Published: 24th Jan 2025 Images: Scottish Cycling

2025 Technical regulations – what’s changing?

The technical regulations are a bit of a dry read but form the framework within which sport takes place. In addition to British Cycling Technical Regulations, the Scottish Cycling Technical Regulations provide further detail specifically for Scottish National Championships and Records.

These are reviewed each year, both in terms of their content and the wording, to ensure they are current, as clear and fair as they can be, and align with the Scottish Cycling strategy to raise the profile of Scottish National Championships. The full updated wording will be published in the 2025 British Cycling Handbook. 

Thanks to members of the SC community who engaged constructively to suggest updates, and thanks to the Sport, Technical and Commissaire Commissions for implementing a thorough review process before changes were signed off by the SC Board. If you would like to get involved in the review of technical regulations by joining one of the commissions, or have suggestions to develop any areas of the regulations, please get in touch at [email protected] 

The first event these will come into effect for will be the Glasgow Grand Prix, incorporating the Scottish National Madison Championships on the 25th and 26th January 

So, what’s new?  

Technical Regulation Change 1: Eligibility to race in Scottish Championship events 

  • All Scottish National Championships will be aligned to what already happens MTB XC, MTB DH and Cyclo-cross, enabling ineligible riders to compete, with the Scottish Champion title being awarded to the highest placed eligible rider.    
  • In MTB XC, MTB DH and Cyclocross, ineligible riders are already permitted to compete in a Championship race without competing for the Scottish Champion title. An overall race result is produced, with the top three placed eligible Scottish riders awarded the Championship medals on the podium separately.   
  • The primary driver for this change is to support the financial viability of all Scottish Championship events, as the number of eligible riders in some disciplines is putting this at risk.  

Technical Regulation Change 2: Youth Omnium format adjustment  

  • The Youth Omnium format was changed in 2024 to give organisers more flexibility in the format. The points scoring format is being updated to ensure the Points Race is the deciding race in the Youth Omnium and must be last in the programme, to align with the scoring of British Youth Omniums and in the UCI format. 

Technical Regulation Change 3: Youth C Championship titles 

  • Youth C (Under 12) Scottish National Championship titles are being introduced in some additional disciplines and events, to bring consistency across as many disciplines as we can.  
  • The British Cycling regulations prevent Under 12 categories competing in Mountain Bike Downhill and on the open highway, therefore it has not been possible to add titles in Downhill or the Time Trial Championship events. 

Technical Regulation Change 4: Eligibility Deadlines  

  • To provide more clarity and support organisers in the processing of entries for Scottish National Championship events, from 2025 riders must meet the eligibility criteria at the point of entries closing. 
  • This means that to be eligible for the title, riders must hold a full Scottish Cycling/British Cycling or UCI racing licence at the entry deadline for any Scottish National Championship (with the exception to the following: competitors in Road Time Trials and Team Time Trials must hold a minimum of SC/BC Membership). 
  • Unless otherwise stated, all Scottish National Championships close for entries 14 days before the start of the event. 

Technical Regulation Change 5: Entry to multiple Championships  

  • The regulations have been made clearer around riders entering multiple Scottish National Championship age categories at the same event when they are eligible for multiple (ie. all Masters categories are also eligible for the Senior category). 
  • The updated regulations will allow riders to compete for multiple category championships for which they eligible by age and gender.  
  • Riders must be able to reasonably start and finish each category they enter.  
  • Where categories are combined in the same race and start, riders will be given a championship placing in each of the categories they are eligible for.  

Technical Regulation Change 6: Time Trial Equipment Regulations  

  • The Scottish Time Trial Equipment Regulations have been moved from an appendix to the Road section of the BC Technical Regulations, to an appendix of the Scottish Cycling section of the 2025 Handbook to make them more evident.   
  • Through discussion with Time Trial organisers and commissaires this year, updates have been made to align with practice in time trials run under CTT governance, to improve the visibility of riders to other traffic.  

Technical Regulation Change 7: Addition of new Scottish National Championships 

  • In anticipation of BC Technical Regulations for Enduro and Gravel being developed, Scottish National Championships will be officially recognised from 2025.   
  • In Enduro, categories will be recognised the same as in MTB DH (Juveniles, Youth, Junior, Senior, Master 30, Master 40+)  
  • Gravel categories will be aligned to MTB XC (Under 12s, Juveniles, Youth, Junior, Senior, Master 30, Master 40, Master 50, Master 60)