Commissaire: (noun) cycling referee.., person/s controlling a cycling event ensuring fair play between cyclists within competition.
The underlying reason people become commissaires is the passion they have for the sport, along with the desire to see successful events take place, where rules are respected and athletes neither gain an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
There are opportunities to be involved as a Commissaire at all levels and in all disciplines, club through to international, bmx to mountain bike to road and track.
Use the menu on the left to navigate around the Commissaires section, and below are some of the current hot topics.
About Commissaires
Commissaires officiating at a cycling event be it Road, Track, Mountain Biking, BMX, Trials or other international recognised cycling code, can take on any one of a number of key responsibilities, from being overall Chief in charge of all officials, through to taking on specific roles such as Judging or Timekeeping. This group is called the Commissaire Panel or the College of Commissaires. Like links in a chain all roles are important to the success of the event.
Starting from the outset a organiser be it an individual or a Club do all the preliminary work in getting an event off the drawing board, involving setting courses, Roading Authority liaison, First Aid, entry forms as well as all the associated background organisation and people management needed for a event to happen.
On the day of say a road race when competition is about to start, appointed Commissaires take over from the Organiser, effectively becoming the field of play referees along with controlling authority over all event personnel and equipment. Unlike a rugby or soccer referee a commissaire has little influence on the type of play that happens, only becoming involved when the rules of racing or conduct have been breached. Of course the other very important role of commissaires is to adjudicate over the athletes finishing order and race times. For such an event, as a commissaire you could be involved with registration and licence checks ensuring athletes are competing in the correct category, or allocated duties monitoring a race on the road. For junior riders this will involve gearing checks prior and after the race, along with a verbal race briefing to riders covering safety aspects of the course and other specific information.
For Track or Mountain Bike events even though the field of play is vastly different the duties and qualities required by a commissaire are the same, the underlying reason people become commissaires is the passion they have for the sport along with the desire to see successful events take place, where rules are respected and athletes neither gain an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
You won’t become a millionaire but the associations gained are priceless.
Written by Ian Bullock,
A Road, Track and MTB Commissaire
A Commissaire's Role
 These days there is an increasing need for qualified sports officials, to meet the demands of the ever expanding cycling scene. Regardless of the level of competition, the benefits of competition are greater when the event is overseen by capable sports officials.
Whilst the results of any event should be totally dependent upon the athlete, their coach or strategy, the official’s job is to apply the rules consistently, the use of good judgment, sportsmanship, and being able to handle all situations in an efficient and equitable manner.
As with all sports officials their overall purpose is to enable the event to progress smoothly, with as little interference as possible.
The essential requirements for an effective official would be:-
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Knowledge of the rules and enforcement of them
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Absolute integrity
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Ability to build effective relationships, and
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An awareness of all aspects of athlete safety.
Officiating at cycling events can sometimes be difficult, but very rewarding, for when our officials are well trained, highly dedicated and fully aware of the total requirements of their responsibilities, cycling will be the winner.
What makes a good official?
A cross section of officials has come up with the following list of the characteristics of a good official.
· A love and a feeling for the sport
· A thorough knowledge of the rules of the sport
· Firmness, fairness and consistency of decision made
· An ability to communicate with the athletes
· The courage to believe in the decisions that have been made
· The concentration to remain alert during the whole event
· The motivation to perform the role well.
Other prerequisites not often listed include:-
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A sense of humour, thick skin and 60/60 vision
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The capacity not to criticise but to be criticised
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An understanding that you are never right
How do I become a Commissaire?
Locally
The best place to start is at the grass roots of our sport – Club Racing.
Offer your services at club races, let the club officials know that you are interested in the officiating side of things, and you will be shown through the various duties, i.e. Time Keeping, Judging, Marshalling etc.
When it comes to more important events, like Opens, where a National Commissaire will be appointed, it pays to make yourself known to the Commissaire, offer to be his/her driver, if they already have a driver organised, ask to be a passenger. This is the best way to gain experience on the job.
Nationally
BikeNZ organise both Road and Track, and Mountain Bike Commissaire courses. Road and Track courses alternate between the Islands on alternate years, and Mountain Bike courses are run as required.
The courses are designed to give a good insight into the practical application of the rules of the sport, through interactive tutoring with the assistance of video analysis.
The course is run over a weekend and covers 12 hours of tutoring, at the conclusion of the course the candidates complete a written and oral exam.
There are Road and Track courses confirmed for 3-5 September in Christchurch, 8-10 October in Auckland, and a Mountain Bike Commissaires course confirmed for 20-21 November in Rotorua. If you are interested in attending either of these courses please email Lisa Ward (lisa@bikenz.org.nz)
If you are interested in getting involved in officiating at any level within any of the sports or disciplines, please contact sarahvb@bikenz.org.nz
Commissaire Resources
The UCI have developed and released a number of Guidelines to assist Commissaires in their duties.
Click the relevant link below to download your copy.
UCICode_of_conduct.pdf (313kb)
UCIGuideJudges.pdf (828kb)
UCIGuideMotocycles.pdf (935kb)
UCIGuideTimekeepers.pdf (1262kb)
UCIRoadGuide.pdf (2841kb)
UCITrackguide.pdf (1194kb)
UCI Equipment Guide (837kb)
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