Rules & regulations

general GRANFONDO CHINA REGULATIONS

General Principles

The following rules are designated by the Organization Committee (OC) of the Colourful Yunnan Granfondo. These rules are binding for all race participants. So, all race participants must read these rules carefully before the start of the race. When you start the race, you are deemed to have understood and accepted these regulations.

The Organization Committee (OC) has the authority to adjust and revise the rules to balance the participation experience, safety and fairness, and may add or delete certain clauses according to the circumstances.

Granfondo China General Rules

1. Any participant caught taking drugs banned by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) will be disqualified from the event. If you must take a banned product for medical reasons, please let the race director know in advance of the event providing a TUE（Therapeutic Use Exemption） or other proof that clearly states you must use the product during the event on medical grounds.

2. Except officially reported event cars, ambulances and media vehicles, no cars are allowed on the course during the race. And any other vehicles are strictly prohibited from entering the course. Any team cars are not allowed to follow participants in the race upon risk of disqualification.

3. Fair play is the order of the day: participants who are seen violating rules of the race or conducting unsporting behaviour will get a time penalty by minimum 1 hour and/or will be disqualified from the event by the Race Jury. This includes pushing or pulling others uphill. When participants are sprinting together to the finish line, changing lanes is strictly prohibited. Once sprinting, the participant must keep his/her own straight line. Any violator will be disqualified from the race, and he/she will be held responsible for any injuries caused to others due to deviation from the sprint line.4.

Each participant must read through the full specific event regulations and guidelines as published in the Online Event Manual or on the official website of the event. By starting a race, the participant acknowledges and accepts the event regulations.

Qualification

1. Active professional cyclists are not allowed to register for the race.

2. Former professionals who have retired from pro cycling less than one year (365 days) before the date of a granfondo event, can only ride the granfondo 'out of competition', i.e., they will not feature in the result list nor receive any prizes.

3. Former professionals who have retired from pro cycling more than one year (365 days) before the date of a granfondo event, can register for the race normally.

Definition of a ‘professional cyclist’: The team rosters and names of cyclists are available on the website of the UCI, the International Cycling Federation.

4. Based on the date of birth marked on the registration documents, mainland Chinese residents, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign players who are 18 years old or older and under 65 years old or younger, i.e., those whose date of birth is between November 2, 1959 or older and November 2, 2006 or older, must register for the race with a valid identification document (mainland Chinese residents with a People's Republic of China Resident Identity Card, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan players with Pass or Residence Permit, Foreigners with Passport) to register.

5. Cycling is a high-intensity, long-distance competitive sport with challenging and sometimes technical race courses. Participants should be in good health to participate in the race. Participants with the following physical conditions are not allowed to participate in this competition:

(1) congenital heart disease and rheumatic heart disease.

(2) Hypertension and cerebrovascular disease.

(3) Myocarditis and other heart diseases.

(4) Coronary artery disease and severe arrhythmia.

(5) Diabetes with high or low blood sugar.

(6) Cold and flu within two weeks prior to race day.

(7) Pregnancy.

(8) Abnormal body temperature (over 37.3℃ or abnormally low) on the day of the race.

(9) Other diseases that make you unfit to participate in sports.

Participants in the long distance category are required to be long-term cycling exercisers, in good health: no vision, hearing, speech, fever, cold, heart disease, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, cerebral thrombosis, or any other physical diseases or disorders affecting the race, mentally healthy, emotionally stable, and have not consumed any beverages, alcohol, drugs, food, or health supplements affecting their sanity.

Bike Requirements and Equipment Requirements

1. Bike Requirements for Road Bike: Road bikes shall be road class racing bikes with bent handlebars in accordance with the rules and standards of the event. “TT handlebars” of bikes used in triathlon competitions or time trials are NOT allowed to be used in this competition. Gravel bikes are allowed to participate in the Road Bike category only.

2. Bike Requirements for Mountain Bike: Mountain bikes are limited to 26/27.5/29-inch wheel diameters, with tires 1.5 inches and wider.

3. In 2024 Granfondo, the long-distance category is exclusively reserved for participants riding a road race bike. No MTB, folding bikes or other bike types allowed.

4. In 2024 Granfondo, the short distance event has two categories: 1) road race bike and 2) MTB bikes. No hybrid or other bike types allowed.

5. E-Bikes are not allowed for any category. The Organization Committee (OC) reserves the right to check bikes before the start.

6. Participants shall bring bicycles, helmets, equipment, protective gear, etc. by themselves. And the equipment used must meet the relevant regulations of China bicycle association and the requirements of the Organization Committee (OC), otherwise they shall not participate in the competition.In addition, all participating bikes must remove non-essential parts that may cause injury (such as: locks, basket, footpeg, rear shelf, etc.) before the race.

7. Correctly wearing a helmet is mandatory for each participant. No helmet, no start! The judges have the right to disqualify those who remove their helmets during the race.

8. Each participant should fully consider bring their own drinking water supply and energy supplements during long-distance riding, and it is recommended to carry with him at least 1500ml bottle of water or energy drink.

Player/Bib Wearing Requirements

1. Please refer to the event manual for the bib number of each participant and the installation position of the seat tube sticker chip.

2. Participants and Bikes shall wear the number bib and frame plate issued by the the Organization Committee (OC) as required, which shall not be cut or transferred. Once found, the result of the race will be cancelled

Check in

1. Participants must bring their bikes and equipment to the check-in area near the starting point at the latest 30 minutes before start, and get ready for start.

2. The check-in staff will check whether the players are wearing helmets, gloves, number plates and bibs according to regulations, and whether the bikes have fixed number plates and timing chips according to regulations. If the above is not carried out in accordance with the regulations, the referee has the right to ask the participant to make the changes. If the participant refuses, the referee has the right to disqualify the participant from the race.

3. Those who fail to go through the check in procedure will be deemed to have abandoned the race and will be marked as DNS (Did Not Start) in the result sheet.

4. After the completion of the check-in, the participants can enter their relevant start block and should not leave the block before the start of the race (unless approved by the relevant referee).

5. Late participants must start at the back of the block.

Starting Blocks

1. The start of each stage in the 2024 Colourful Granfondo Yunnan will have 4 separate starting blocks. The Block A is reserved for the top riders in the general classification long distance (top 25 men and top 25 women). Block B is for remaining long distance road bike participants, Block C for short distance road bike participants and Block D for short distance MTB participants.

2. Participants who start in the wrong block will receive a time penalty of fifteen (15) minutes.

3. Smoking is not allowed in the starting and finishing area. There will be a designated smoking area on-site.

4. Leave No Trace - Participants are not allowed to throw litter around at any point during the start procedure or during the race. Participants who are seen throwing away plastic bottles, gels, wrapping paper will receive a time penalty of 2 hours for a first infringement, which corresponds to a yellow card that remains valid for the entire duration of the event. A second infringement tp this rule will result in disqualification from the event. It is everyone's responsibility to have a civilized race field and protect the environment.

Stages and Routes

1. At all times, participants should be as self-sufficient as possible. it is recommended to bring common spare parts for any mechanical or bicycle-related issue (e.g. inner tubes, pump to handle punctures or tools for chain issues).

2. Participants must obey all orders and indications of the race director and/or his assistant, and any official volunteers along the race courses.

3. During the race, the local authorities will regulate and control the traffic on the course. However, for their own safety and to avoid accidents, participants are requested to follow standard traffic regulations by keeping to the right side of the road, following the instructions of the marshals when encountering traffic light intersections, and paying attention to the flags and whistles of the volunteers to slow down when approaching dangerous corners and switchbacks or important change of direction.

4. The routes of some of the granfondo stages are challenging and highly technical. Some of the road surfaces may be damaged, and there will be sharp bends on downhills.

5. Some of the stages are at high altitude with strong sunshine. Be aware of potential altitude sickness, and protect yourselves from sunburn. Refrain from heroism should any respiratory difficulties or headaches occur. Health and safety always come first. For those who are sensitive to high altitude, it is recommended that participants arrive early to acclimatize to the environment.

6. Participants must follow the course as marked by the Organizing Committee (OC). Participants are responsible for the consequences of any accidental injuries sustained while riding off the race course.

Cut-off Time, Collection Time and Checkpoint

1. Cut-off time (COT): Due to the pressure of urban traffic, there will be a minimum speed requirement and thus time limits for the long and short distance courses. We will set the cut-off points and times according to different terrain and distance. Please pay attention to the Organization Committee (OC)’s final announcement of the cut-off times at various aid stations. If someone fails to arrive at an aid station within the allocated time, he/she will be required to stop cycling and enter the DNF bus. Note that the cut-off time refers to the time a participant must leave the aid station again.

2. Intermediate checkpoints with electronic time measurements are put at random places along the course and must be passed by each participant. No passage at a checkpoint or any other kind of shortcutting will result in disqualification from the day's competition. Note that participants going off the official course will be self-responsible for any risk or injury occurring during this time.

3. The Organization Committee (OC) will rank the overall results of all valid results of men and women in the Long Distance category who have ridden and completed the race on the prescribed route. The Organization Committee (OC) will verify the start time, the chip across the finish line and the passing of the checkpoints to give the participants a complete and valid result. If a single stage is not completed, no valid result will be awarded.

4. For those who have actively or passively abandoned the race, we have pick-up points at various locations, usually aid stations, where you can either go to be collected or wait for the DNF bus. Once on the bus it will be considered a DNF (did not finish the race) and your number bib will be recorded and there will be no finish results.

Rankings and Ceremonies

1. There will be an overall ranking for all male and female participants who finished the race with valid results. In addition to the general classification, there will also be age group rankings and ceremonies for the long-distance participants in the +40, +50 groups.

2. There will also be a team classification. Teams must consist of minimum five participants, regardless of gender, and cannot be changed after the start of the race. In order to obtain a ranking in the general team classification, minimum 3 participants of the team must reach the finish within the time limit of the race. The finish times of the three fastest participants of each team are added up to produce the team's finishing time.

3. There will be an award ceremony for each day's race for the individual results. There will also be an award ceremony for the overall results at the final stage. Please refer to the prize money policy for details. The award ceremony is very important, please make sure that all prize winners are present in advance and on time. If there are any special circumstances, please arrange for an agent to receive the prize on stage in advance. If he/she do not attend the ceremony on time, he/she will be regarded as forfeiting your prize.

Complaints

1. Complaints about race results can be communicated to the race jury at the finish line until 30 minutes after the participant’s finish time. When complaining, a written complaint request must be submitted with the content of the complaint clearly, signed time and name. Note that a deposit of 300 RMB will be required for the jury to handle the case. If the complaint is deemed justified by the race jury, the person who filed the complaint will get the deposit back, otherwise the deposit will not be returned. Timely filing a complaint and immediate payment of the deposit will be considered as the beginning of the review process. If the complainant's request involves the awarding of prizes and the podium ceremony, and if the result of the complaint is not yet available before the start of the podium ceremony, the awarding of prizes will continue to be based on the results provided by the Timing Team and signed by the Director of the race, in order to respect the event timetable. After the result of the complaint is out, and if it is successful and valid, involving the change of the award results or the podium placers, the Organization Committee (OC) will notify the relevant participants of the change, and exchange the prizes and awards, and make a public announcement to inform the relevant participants of the change. In any case, the complaint procedure of the Colourful Yunnan Granfondo Cycling Festival is based on the principle that whoever is in charge of the complaint should provide the relevant supporting materials, and the complainant or the complained party should prepare their own supporting materials. The Race Jury Team will make the final decision after reviewing the supporting materials of the complainant or the complained party. Once a Jury decision has been made, the complainant or the complained party must accept it.

Injuries & force majeure

1. please use the telephone number printed on your bib. Please only use this number for real injuries or other emergencies, such as injuries from a crash or other urgent situations.

2. The Race Director, supported by the Race Jury and the Organization Committee (OC), is authorised to alter the course, shorten race distances or cancel the event due to unforeseen or exceptional circumstances that jeopardize the security of the event or its participants.

If anything is unclear, please address your question to a Nordic Ways staff or to info@nordicways.com