NEWS: British Cycling release updated 2017 competitions plan

British Cycling have released an updated competitions plan, this time including the list of graded riders based on the 2016 season.

It also features the fixtures for the Supertrax Battle of Britain series, with the Midlands hosting South East, while the North and Scotland race South West and Wales at Astley & Tyldesley in round one.

The Supertrax Battle of Britain series comes in to replace the Elite League. It is essentially based on the same principles, where the top riders around the country join forces in teams, only at a county level instead of at clubs. With postcode determining where riders race, it reduces the risk of uneven teams and should be a close run series.

The benefits include the door being fully open for any rider who is good enough to get a ride, as opposed to the limited opportunities with clubs. Equally, it outlines a clear “career path” for riders from their club racing, to county level and on to international.

With three separate clubs hosting home matches in each region, it shares out the Elite level racing across regions, which will be a great promotional tool for the host clubs.

Along with the list of graded riders, there is also an amendment to the “homegrown” definition, where by any rider racing at their first ever club will count as homegrown, regardless of transfer history.

If a rider’s first club is now defunct, the next club they signed for inherits “first club” status, unless the defunct club becomes operational again.

This amendment gives any graded rider the opportunity to race ungraded at their home town club.

Other changes sees the Supertrax Women’s League entry fee reduced to £5 after consultation with the riders.