Cycling BC Commissaires

Becoming a commissaire is a great way of making an active contribution to the sport of cycling at the provincial, national, or international level. Commissaires are called upon to officiate in an impartial manner in all situations. They represent Cycling BC, Cycling Canada, and the UCI to ensure the events are conducted in a fair and safe manner.

Learn more about becoming a new provincial commissaire

Commissaires responsibilities

In BC, all regional and provincial races are supervised by one or more Commissaires.

Commissaires work in collaboration with the organizers, announcers, technical delegate, timing companies, volunteers, marshalls, and other race staff to ensure the event runs smoothly. Commissaires control the sporting aspects of the race.

Some of the commissaires’ duties include:

  • Overseeing the conduct of all parties involved (athletes, coaches, managers, drivers, race staff, spectators, etc.) during the race.
  • Enforcing the rules and take appropriate actions to ensure fairness and the smooth running of the event
  • Working with organizers to ensure the safety of everyone involved
  • Carrying out checks on issues that may influence the results
  • Being responsible for the start procedures and finish order as well as confirming times and general classification
  • Being responsible for all administrative processes such as registration, start list, results, and communication

Commissaires work as a team, come join us!

Information

  • Commissaire Development

    We are committed to developing opportunities for members of the community to get more involved in all aspects of the sport of cycling.

    Provincial Commissaire C online courses from Cycling Canada are now available. These online modules will review the basics of each cycling discipline and will teach you how to prepare for races as a Commissaire, and the rules essential to officiating. Once completed, you will be expected to gain practical experience working at cycling races. This is the first level for commissaires to get involved in officiating races.

    View & Register for Cycling Canada’s Online Modules

    The training is designed as the theoretical component for the Provincial C level. Upon completion, Provincial C candidates will be expected to gain practical experience by shadowing an active commissaire.

    It doesn’t end with the on-line course: ongoing mentorship and development is a part of the plan.

    To support clubs, organizers, and members in building their capacity to run higher-level races, Cycling BC is offering opportunities for newly trained Provincial C level commissaires to gain experience at races. New commissaires will have opportunities to be mentored by senior commissaires at select events throughout the year.

    Commissaires who are already working at the provincial level will be given further opportunity to upgrade. Grants will be made available to assist commissaires in taking advantage of further training opportunities. More information on grants will be made available soon.

    Mentorship opportunities are now available for road, mountain, cyclocross, and BMX, at select events on the race calendar.

    Cycling BC strongly encourages that all provincial clubs take advantage of these new educational opportunities. Together, we can build the capacity to have qualified officials run events in a safe environment. Clubs are urged to engage their members and supporters to become trained and active as commissaires.

  • About Commissaires

    Becoming a commissaire is a great way of making an active contribution to the sport of cycling at the provincial, national, or international level. Commissaires are called upon to officiate in an impartial manner in all situations. They represent Cycling BC, Cycling Canada, and the UCI to ensure the events are conducted in a fair and safe manner.

    All races at the provincial and regional level in BC are supervised by one or more Commissaires, who generally have the following responsibilities:

    • Supervise the behavior of the riders,
    • Apply penalties (such as warnings, fines, relegation, or disqualification) if appropriate for infractions of the rules,
    • Judge the start and finish of each race, and
    • Perform backup timekeeping.

    Commissaires, when appointed to provincial and regional level races not held by their own club, are paid an honorarium plus travel expenses.

    Former BC resident and Cycling BC commissaire, Wayne Pomario started as a local Commissaire in South Africa 26 years ago and he is now one of the world’s top-ranked International Commissaires. As a Commissaire, Wayne has traveled the globe to officiate at the Tour Down Under, Giro d’Italia, Tour de l’Avenir, Tour of Britain, Pan Am Games, Road World Championships and Track World Championships.

    Watch Wayne in action as he presides over the Junior Women’s race during the 2015 World Road Championships:

  • Commissaire Certification

    Commissaire Certification Pathway

    Provincial ‘C’ Commissaire
    • Take ‘C’ level Commissaire Course, either with the self study manual or in a classroom setting
    • Gain experience at a number of events under supervision
    • Certified as a ‘C’ level Commissaire
    Provincial ‘B’ Commissaire
    • Be certified as a ‘C’ level Commissaire in the discipline
    • Take ‘B’ level Commissaire Course, in a classroom setting
    • Gain experience at a number of events in the specific roles covered in the ‘B’ course
    • Certified as a ‘B’ level Commissaire
    Provincial ‘A’ Commissaire
    • Be certified as a ‘B’ level Commissaire in the discipline
    • Take the ‘A’ level Commissaire Course, in a classroom setting
    • Job shadow the Chief Commissaire at 2 provincial events
    • Pass a practical evaluation as Chief Commissaire at a provincial event
    • Certified as an ‘A’ level Commissaire
    Provincial ‘A’ Commissaire Exam

    Cycling Canada has developed a standardized exam for commissaires who want to achieve their Provincial A status in each discipline. Each exam contains thirty questions; commissaires will have one hour to complete them. The exams are broken down into categories (ie. general regulations, equipment and clothing, etc.), and questions are randomly selected from a pool of questions for each category.

    These evaluations will be offered for a cost per participant. A login must be created by Cycling Canada for each individual taking the exam. Before the course, instructors will be given directions for administration.

    If you are interested in using these exams for your Provincial A course, please contact learning@cyclingcanada.ca for details.

    National Commissaire
    • Be certified as an ‘A’ level Commissaire in the discipline (or a National Commissaire in another discipline)
    • Attend the National Commissaire course for the discipline
    • Pass a written examination
    • Pass a practical examination at a national or international event
    International Commissaire
    • Be certified as a National Commissaire in the discipline for at least 2 years
    • Successfully complete the requirements specified in the UCI Regulations concerning the training of International Commissaires

How do I get started?