Pro Corner

Whiskey Off-Road, Grand Junction Off-Road & Carson City Off-Road Backcountry Cash Purse

• Each Backcountry Purse listed above pays the top twelve finishers in both the men and women categories.
  • Epic Rides has proudly paid men and women equally since first offering a Pro Category in 2011.
• All finishers receiving a portion of the cash purse equal to $600 or more will receive a 1099 form.
• International winners requiring wire transfers will have a $35 fee deducted from their winnings to cover cost of the wire transfer.
• All payments will be distributed one month following event weekend.
• $30,000 cash purse for each event is secure.

OZ Trails Off-Road Backcountry Cash Purse

• The OZ Trails Off-Road Cash Purse pays the top twenty finishers in both the men and women categories.
• All finishers receiving a portion of the cash purse equal to $600 or more will receive a 1099 form.
• International winners requiring wire transfers will have a $35 fee deducted from their winnings to cover cost of the wire transfer.
• All payments will be distributed one month following event weekend.
• $60,000 cash purse is secure.

The 2019 Epic Rides Series consisted of the following events:

• Whiskey Off-Road: Prescott, Arizona
• Grand Junction Off-Road: Grand Junction, Colorado
• Carson City Off-Road: Carson City, Nevada
• OZ Trails Off-Road: Bentonville, Arkansas

To be considered a participant in the overall series, riders must have contended at least one of the four races.  Riders are welcome to race an individual event and will be rewarded accordingly for their finish.  A rider will be included in the Overall Series Rankings beginning with the published rankings after the first event in which they contend.

In both the male and female categories: the racer with the highest accumulated points wins the championship.

SCORING — All finishers will be awarded points as follows:

• 1st through 20th: points allocated in decreasing scale of 25 to 2 points (see chart)
• 21st place & after: 1 point
• Riders who do not finish (DNF): 0 points
• POINTS SCHEDULE:

• Double points will be awarded for finishing the championship race (OZ Trails Off-Road)
• In the event of a points tiebreak, the winner will be the rider who placed highest in the championship race (Oz Trails)
• Top 12 finishers (men & women) receive prize money at the non-championship races (Whiskey Off-Road, Grand Junction Off-Road, Carson City Off-Road)
• Top 20 finishers (men & women) receive prize money at the championship race (OZ Trails Off-Road)
• Points leader going into each event to have a custom plate recognizing #1 standing

Of the $160,000 Overall Series Purse, Epic Rides is pleased to offer $10,000 overall to the top three male and female pro riders as noted below:

Total Series Purse is $168,000 (including the El Yucateco Pro Fat Tire Crits Cash Primes)

All riders are required to attend the Stan’s NoTubes Pro pre-ride meeting & packet pickup at 2pm on Friday of the event weekend.

• Exclusive Pro-Rider check-in held following Pre-Ride meeting.
• All racers are required to wear eye protection and a helmet that complies with U.S. CPSC safety standards for bicycle helmets. Extra points for wearing a helmet with MIPS technology.
• Each participant is required to complete the entire course in order to be considered a finisher.
  • If they do not complete the course, the participant is considered a Did Not Finish (DNF).
• If a participant is a DNF they should not cross the finish line upon return to the start-finish line area. They are expected to report to the timing tent to inform event timing they are no longer on the course and did not complete the ride.
• If a participant shortcuts the course or advances along the route by exiting the course and returning to a different location, they will be disqualified.
• It is the rider’s responsibility to know where the course goes and to stay on the course at all times.
  • New (2021) – All racers must use a head unit/phone during their backcountry race and be able to provide Epic Rides with their complete & unfettered track in .gpx format after the race upon request.
• Each participant is expected to be considerate of other riders when passing or being passed.
  • Avoid widening the trail. Keep Singletrack Single. 
• Participants are required to complete the entire course on the same bike they started on. All bikes should be of the ‘mountain bike’ genre (geometry, tires, cranks, handlebars, etc).
• If a participant has been declared a DNF for any reason, they immediately can no longer contribute to the outcome of the race in any way. They cannot act as a trail obstruction, provide outside support or ride within proximity of other racers still contending the event.
• All riders are expected to be as self-sufficient as possible. Run what ya brung and lend a helping hand to your fellow racers when needed. Other allowable support can be defined as:
  • • Crew support – team or rider-specific support provided at specified Aid Station locations is limited to hydration and nutrition only.
    • Neutral support – rider support provided with industry representation, without bias toward the team or individual racer. An asset for all to use.
    • Outside support – the lucky helping hand that could be available given that a random wanderer provides what is needed.
    • Outside Support cannot be a DNF Rider.

      Outside support could include but is not limited to spectators, drifters with bindles, small children, folks dressed in costume, or woodland creatures.

   

• Always abide by the rules of the road and/or governing land agency when appropriate.
• Littering is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Intentional littering will result in disqualification from the race.
• All participants are required to start the Fat Tire Criterium (see Pro Fat Tire Crits Rules & Expectations below for further information).
  • The top 5 finishers of the Criterium will receive a “call up” at Sunday’s start line
• Please maintain good vibes and thank the volunteers; the event couldn’t happen without them.
• If a participant breaks the rules or attempts to bend the rules and expectations through a “loophole,” the decision regarding the appropriate course of action will be made by a board of critical thinkers and experts in the sport of mountain biking. Your actions are at their mercy.

Aid station supplies will consist of Hammer Nutrition products, water, pretzels, cookies, & pickles. There will be event-supplied water bottles available for neutral hand-up to the first 25 women and 25 men to pass through each Aid Station.

• Whiskey Off-Road Aid Stations
• Grand Junction Off-Road Aid Stations
• Carson City Off-Road Aid Stations
• OZ Trails Off-Road Aid Stations

It’s Hot Lap Time! Pro Crits now offer $2,000 in cash primes sponsored by El Yucateco!

• The race will be 20 minutes plus 3 laps. Cards will be held up at the Start/Finish line counting down from 3. Bell will ring on the final lap.
• In the interest of providing a safe environment for both racers and spectators, lapped or substantially gapped riders will be pulled.
• Helmets must be worn and fastened while on the course.
• Race numbers will consist of a number plate for the front of the bike and a matching second bib number to be pinned on the riders’ side.
• Riders get 1 free lap in the case they are affected by a mechanical or crash.
  • Free laps are not permitted during the final 3 laps of the race.
• A DNS in the Criterium will result in a 5-minute time penalty in the 2nd stage of the event on Sunday. The 5-minute time penalty will be assessed at the finish line as an addition to their finishing time.

Bicycle Rules

• You must use the same make and model of a bicycle that you will use in Sunday’s Backcountry Race.
• Tires must have a minimum width of 1.5″ or 38mm. Width is as measured, not as may be stated by the manufacturer on the tire.
• Ends of handlebars must be plugged.
• No bar ends allowed.
• Bicycles must be powered solely by the rider. No outside energy source is to be used… other than gravity.

Course Rules

• The course will be closed to autos and non-participating riders.
• The course will open 30 minutes prior to the start for warm up.
• Wheels in wheels out pit just before start/finish line. Wheels in wheels out pit close when 3 laps remain.
• You may ride only in the direction of the race to get to the wheel pit. You may shortcut the course to get to the wheel pit.
• Yellow or Orange flag means caution, crash on the course.

Have a question?* Fill out our Pro Form and our Pro Liaison will be in touch!

*If you have any questions regarding your registration, please email [email protected].