Regulations

The UCI Gran Fondo World Series is a ‘cycling for all’ series where cyclists from all over the world can participate in events where they can obtain their ticket for the official UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in different age groups. There are qualifier events for both road-races and time-trial. The UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will crown the new UCI Worldchampions in Road racing and Time-trial.

1.     PARTICIPATION RIGHTS

Riders taking part in the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships must hold a valid licence issued by their respective national federation (day licences being excluded), must hold a UCI ID (from 2020 onwards) and must be adequately insured against accidents and civil responsibility in the country in which the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are held.

QUALIFICATION

Each UCI Gran Fondo World Series event grants qualification rights for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Based on the results of each race, the first 20% of athletes in each age group will be qualified for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. The 20% is calculated based on the number of starters in each age group, and not on the number of riders having finished the race.

In addition, the first three riders of each official age category will qualify directly for the World Championships, independently of the number of starters in that age group. Riders must finish the race to gain qualification.

As qualification for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships starts as of September in the preceding calendar year, any riders who qualify before January 1st and who change age groups during the year of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will qualify as per their age group during the year of the qualifier event, but will be registered in their new age category for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.
At the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, medals and titles will be awarded for men and/or women as soon as 1 rider is registered in the respective 5-year age category.

Qualification for the individual time trial and road race is determined as follows:

  • Qualifier events of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series hosting only a road race will grant qualification for both the road race and time trial at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships..
  • Qualifier events of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series hosting a time trial and a road race will grant qualification for each respective event at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships – i.e. time trial or road race.
  • Qualifier events of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series only hosting a time trial will grant qualification for the time trial only at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

The names of riders having gained qualification through the UCI Gran Fondo World Series will be communicated on the UCI Gran Fondo World Series website and will receive an official email from the UCI inviting them to register for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships via the dedicated online registration portal.

WILDCARD

There are different types of wildcards which allow riders to partecipate directly in the World Championships without qualification:

  • The outgoing UCI World Champions in the time trial and road race may take part in the first UCI Gran Fondo World Championships following their title, in both the time trial and road race.
  • All Masters national champions from the current year (in road race and individual time trial only) may enter the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships without qualification via the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. The Masters national champions in road race and time trial are confirmed to the UCI by the respective National Federation.
  • The National Federation of the country of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships may award an additional 20 wildcards (to 10 women and 10 men), which allow athletes to participate in both the time trial and road race. These wildcards are confirmed to the UCI by the respective National Federation.
  • Each UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier events may grant 5 wildcards to riders who participated in their respective qualification event. These wildcards are confirmed to the UCI by each UCI Gran Fondo World Series organiser.
  • All countries not hosting a UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier event may grant 10 wildcards (5 men / 5 women) to riders of their choice. These wildcards are confirmed to the UCI by the respective National Federation.The outgoing UCI World Champions in the time trial and road race may take part in the first UCI Gran Fondo World Championships following their title, in both the time trial and road race.

AGE GROUP

The age categories of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are:

  • 19-34
  • 35-39
  • 40-44
  • 45-49
  • 50-54
  • 55-59
  • 60-64
  • 65-69
  • 70-74
  • 75-79
  • Etc…

Age groups applicable to the UCI Gran Fondo World Series are defined by the rider’s age on December 31st of the year of the qualifier event. Age groups applicable to the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are defined by the riders’ age on December 31st of the year of the World Championships.

2.     TEAM RELAY

The Team Relay is not an official World Championship. It is part of the side events program. Riders can only take parte if they are officially registered for the World Championships (Time Trail and/or Road Race). The maximum number of the teams id 25.

Specificities:

  • Teams are composed of 4 riders.
  • In principle, there will be a maximun of 1 team per country and 2 teams fot the home country (unless additional team spots are still remaining).
  • 3 laps per rider on a 1.74km course, with 12 laps (21km) in total.
  • All riders must represent the same country.
  • At least one female and one male rider per team.
  • Teams are formed by riders from the following age categories: one female rider of any age, one rider of any age, one rider age 40+, one rider age 50+.
  • At least one rider per team must attend the team relay briefing.
  • The start order per team id decided individually by each team, as per their specific racing strategy.
  • The first rider from each team must line up at the start and carry out their required 3 laps. Each relay is then undertaken by entering the relay zone, with all 4 athletes completing their mandatory 3 laps.
  • It is each rider’s responsibility to count laps; teams not completing the required number of laps will be disqualified.
  • After the last relay, the last rider must cross the finish line.
  • A podium ceremony will be hosted immediately after the race.

3.       THE COURSE

FEED ZONE

The local organizer must provide a feed zone where participants have access to drinks and food.

All feed zones must have:

  • Beverages: water, isotonic drinks and, if the temperature is low, a hot drink
  • Food: fruits, cereal bars, a food item with high nutritional content
  • A sufficient number of mobile toilets must be provided.

For time trial:

  • A beverage per rider is given at the finish.

BIKES

In the World Championships, all bikes will be checked for compliance with the UCI’s regulations. For more information see: http://www.uci.ch (see pages 60 to 71 for bike specifications).

Summary of the bike regulations:

  • The minimum weight of the bike shall be 6.8 kilograms (without bottles and computers)
  • The peak of the saddle shall be a minimum of 5 cm to the rear of a vertical plane passing through the bottom bracket spindle. For morphological reasons, the rider may request to place the peak of his saddle up to 0cm from the bottom bracket axle.
  • For time trials, a fixed extension may be added to the steering system; in this instance, the height difference between the elbow support points and the highest and lowest points of the handlebar extension (including gear levers in the most vertical position) must be less than 10 cm.
  • The distance between the vertical line passing through the bottom bracket axle and the extremity of the handlebar extensions may not exceed 75 cm. For morphological reasons, the rider may request to place the extensions up to 80cm from the bottom bracket axle. In any case, the rider must choose between positioning the saddle to 0cm, or place the extensions up to 80cm, because only one morphological exception is granted.
  • For a rider who is 190cm tall or taller, it is possible to place the extensions up to 85cm. In that case, it is necessary to present itself to the Commissaires’ Panel sufficiently in advance before the start of the race, in order that the commissaires proceed to a verification of the size of the rider.

JERSEYS

It is mandatory for a rider to wear their national kit at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Time Trial, Team Relay and Road Race. Although the official national jersey is not required, a jersey representing their country with a similar design and colors as the original national team jersey is required. Private or club sponsors are allowed to be featured on the national jersey.

BACK NUMBER AND NUMBER PLATE

Race number must be attached to the back of the jersey (on the lower part of the back for better visibility). Each age group will receive a different colored race number.

Number plates can also be produced by the organized.

MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE

Mechanical assistance is provided on all the routes. At least 2 vehicles and/or motorcycles for service purposes are available to the cyclists. Private cars with spare parts/bikes/wheels are forbidden in a UGFWS qualifier event.

Riders are advised to bring their own spare tire or tubular to the race due to the difficulty of serving all concerned riders in UCI Gran Fondo World Championships with neutral support.

TIME KEEPING AND RANKING

The event must be timed for all the participants, for the entire length of the course. The timing of the event must start with the gun, and not when each individual rider crosses the starting carpet (GUN time principle).

SIGNAGE

All signage on the World Championships course will be marked at least the Wednesday before the event so tath riders can train on the course.

4.     THE START AND FINISH AREA

START BOXES AND START GRID

All riders will be placed in boxes per age category with the younger riders in front and the older in the back. Winners of the different qualifier events in their age group get first row access and will be called to the start line from the side board of the starting grid.

CYCLE PARK

Organizers provide a cycle park at the event headquarters.

5.     AWARDS CEREMONY

CEREMONY FOR WOMAN AND MEN

The three first riders of every age category (women and men) will be called to the podium to be awarded prizes and receive the medals and the new rainbow jersey for the new World Champion.  During an official UCI Gran Fondo World Championships podium ceremony, riders are obliged to wear a cycling outfit (cycling shirt + bib), without hat, caps, glasses.  It’s also forbidden to wear open shoes or to put publicity on the world champion jersey during the ceremony.

SCHEDULING

A rigorous schedule and presentation will be arranged to inform riders.

6.     SAFETY REGULATIONS

PARTICIPANTS

  • Mandatory helmet: The UCI takes a very hard line on the wearing of a helmet. Wearing a helmet will be compulsory during the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, throughout the whole race. Participants are barred from the start or their race number will be immediately withdrawn if they are caught by a member of the organization without their helmet.
  • Medical certificate: To confirm the physical capability of a cyclist to take part in the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, the organizer requires a medical certificate for all participants to take part in the race, next to a national year license from a UCI affiliated cycling federation.
  • Each rider is responsible for ensuring that sufficient insurance has been taken out for eventual accidents which may occur during the race. This can be ensured either through an individual race license covering races abroad or through a private insurance policy. Neither the UCI nor the local organizer of the qualifier event must take out insurance for in-race accidents and crashes.

SAFETY ON THE COURSE

  • Safety plan: The organizer prepares a full safety plan.
  • Identification of danger points: The organizer takes care to indicate all the danger points.
  • Following vehicles: For sporting fairness and to avoid possible problems, riders will be eliminated immediately if they are caught benefiting from vehicular assistance from a third party not belonging to the organization.
  • For road race events, full road closures are advised but not mandatory. For a Time Trial event, full road closures are mandatory.

FIRST AID

  • Emergency system:

At least 2 ambulances are available for an event of up to 4’000 participants with 1 further ambulance for each 4’000 additional participants. To facilitate the arrival of assistance in an accident, 2 ambulances will be positioned as follows: 1 ambulance follows the big pack or peloton and 1 ambulance follows the last participant as the broom wagon. Additional ambulances will be positioned by the organizer depending on requirements.

  • The organizer provides a first aid kit to provide minor assistance to cyclists at the start, finish and at all feed zones.
  • Information on the reverse side of the race numbers: Cycling is unfortunately not a risk-free sport. To deal as effectively as possible with accidents which may affect a participant during the event, and to facilitate the work of the doctors as far as possible, the organizer produces race numbers which will include on the reverse side a form to be completed. The minimum information required by the UCI, which shall be written on the reverse side of the race numbers, is as follows:
    • Last name and first name – Blood group – Present physical condition (asthma, diabetes, allergy(ies), epilepsy, etc.) – Any current medication – Last name, first name and telephone number (with national dialing code) of the emergency contact. contact.

For the complete UCI regulations, please click: http://www.uci.ch/