Upgrading

Depending on category, a rider may upgrade from one Ability Category to another either by earning Alberta Cup points, achieving performance standards as described, or by gaining selection to a National Team or other Trade Team.

Rider Upgrading – Men’s Categories 3 and 4, Women’s Categories 4

Riders in Men’s Ability categories 3 and 4, and Women’s Ability Category 4, will be upgraded upon earning a specified number of Alberta Cup points, as follows:

Category 4 Men > Category 3 Men 50 points

Category 3 Men > Category 2 Men 60 points

Category 4 Women > Category 3 Women 60 points

Women’s Category 4, point allotment will be dependent up on number of racers in a category:

1-3 racers – winner only – points = 10

4-6 racers – top 3 – points = 10, 6, 2

7-10 racers – top 4 – points = 15, 10, 6, 2

11-13 racers – top 6 – points = 15, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

14+ racers – top 8 – points = 20,15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

Women’s Category 4 – 3, if wins 3 Road or Crit races.

Upgrading points may be earned and carried over no more than two consecutive seasons.
Riders may claim no more than 20 points earned in Time Trial races (Individual or Team) for upgrading purposes.
Upgrading points may neither be transferred from one discipline to another, nor may they be carried from one category to another within a discipline.
The Racing Committee may, at its discretion, automatically include out-of-province races for upgrading purposes. The inclusion of such races for upgrading points will be noted on the ABA calendar.
Riders may, upon request, claim points earned in out-of-province races for upgrading purposes. A maximum of ten out-of-province points may be claimed for any one upgrade. The validity of points earned in out-of-province races, and the integration of those points into the Alberta Cup points schedule, will be determined solely by the Racing Committee.
Master riders retain the option of declining an upgrade provided they have not earned the requisite number of points in one season.
Master riders aged 40 and above who have upgraded over the course of a season may drop down one category the following season.
Riders aged 18 years and younger will not be upgraded according to the number of Alberta Cup points earned; rather, such riders will be upgraded at the discretion of the Racing Committee.
Category 4 (Male or Female) riders who participate in a Learn to race-Road clinic will receive 5 points towards an upgrade.

Rider Upgrading – Women’s Ability Categories 2 and 3

Exclusive of riders aged 18 years and younger, who will be upgraded at the discretion of the Racing Committee, female riders in Ability Categories 3 and 2 will be upgraded as follows:

Category 3 – 2 Selection to a Provincial or National Trade Team, earned a National Championship medal in a road discipline or by Racing Committee discretion

Category 2 – 1 Selection to a UCI Women’s team, or Canadian National Team, or awarded Sport Canada Athlete Development Program funding

Rider Upgrading –Men’s Ability Category 2

Exclusive of riders aged 18 years and younger, who will be upgraded at the discretion of the Racing Committee, male riders in Ability category 2 will be upgraded as follows:

U23 riders will be eligible for a Category 1 license upon achieving any one of the following criteria:

Earned selection to a CCA or UCI Trade Team;
Finished amongst the top-5 Espoir riders in the Canadian National Road Race Championship;
Finished amongst the top-3 Espoir riders in the Canadian National Time Trial Championship;
Earned selection to the Canadian National Road Team;
Winner of the Doug Grieder Memorial Cup (Alberta Road Cup Category 1/2) competition

Elite riders will be eligible for a Category 1 license upon achieving any one of the following criteria:

Earned selection to a CCA or UCI Trade Team;
Finished amongst the top-5 Elite riders in the Canadian National Road Race Championship;
Finished amongst the top-3 Elite riders in the Canadian National Time Trial Championship;
Earned selection to the Canadian National Road Team.
Winner of the Doug Grieder Memorial Cup (Alberta Road Cup Category 1/2) competition

Rider downgrading

Master riders retain the option of declining an upgrade provided they have not earned the requisite number of points in one season.
Master riders aged 35 and above who have upgraded over the course of a season may drop down one category the following Riders may not downgrade during the current season if all points were earned during that same season. (Riders must have elected to be a “Master” on their license).
Non-Master's riders can downgrade upon request to the Race Committee.

The points schedules are reviewed each year by the Racing Committee. Points breakdowns can be found at http://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/awards-cups-series-road