also, you could be randomly selected for anti-doping testing. If so, a chaperone will come and find you and take your through the process.

But finally, even if it’s tough, remember to take it all in and learn from it in future.

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If you’ve found this helpful, please consider donating here to support the work we do with young riders. We are not-for-profit and entirely reliant on donations.