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  RACE ACROSS ITALY RULES

1.Introduction

The Race across Italy is a Ultracycling No-Stop event that takes place on open roads.

There are three events:

RAI300 route approx. 300 km d+ 4600 m TS 1 open to all categories

RAI775 route 775 km approx. d+ 10,500 m TS 3 open to all categories

RAI2020 route 2000 km approx. d+ 18.00 m CP 5 open only to SELF SUPPORTED categories

2. Admitted athletes

All athletes over the age of 18, men and women, who are registered with a cycling or triathlon federation (UCI, FCI, ACSI, UDACE) , with a medical certificate for cyclism  are eligible.

Participation is open to athletes with disabilities.

3. Categories

You can enter one of the following categories

Solo (men/women) with support
Team 2 riders (male/female/mixed) with support
Team 4 riders (male/female/mixed) with support
Self Supported Only (male/female without support) * PAIR Self Supported Couple ( male/female/mixed)
PAIR Self Supported Couple ( (men/women/mixed ) without support *

4. Admitted bikes

You can participate with the following types of bikes: standard racing bike, TT bike, Gravel bike, mountain bike and handbike

5. Timekeeping

The official time recording device will be activated for each participant at the start in Silvi Marina (TE) and will not be stopped for any reason until the return to Silvi (TE) .

6. Rules for the start and finish of the race

The following rules concern the start and finish of the race:

All cyclists must start from Silvi (TE).

In particular, teams of 2 or 4 cyclists must start with the full crew and after leaving the town of Silvi Marina there must be a changeover; and each team must have only one cyclist on the route.

Also the teams must, having entered the built-up area of Pineto, reach the finish line with all cyclists side by side.

The track ends at the Finish Line in Silvi

7. Time Limit

Maximum time to be considered a finisher of the

Race across Italy RAI 775

All categories with support : 42 h

All categories without support: 47 h

Race across Italy RAI 300

All categories with support : 18 h

All categories without support : 21 h

Race across Italy RAI 2020

All categories without support: 10 days

The organisation reserves the right to stop any cyclist who is clearly unable to maintain the minimum average to be considered a finisher on the scheduled TS

RAI 775 Qualifying Time Limit for Race across America –

The RAI775 is a qualifying event for the RAAM SOLO WITH SUPPORT  and SOLO SELF SUPPORTED category.

The qualifying time limit for the Race across America is as follows

  • SOLO With Support

          37h for the men’s category

          42h for the women category

  • SOLO Self Supported

         42h for the men’s category

          47h for the women category

7. Entry procedure

The opening and closing dates for registration are indicated on the web pages of each event, on the official website www.raceacrossitaly.com. The registration procedure, and therefore the supply of all the required documentation (Federation Licence such as UCI or similar , medical certificate for cyclism, and the liability form duly signed ), must be completed by the date indicated for the closing date for registration; for organisational reasons, we will NOT be able to accept registrations after this date and those who, even if pre-registered some time ago, have not completed the required procedure will not be included in the start list.

An athlete who has not completed payment of the fee is not considered to be registered and therefore his slot is not reserved for him.

After registration and payment in the event of an inability to participate for any reason, we will proceed as indicated in the section “cancellation and refund policy”.

8. Acceptance of risks and assumption of responsibility

Each Participant is aware that Ultracycling is an extremely dangerous sport, as one is confronted with

extreme weather conditions (rain, extreme heat or cold, snow)
sleep deprivation
road surface conditions not always perfect
roads always open to normal traffic

The participant is fully aware that his or her safety depends solely on his or her ability (and in the case of a category with Support also on that of his or her crew) to be able to handle and overcome the various physical, psychological, technical and, mechanical problems that will arise.

The participant is aware and accepts the fact that his registration, once confirmed, is irrevocable (see conditions of reimbursement) and that he accepts all the risks involved in this event, even the most extreme, and assumes full responsibility for any consequences arising therefrom. This means that he/she therefore accepts to participate in this type of event at his/her own risk.

The participant accepts, with full knowledge of the facts and possible consequences, to release the organiser from all extra-contractual and/or contractual liability for any damage he/she may suffer as a result of the event and its organisation, thereby waiving any recourse against the organiser.

This article constitutes a substantial element of the participant’s acceptance to take part in RACE ACROSS ITALY

Therefore, when registering via the website, each participant must accept the Release Form which excludes the organiser and the support staff from any legal claim. The organisation is not responsible for any kind of accident of the participants, for damage/loss of material of the same and the insurance coverage (for accidents, illness, theft, civil liability) is the sole responsibility of each participant.

9. Official route

Each cyclist must follow the official route and the instructions contained in the GPX FILE provided by the organisation; the RoadBook is provided ONLY in printable electronic format and is to be used as a support tool So in case of discrepancy between instructions/RoadBook and gpx files c, the GPX FILE always has priority

The cyclist who leaves the route for any reason, must re-enter it from the exact point where the off-route occurred. The only permitted way to re-enter the route is by bike.

In the event of unforeseeable events, the organisation may also change the route during the event.

If a cyclist and his support team cannot continue along the official route due to an unforeseen event (e.g. work in progress, weather conditions, accident, emergency, village festivals, etc.), the cyclist/crew leader must inform the organiser. The organiser will communicate the alternative route by telephone. Should the cyclist/crew chief be unable to communicate with the organiser for various reasons (e.g. no telephone line, line jammed, busy line, etc.), he/she is authorised to consider an alternative route, which will be assessed by the organiser as soon as possible.

The cyclist and crew may also cross roads with roadworks in progress, ALWAYS observing the Highway Code.

10. Briefing

Each participant and crew member must attend the briefing, absence will result in a 1h prior penalty.

 

11. No -Draft Rule 

If two cyclists meet on the route, they may ride side by side for no more than 15 minutes and must be followed during this time by a single support car.

Cyclists may not be pushed by people, other cyclists or pulled by vehicles.

Remember that DRAFT IS FORBIDDEN, and that each cyclist must maintain a suitable distance (100m) from any cyclist or vehicle in front of him/her. If caught in the slipstream the participant will be immediately disqualified.

Any report of an irregularity, if not directly detected by the judges on the course, will only be taken into account if documented by sufficient video footage to determine it.

Errors and violations of the rules produced by crews on other participants will be evaluated and judged by the end of the race if delivered immediately.

12. Traffic and Respect for the Italian Traffic Regulations

Every participant is obliged to respect the Highway Code and any violation of it by our race officials will be punished with a penalty.

Cyclists must ride on the right side of the white line whenever possible. We also reserve the right to notify the police of any violations.

In particular, by way of example but not limited to: it is not permitted to cross red lights, crossroads, pedestrian zebra crossings, construction sites.

Participants who are stopped by the police or Carabinieri for any reason and have to leave the route to follow them are requested to notify the organiser of the incident as soon as possible; please note that the cyclist may not proceed if the support vehicle is stopped.

13. Helmet, bike, safety stickers, lights

Each cyclist must wear a homologated helmet throughout the race and all bikes must comply with the UCI regulations; each bike must be equipped in accordance with the highway code.

In addition, each bike (including the spare bike) must have:

 REFLECTIVE ADHESIVES as indicated below

at least 4 reflective stickers on each side of each wheel
reflective stickers behind the saddle;
reflective stickers on the back of each shoe;
identification number attached to the helmet on the left side .

Bike lights front and back ALWAYS ON (FLASHING BY DAY AND FIXED BY NIGHT)

14. Cancellation and refund of entry fee 

All cancellations must be made by e-mail to info@raceacrossitaly.com.
Cancellations by telephone are not accepted.
Registration is nominative. It is not permitted to transfer the registration to another person for any reason whatsoever
Refund of the registration fee will be made by partial re-crediting of the payment to the bank account if paid by bank transfer, or to paypal if paid by paypal
If you are unable to attend the event, the following refund policy will apply:
From the opening of registrations up to 4 months before the event: 100% refund minus administration costs and bank fees     
4 months to 3 months before the date of the event: 80% refund minus administration costs and bank fees
3 months to 2 months before the date of the event: 50% of the reimbursement minus administration costs and bank charges
2 months to 1 month before the date of the event: 30% of the reimbursement minus administration costs and bank charges
From 1 month to the date of the event: 0% of the refund
Administrative fee: 35 euros
As an alternative to the reimbursement, you can request to move your registration to the next event. In this case, the total amount paid minus only administrative costs will be shifted.

15. Race officials

Race officials are the only ones authorised to monitor the race and to give penalties even in case of traffic violations.

The race official may stop the cyclist to issue the penalty and may also stop the cyclist to remind him of the rules or for safety reasons.

If the cyclist appears unable to continue due to obvious physical problems, the race official is authorised to stop the cyclist.

The race official may disqualify a cyclist who has violated the rules and exceeded the permitted penalties.

There will be machines with race officials who will check the regularity of the course, both during the day and at night and with spot checks.

The race official and the organiser can issue penalties to those who violate the rules of the road or the regulations.

Penalty structure for cyclists

1st penalty: 15 min

2nd penalty: DISQUALIFICATION

Penalty structure for Teams:

1st penalty: 15 min

2nd penalty: DISQUALIFICATION

A violation of the rules by the crew or support member will always result in a penalty for the rider.

The organiser reserves the right to change the penalty time depending on the type of violation and to issue penalties following analysis of videos or photos of competitors.

 

18.Credits 

Only the organiser is authorised to issue time bonuses. For example a cyclist may receive a time bonus following an unforeseen event which caused a disadvantageous change of route, or following a stop to help another cyclist in difficulty (fairplay rule)

19. Publication of penalties or credits

Penalties and credits received by the rider will be promptly notified by SMS or telephone to the rider and/or crew member. 

      Disqualification

The following points are considered serious rule violations and will be punished by immediate disqualification:

Failure to comply with the wake ban
Consumption of alcohol by the rider and support team member;
Possession of doping substances;
Refusal of drug or anti-doping tests before and after the race;
Completing part of the route in the support vehicle;
Accompanying the cyclist in an uninsured vehicle or one that does not comply with the highway code;
Refusing to make a rest stop when ordered to do so by a race official or the organiser;
Behaviour by the crew or cyclist dangerous to the safety of any other user on the road;
Harassment and insults to other cyclists;
Behaviour that puts the Race in a bad light;
The issuing of two penalties.
Absence from the Prize Giving Ceremony which is compulsory for participants who have placed first, second and third in their category; in case of non-participation there will be disqualification and DNF

In the 2 weeks following the closure of the event, the organisation reserves the right to request to the cyclist the track files (STRAVA or similar) . In case any anomalies, objectively unjustifiable, being detected, the Race Manager may, at his sole discretion, disqualify the athlete  and consequently update the ranking of finishers.

If a cyclist is disqualified, the organisation reserves the right to accept or reject the cyclist in subsequent years.

20. Fair play and inappropriate behaviour

Fair play must be part of the race and should be a value of every participant. If a rider or member of the support team, has blatantly inappropriate behaviour, this will be punished with a penalty, and on the second penalty with disqualification.

The cyclist and crew members must behave appropriately throughout the event.

Abandonment of waste or failure to comply with environmental regulations will result in the awarding of penalties.

21. Mobile phones

All crews must be in possession of at least one smartphone mobile phone with Whatsapp access and at least one always reachable phone number.

22.Reporting obligation 

The organiser must be contacted by telephone or SMS if

there is a change of a crew member;
when there is a change of cyclist on the route for 2- or 4-person teams;
the cyclist encounters a traffic jam, prohibitive weather conditions, roadworks, an accident and for any unforeseen event
problems with the support car;
the cyclist withdraws from the race.

23. Web Tracking and Time Stations

The position of each cyclist and team will be monitored through a web tracking service. The device is provided by the organisation and it is up to the participant, who must keep it with him/her until the finish line, to check its correct functioning during the course. The device must be returned to the organisation on arrival. If it is not returned, the participant will be charged the amount of 100 € .

Along the course there will be Time Stations (3 for RAI 775 and one for RAI300) where athletes are obliged to stop and present themselves at the staff gazebo to be recognised. No signature is required

24. Image Rights

The participant grants the organiser the right to use the image directly or in derivative form worldwide and expressly waives all rights to the image during the event as well as any recourse against the organiser and its authorised partners for the use of the image.
Only the organiser may transfer this right to the image in any medium, by means of an accreditation or an adapted licence

Race Across Italy is a legally registered trademark. Any communication about the event or use of images of the event must be authorised by the organiser

25.Regulation changes

The organisation reserves the right to modify the running regulations if necessary, especially for safety reasons, which remains the number one priority.

When the organisation creates new rules, these are valid for each participant from the moment they are published on our website; in the case of rules modified for reasons of extreme urgency, these will be notified directly to each participant and team leader.

26. RULES VALID ONLY PER CATEGORY

1- SOLO WITH CREW

a.  It is forbidden for members of the supporting Crew to wear cycling clothing (jersey, trousers or helmet) during the race

2- SELF SUPPORTED ONLY 

a. No external assistance is permitted, the principle of self-supported mode applies. The participant must provide for all his needs himself, in self-sufficiency.

b. The organisation guarantees for the RAI300 and RAI775 the supply of food and drinks at the TIME STATION, with BAG DROP service at the bag TS. Between TS the participant must rely on his own supplies and procure food (solid and liquid) as well as any equipment from the shops available on the route

c. The RAI2020, on the other hand, is a pure Bikepacking event, without any intermediate assisted refuelling. Participants must therefore provide everything they need themselves. The participant will therefore have to obtain food (solid and liquid) and any equipment from the shops available on the route.

d. If 2 self supported participants are found to be travelling side by side for more than 15 minutes, they will immediately be placed in the PAIR category

3- SELF SUPPORTED PAIR 

a. DRAFT is allowed in this CATEGORY ONLY, only between the two members of the pair

b. the stopwatch at the Finish Line is stopped at the arrival of the second component.

c. in case of withdrawal of one of the two components of the pair, the other can continue the race but will remain as PAIR category

4-TEAM 2 – TEAM 4 WITH CREW

a- Relay mode : except the beginning of the race (and then only until the exit of the town of Silvi) and the end (and then from the entrance to the town of Pineto) each team is on the bike with only one cyclist on the course.

b. The change of cyclists can take place within the TS indicated or at any other point of the route; but the team leader must inform the organiser via WA or SMS at the same time as the change, of the name of the cyclist who is in the race If a cyclist in the team has any kind of problem, the team leader can let the competitor continue on the route and therefore skip any planned changes. It is important that the change of cyclist takes place where traffic conditions permit, and flying changes are not permitted in urban areas, in heavy traffic conditions or near crossroads; we remind you that at all times during the race every participant must respect the Highway Code. We would like to reiterate that the team leader may decide to make a change of cyclist in the race at any time by notifying the organiser, who must always know the name of the cyclist on the route.

For example: the team team decides to make the change every 50km – well at the time of each change, the team leader must inform the organiser via SMS of the name of the cyclist who will enter the route If an official in a surprise check, finds a cyclist other than the one reported, there will be a penalty for the team.

5- SOLO  – TEAM 2 – TEAM 4   CON CREW

a. Each cyclist/team must have at least two crew members. If a cyclist has more than one support vehicle, each vehicle must have at least two licensed crew members

b.  If a cyclist gets support from a team member, that person must be on the right side of the vehicle.

c. support vehicles: there is no minimum number of support vehicles per cyclist/team, but each vehicle must be clearly identified with the event stickers you will receive at accreditation. All support vehicles (apart from the escort car which always follows the cyclist) must respect the normal speed limits along the road. Teams that do not facilitate or are in the way of traffic will be penalised.

d.Pace Car Each cyclist/team must be followed by a support car The support car is the only vehicle allowed to follow the cyclist directly and must be equipped as follows

Cyclist identification numbers (provided at the briefing);
“attention cyclist ahead” sticker (provided at the briefing).

During the day, the support car is not required to be behind the cyclist at all times; however, during the night the car must ALWAYS be behind the cyclist in motion. Throughout the race, only one vehicle may be designated as the support car. In the event of an emergency, a second car may be used in place of the first. If there is a change of support car this must be communicated to the organiser as soon as possible. If there are several vehicles queuing behind the support car, as soon as possible and without jeopardising the cyclist’s safety, the support car must be moved to ease vehicle traffic.

e.Stickers

When checking in, several stickers will be handed out for the ride. These must be attached to the car as follows:

Identification number / athlete’s name / Race across Italy:

One (1) on the back of the car *

One (1) on the left side *

*They must only be stuck on the glass and in any case NOT on the bodywork

Additional stickers to be placed:

  • “ATTENZIONE CICLISTA AVANTI” label (1)  :

    to be attached at the back and in a visible place

    One (1) number sticker to be attached on the left side of the helmet

    Obviously the stickers should not be stuck on the driver’s and passenger side windows, which should be free to ensure visibility and safety; and the other stickers should also be placed in this manner.

    f.Lights on support car and stereo system

    One or two orange flashing lights may be installed on the roof of the support car. The light must only be visible from behind and therefore you must cover the front halfway. Whenever the support car is behind the cyclist the light must remain on; in other cases it can be switched off.

    Additional lights may be fitted to the support vehicles if they comply with the law.

    Stereo systems and loudspeakers may be installed on the roof of the support vehicle, but please turn the volume down at night when passing through built-up areas or nature parks.

    g.Overtaking procedure

    The overtaking procedure should be completed as quickly as possible and only where road traffic permits this manoeuvre in safety.

    h.Driving and night-time mode

    Night-time is considered to be from 7 p.m. (19:00) to 6:30 a.m. (06:30) and the same night-time rules should also apply in the event of poor visibility due to fog, for example.

    Under these conditions the support car must follow the cyclist whenever he is on the route. So if the support car stops, the cyclist must also stop and vice versa. Whenever the cyclist is on the route during the night, he must stay within the light beam of the support car.

    During the night, team members and the cyclist must wear reflective clothing both when moving and when stopping.

    27.Claim

    Any claim must be written and handed in to the organiser by the end of the race Official appeal must contain the reason and any evidence (photos, videos etc). The organiser will evaluate and decide by the end of the event.

    28.Sponsors

    The organiser may request that the name and symbols of the sponsors of the event be placed on the support vehicles.

    29. Disputes

    For any dispute the competent court is the Court of Teramo – Italy

IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, APPENDIX 1 – RELATING TO RAI2020 UNSUPPORTED ONLY – FOLLOWS

APPENDIX 1
ONLY FOR RAI 2020 IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE RACE ACROSS ITALY RULES

  • The RAI 2020 is an unsupported, one-stage bicycle race open to solo cyclists or cyclists in pairs, but without any external support.

  • The chronometer does not stop from the start to the finish and participants must plan and manage the route and navigation on their own without any external support, with only the obligation to pass through the Check Points set by the organisation

  • The organisation provides participants with an already composed track, which is not obligatory and for which we decline all responsibility. Each participant is free to decide whether to follow it, check it, vary it or improve it.

  • The regulations are based on your safety and the guarantee of a fair challenge throughout the event .

  • Any standard commercial bicycle with reasonable personal modifications is permitted. In case of Tandem participation we will create a special category to allow you to compete differently…

  • Participants must provide details of next of kin for emergency contact.

  • If you want to be a RAI2020 finisher you have to comply with the following main rules:

  •  Ride from start to finish following the order of the mandatory CheckPoints specified on the website for this edition.

  • No external support . Food, beverages and equipment must be either brought in or purchased from the businesses available along the route.

  • All participants must keep proof of their completed route and take care that the tracking device is in operation.