SJ Cycling are proud to announce a new Nations League initiative that focuses on establishing and building partnerships by enabling collaboration across our global community cycling clubs, with the sole purpose of bringing cycling at the forefront of our sporting vision and promoting an active lifestyle to build a better tomorrow for generations to come through our love of cycling, and of course, a bit of competition to see which team comes out on top!
What is it?
It’s simple. This is a geographically-based team challenge enabling you to connect with other riders riding together to achieve one aim – win the competition and win awesome prizes!
How will it work?
Let’s break it down into phases;
Phase 1 – Registration
- Registration is a two-step process; Fill in the form and give us permission to access your Strava profile via SJC-Connect.
- The entire competition will run from June to August. Each round will be a week/7 day long.
Phase 2 – Group Stage - All teams will be grouped into groups of 4. Play each other for a week at a time.
Phase 3 – Knock-Out Stage - Top 2 teams from each group will progress onto the Carbon KO stage Bottom 2 teams from each group will progress onto the Alum KO stageAll participants must register via the SJC registration process inclusive of a £5 fee which will entirely be used for the winner’s prize. You can register as part of a team or as an individual.
How will the teams be formed?
Essentially we will have two pools; individuals already part of a team and those that need to be assigned a team.- Cyclists must not be riding at a competitive level.
- Each team will consist of 5 cyclists and the top 4 mileage will count (4+1).
- All regional leaders will be responsible to pre-select and construct their teams.
- All captains will be responsible to provide their team name in the format of <area> <name> e.g. Toronto Raptors.
- Teams can have up to 1 non-community amateur rider.
How long will this league last?
We expect the league to run from June to August, subject to the total number of teams that sign up.What are the rules?
- Abiding by your local government’s lockdown restrictions and guidelines.
o This challenge is open for Gents and U16s only at this stage.
o Rides can be indoors or outdoors.
o No manual entries. *
o No bulk (dual device) recording.
o Each ride must record and upload their ride independently of others.
o No sharing (tagging within Strava) with other riders. *
o Rides should be uploaded on the same day no later than 23:59 local time.
o All teams will be vetted to ensure fairness and compliance to the rules.
o Fake rides, data doping or deviation from these rules will result in rider caution or disqualification. - We are constantly aiming to make this competition fair and flexible to accommodate all participating regions. Therefore, rules are subject to change at short notice.*
- If any rules are breached, SJC reserves the right to caution or disqualify a rider or a team depending on the severity of the incident/s. Two cautions will results in automatic disqualification.
- We understand in exceptional circumstances you may need to manually add a ride or be tagged. In these circumstances, please reach out to the SJC Core team.
- Private rides are not allowed, and will be excluded from this competition
- Strava Authentication – Your mileage will only count if you have authenticated with the SJC-Connect Utility. We underestand there may be technical issues which will be exempted from penalties. To ensure fairness, a penalty (repeat offenders may result in disqualification) will be given to those who ‘revoke’ access at any point in time of this challenge.
- Indoor Rides – Only rides done on a smart trainer (e..g wahoo core, etc.) and on simulation software e.g. Zwift will count towards this challenge.
- SJC team will have a final say over any matters.
How do I sign up?
Easy Peasy. Click here to sign up and follow the process!FAQ:
I don’t have a team, can I register?
Of course. We will allocate you to a team as part of the process.Who is responsible for forming teams?
We have allocated local/regional leaders to help manage the team formations for those who are already part of a team or who need to be assigned one.Who is my local/regional leader?
London – Raza Husain
Milton Keynes – Faraz Mohsin
Birmingham – Kazim Merali
Peterborough – Zed Dhanji
Leeds – Danish
Essex – Muntazir Haji
Toronto – Hasnain Kara
Paris – Hassanein Hirdijee
Dubai – Irfaan Kassimali
Karachi – TBC
Dar Es Salaam – Murtaza Kara
Nairobi/Mombasa – Akber KassamaliWill the team allocations be fixed?
Yes, once set up the teams will be fixed for the duration of this competition.I have a team, how do I sign up as a team?
Everyone is required to register individually. Once that is completed please submit your team name and rider names to your assigned regional leader.Do I have to ride together as a team?
No. We encourage you to ride with anyone and everyone. Afterall the main goal of this competition is to build brotherhood and new friends along with some healthy competition. Also, please check your local governments’ COVID lockdown restrictions.Can I ride indoors?
Yes, as long as you’re riding and it’s on Strava – you’re good!Will this impact my current riding schedule?
No. You continue your rides as you normally would and we will grab your ride statistics from our SJC Connect utility to populate team scores and rankings.Which cities are participating?
London, MK, Birmingham, Peterborough, Wokingham, Toronto, Dubai, Dar Es Salaam and more…
When will the fixtures be released?
We will communicate additional details such as fixtures and teams in the next few days.How long will the league last?
From June to August. (exact dates will be confirmed once registration is closed)Why are you charging £5?
To incentivise the challenge and provide tangible rewards we hope this will make the league more fun, competitive and enjoyable to all. Rest assured all funds collected will go towards the prizes.What is SJC-Connect?
We have built our own utility to pull your ride statistics from Strava thereby replacing CTL. This gives us full control on how your data is used. Rest assured our data policy complies with GDPR requirements. As part of the registration process, you will need to give us permission to access your strava profile.What if I get knocked out in the 1st round?
The 1st round will have a minimum of 3 weeks where you are pitted against another team in your group. Each week you will be against another team and only that team. The top 2 teams of each group will move to the knockout stages of the Carbon Cup. The bottom 2 teams will advance to the Aluminium Cup. Both will run side by side and will have a great price for each winner.Will there be any other prizes?
Yes, as well as the amazing prize for the Carbon Cup and Aluminium Cup winners, there will be individual prizes for the most miles and most elevation.I don’t have a team, can I still join?
Yes, we want all riders and abilities to join so please sign up and the SJC Core Team will assign you to a team in your region.I don’t do too many miles each week, is this competition for me?
Definitely. Each team total is made up of the top 4 riders’ miles. The 5th rider can have a rest or just do a gentle pace. All are welcome to take part.I’m still not sure if this is for me?
If you like cycling at any level this is for you. Do your normal miles indoor or outdoor, they all count equally. Speak to the SJC Core team member if you have any doubts or concerns.Will the SJC guided rides still take place?
SJC plans to do guided rides as normal on the weekends. These will count towards the miles for your team. During the week there will be individuals doing their own rides. Do as much as you can or as little as you want.I’m in, where can I sign up?
Click here to sign up and follow the process!I have more questions, who do I ask?
Please feel free to reach out to your local/regional leader or the SJC team.Is there a Whatsapp Group for comms and updates?
http://bit.ly/SJC-WADisclaimer: We are a community club and would like everyone within our communities to partake in our sporting initiatives. If you are facing financial difficulties please reach out to us at cycling@jafferys.org in full confidence.
Thank you,
SJ Cycling
