Official Rule Book

L’Étape Romania (hereinafter referred to as ”the Race” or “the Event”) is a road cycling race organized in Bucharest, open to Elite (UCI) as well as aspiring and hobby riders.

The Event is scheduled to take place on the 1st of September 2024. The start and finish (also called "Race Village") will be organized in the center of Bucharest, in Constitution Square.

The rules described hereinafter are intended to be definitive and final.

The rules can be updated and amended at any time. The version of the rules that are applied on the day of the Event will remain valid for the entirety of the Event. Failure to comply with any of the rules will result in an official warning or penalty, which could include a rider’s disqualification in certain circumstances.

The interpretation of the rules during the race by the Commissaires, in consultation with the organizer, will be final and binding on all Race participants.

Participants must be at least 8 years old. The allocation of a participant to a specific age group is determined by subtracting his/her birth year from the year of the race (2024). For example, if a participant is born in 1985, his/her age will be considered to be 39 for the purpose of the Race, without taking into account the exact day of birth.

There are 3 Race options available at entry: The Race (85 km), The Ride (42 km), City Adventure (14 km). The Race (85 km) option requires participants to pass through The Ride (42 km) twice.  

All stages may suffer alterations prior to the start of the Event, in order to insure a superior experience. Final routes will be communicated through the official channels (website, Social Media) approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the Event.

Prizes in kind will be offered to all race categories. All prizes offered will be devoid of taxes or any other financial commitments.

The following race categories will be organized for Amateurs, both Men and Women:

• City Adventure: 8-10, 11-13, 14-18, 19+
• The Ride: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+
• The Race: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+

Prize money will be offered to the following race categories, both Men and Women. All riders participating in The Race 85 km are eligible for prize money:

• The Race: Juniors 15-18, Seniors 19+

It is every rider’s responsibility to ensure that he/she is in good health, has acquired sufficient cycling experience and has reached the necessary fitness level to participate, especially if considering longer routes. We strongly advise all participants to have a full medical checkup one month or less prior to arriving at the Event.

The Race Director and/or the Commissaires have the right to remove a rider from continuing the race on the basis of inadequate medical condition, indicated by an official Race doctor or any other medical official recognized by the organizers. The decision is considered to be final.

It is every rider’s responsibility to ensure that his/her bike is in good working order and race-ready at the start of the event. “Race-ready” means the following:

• Race number is securely fitted and visible from the front;
• The bike is in safe working order, with all parts functioning normally as determined at the discretion of the organizer;
• The bicycle should have handlebars that allow it to be ridden and maneuvered in any circumstances and in complete safety. Handlebar ends and handlebar extensions shall be plugged and must not have sharp or jagged edges. The use of tribars and bladed wheels is not allowed;
• Bicycles may be propelled only through a chain set and by the rider’s leg action, without any form of assistance (electrical or otherwise);
• Tandem bikes are not allowed for competitive / ranking purposes.

Each rider is responsible for the maintenance of his/her own bike for the duration of the Event. Riders may carry tools and spare parts provided that these do not involve any danger to the rider himself or the other competitors.

Bike changes are not permitted and the rider must cross the finish line with the same handlebar number plate that he had at the start of the Event.

In all cases of maintenance and repair, in order to be considered finishers, riders are required to complete the full distance of the race they have registerd to and must complete the race within the maximum allocated time or before they are reached by the broom wagon. Time spent on maintenance and repair will thus not entitle a rider to any extension of the maximum allocated time to finish.

Each rider must wear a helmet at all times while riding during the race. All helmets must comply with international ‘ANSI’ standards. Appropriate riding attire, including a shirt, must be worn at all times.

The use of earphones and radios during the race is not allowed.

The Race organizers may at any time prohibit any other item of equipment (other than essential cycling equipment) at their discretion and riders shall at all times comply with any such prohibition.

Bike numbers must remain firmly fixed on the front of the bike and may not be obscured by cables or any other item.

No rider may carry more than 1 bike/race number (including timing chip) at any time, and no rider may pass his/her bike/race number on to anyone else at any time throughout the Event. If a rider breaches this rule, he/she will automatically be disqualified from the Race and removed from the General Classification results and any subsequent Classification results, such as the Sprint Challenge.

Race numbers may not be modified or mutilated in any way, including cutting, adding stickers, removing existing stickers or trimming.

No official Event sponsor logos may be removed from Race numbers and/or be obscured in any way.

Podium finishers and overall category leaders must be present at the final awards ceremony, held at the end of the Event, as advertised in the Event schedule.

The start chute opens 30 minutes before the start of each stage, unless communicated otherwise.

Riders must enter the start zone with their bikes, and once entered must remain in the start zone with their bikes. For more details please consult the Race Guide, made available on the official website of the Race a few weeks before the start, closer to the start of the event.

Riders must complete the entire designated route, within the maximum allocated time, and before they are reached by the broom wagon, to be considered Finishers and gain a standing in the overall and category rankings.

The actual race distance or any route may vary from the published or briefed distance, yet differences will be minor.

A rider must at all times follow the official route, obey the directions of the course marshals, and may not take any shortcuts or take any other advantage of a similar nature against competitors. The responsibility for following the official route lies with each rider.

Riders who exit the route for any reason must return to the course at the same point from which they exited.

The Race takes place on closed public roads. Nonetheless, it is the duty of all participants to adhere to the rules of the Romanian civil code regarding road use (ex. driving on the right-hand side of the road) so as to ensure the safety of all participants and road users. Failure to do so may result in the participant being disqualified.

The Race organizers may close any route at any time, in their sole discretion, for safety concerns or any other reason that they consider appropriate.

Did not finish (DNF)

Any rider who withdraws from the race or who does not reach designated cut-off points set along the routes or is overtaken by the broom wagon (vehicle closing the route) will be classified as ‘Did Not Finish’ or DNF. DNF riders will not be eligible for prize money or other prizes for the respective race and the overall ranking and no longer appear in the General Classification results or any other official rankings.

Timing system

At the 2024 edition of the L'Etape Romania race, the timing system is CHIP TIME. The chip records the exact time of each participant from the moment they pass the main START arch until they cross the official FINISH line.

So, it doesn't matter where you sit in the starting corridor. In other words, the first rider to cross the finish line is not necessarily the one who will occupy the 1st place in the rankings. Please respect those around you and do not force your way into the start line to take a position at the front of the platoon of the segment you have been allocated to.

Be careful to pass through all the checkpoints. Failure to register at any of the checkpoints will attract disqualification.

The start line will close immediately after the start time. Any participant who does not reach the start at the time of the official start will not be able to participate in the race.

Cut-off Points will be included in the Race Guide, but may be changed by the Organizers at their discretion, depending on the number of participants. Any variations will be communicated to participants at the briefing prior to the start of the Race.

Riders may cross the finish line on foot provided that they have their bikes with them.

The Race Organizers may designate intermediate cut-off points that must be reached within specific times. Any rider which fail, or will in the sole opinion of the Race Organizers and Race Marshals be unable to reach intermediate cut-off points, will be prevented from continuing to ride, and be classified as DNF (did not finish).

The Race organizers may at any time impose additional cut-off points due to safety reasons.

In addition, a Broom Wagon (closing vehicle) will follow the participants on the route, with an average speed that allows the route to be completed within the alocated time limits. If a participant is overtaken by the closing vehicle, it will be classified as DNF. However, the participant will be able to continue the race, but only at his own risk, in full traffic, on routes that are no longer closed to regular traffic.

There will be checkpoints on the route. Timing systems will be located in some of these checkpoints. Riders that are not detected when passing these checkpoints may be disqualified. The location of these checkpoints will not be made explicit, and hidden checkpoints are not excluded.

Race registration and Race Pack pick-up takes place only in the Race Village, at a time and location indicated on the official Race website.

Riders must report to registration and carry with them a form of ID including a photograph on it, such as ID card, passport, or driver’s license.

Withdrawal can be requested via the official website, no later than July 31, 2024. Withdrawals requested after this date cannot be accepted and registration fees cannot be used to enter the next edition of the event. Participants who request to withdraw after the specified date may still take possession of their participation package, with the shipping cost covered by the withdrawn participants.

Weather conditions are variable. Riders retain the ultimate responsibility to carry enough water and nutrition with them, according to individual needs.

The Race Organizers will provide water at official Hydration Points on the route, which is intended for drinking purposes only. No excessive use of water for any other purpose will be permitted at these official Hydration Points.

No outside assistance is permitted under any circumstances including physical assistance by any person other than a fellow competitor or accredited checkpoint staff at official Hydration Points on the route.

Drafting is allowed between riders and fellow competitors.

No other form of drafting is permitted whatsoever, including but not limited to drafting behind private vehicles, motorcycles, trucks and official race vehicles.

Specific escort vehicles not provided by the race organizers are not permitted to follow the Race route. However, supporters may drive their own vehicles along public roads to reach designated viewing points to vocally support riders.

No rider supporter may access any restricted and/or prohibited area in the Race Village.

Medical assistance will be made available by the Race organizers along the route and also in the Race Village.

A tool kit will be available at all Hydration Points along the route for ‘self-made running repairs’.

Technical assistance will be available in the Race Village, for emergencies only, and a Technical assistance van will follow participants on route.

Riders must respect the environment at all times, and no littering or damage to the environment will be tolerated. In particular, but without limiting the generality of this rule, the following actions are specifically prohibited:

• Throwing away of water bottles, packaging or bike spares;
• Deviating from the route; and/or
• Smoking at any point on the route is not permitted.

All protests must be submitted in writing, at the Race Office, after the rider has crossed the finish line, within the allocated time period set out below.

Race protests must be submitted within 30 minutes of the rider crossing the finish line.

Result protests must be submitted within 30 minutes of posting of preliminary results, either in physical form or digitally (online).

All riders are expected to display good sportsmanship at all times, and must not use offensive or abusive language during the Race, act in an unsporting manner, be disrespectful to the officials or ignore the Race regulations.

Where any additional rule interpretation is required, or where specific provision for any incident has not been made in these rules, the decision of the panel consisting of Race Commissaires and Race organizers will be final.

No data, information and / or facilities offered through the L'Étape Romania event site (https://romania.letapebytourdefrance.com/), and/or its registration Partner https://www.njuko.net/, will be used by the Organizers for personal purposes. L'Étape Romania and / or the Organizers are exonerated of any liability whatsoever for their use without the permission of the L'Étape Romania and / or the Organizers or for illicit purposes by any person, including registered participants. The Organizers undertake to comply with the provisions of Law no. 677/2001 on the protection of personal data. The Organizers undertake to keep the personal data of the participants and to use them in accordance with these Rules and the legislation in force. The processing of any personal data will be done in compliance with the Law 677/2001 on the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data and the Free Movement of such Data, which provides for various rights including the right to information (Article 12) (Article 13), the right to interfere with data (Article 14) and the right to object (Article 15).

The personal data collected upon enrolling in the Competition (ex. name, surname, e-mail address, mobile phone number, date of birth) are required for the unequivocal identification of the participants, including prize giving, the Organizers' tax obligations related to prizes and checking the age of the competitors in connection with the admission to the appropriate race type. Participants' personal data will be used strictly for the needs of the Event, including rankings, prizes, information through various means of communication (e-mail, SMS or other means of communication permitted by law) regarding the Event and the participation of competitors and information on the next edition of the Event, the registration of the winners of the races and the production of internal statistical reports on the participants. The Organizers agree that the personal data of the participants will not be disseminated to third parties, except for the Organizers’ empowered representatives and A.S.O, the rights holder of the L'Étape by Tour de France series of events.

The Organizer reserves the right to make changes to the information communicated to the participants, these Rules or the Event program, if the changes improve the Competition or the safety of the participants. Changes will be brought to the attention of the participants until the moment of the official start of the race.

By signing up for L'Étape Romania, the participants agree that under no circumstances should they associate the names of L'Étape Romania and / or Asociatia Clubul Sportiv MPG („Organizer”) and its partners Media Production Group and MTB Academy (the "Partners") with illicit activities or violation of good morals.

L'Étape Romania and / or the Organizer and its Partners will not assume any liability whatsoever for the actions / inactions committed by a participant to the Event that would cause material or moral damages to third parties, individuals and / or juridical persons. In relation to participation in a race, responsibility for the safety of personal property not entrusted to the Organizer during the race is entirely due to the participants in the Competition, the management of L'Étape Romania and the Organizer and its Partners not offering any kind of insurance, implicit or explicit.

By signing up for L'Étape Romania, participants are deemed to agree to waive claims of any kind against the Organizer and its Partners, including those relating to possible bodily integrity or health damage incurred during the journey to / from the event or during the Event.

By signing up for L'Étape Romania, participants are deemed to implicitly agree:

a. To release the Organizer and its Partners full rights over their image (single and / or group), static or in motion, during L'Étape Romania and in relation to the Event;

b. To recognize the Organizers' and its Parteners' right to record and use personal data (ex. name, appearance, voice) using any media (including audio, photo and video) for the purpose of presenting and processing the results of the races, promoting L'Étape Romania and any activities carried out in connection with the Event;

c. To have no material or any other claim whatsoever against L'Étape Romania and / or the Organizer and its Partners in connection with the exercise by them of the rights set out hereinabove;

d. To participate at own will in promotional activities of L'Étape Romania, subject to availability, if there is a request from the Organizer or its Partners.