Regulations of BRM2020

Art. 1 (Introduction)

Randonneurs Romania, as national representative of Les Randonneurs Mondiaux, in association with the Adevaratii VeloPrieteni Association, and with the support of the Regional Representatives from Romania and other partners, is organizing between 11-19 of July 2020 the first edition of BRM1200+ ultra-brevet, called Ro-Velo Epic Tour Randonneur 2020 (Ro-VET-R2020), that is going to take place following the BRM regulations together with the Randonneurs Romania set of rules.

Art. 2 (Entry conditions)

Ro-VET-R2020 is an event open to all the endurance cyclists from Romania and abroad.
The minimum age is 18 years at the date of the start. Minors are not allowed to take part in this event.
Also, to be eligible for participation, the cyclists must have a BRM300 brevet completed in the 2020 season by the end of the time the registration period ends.
There are 2 options available for completing the ultra-brevet: GREEN (with a time limit of 202 hours, following the stages set by the organizer and with assistance offered in each stage start and end controls and RED (without following the stages set by the organizer and by your own) which can be done in one of following 2 ways: RED ONE with 162 hours limit and RED TWO with 202 limit. The number of available seats for this ultra-brevet is limited: 100 places for GREEN and 50 places for the RED.

Art. 3 (Route and Controls)

The official route will be sent to all participants. The route announced can be slightly modified, but the organizer will let the participants know about these changes in advance.
On the route there will be at least one SECRET control.
The organizer reserves the right to modify the control points, but must inform all participants in advance.
Participants MUST follow ONLY the official route and, in the event of any deviation from the route, in order not to risk disqualification, those concerned MUST re-enter the course from the point they left without resorting to shortcuts.
The participant’s assistance cars should follow a different route than the official one and the assistance can be provided in the control areas, at a maximum of 5 km from them, otherwise the cyclist may be penalized/disqualified.

The route (https://www.strava.com/routes/21834461) is 2020 km long, on the Bucharest – Focsani – Iasi – Sibiu – Transagan – Sibiu – Arad – Bucharest route and it is divided into 6 stages (for the GREEN variant), according to the following timetable:
(a) July 11^st, stage 1, ~300 km: Bucharest-Focsani
(b) July 12^nd, stage 2, ~200 km: Focsani-Iasi
(c) July 13^rd, stage 3, ~400 km: Iasi-Sibiu
(d) July 14^th, rest day (Sibiu)
(e) July 15^th, stage 4, ~200 km: Sibiu -Transfagarasan – Sibiu
(f) July 16^th, stage 5, ~300 km: Sibiu – Arad
(g) July 17th, stage 6, ~600 km: Arad – Bucharest

Art. 4 (Controls, opening and closing times)

There are 22 Control Points:
Bucharest (CP1, start, km 0)
Lehliu Train station (CP2, km 85)
Slobozia (CP3, km 138)
Buzau (CP4, km 228)
Focsani (CP5, km 299)
Vaslui (CP6, km 435)
Iasi (CP7, km 508)
Hanu Ancutei (CP8, km 597)
Bicazu Ardelean (CP9, km 679)
Medias (CP10, km 862)
Sibiu (CP11, km 919)
Transfagarasan (CP12, km 1022)
Sibiu (CP13, km 1112)
Alba Iulia (CP14, km 1180)
Julita (CP15, km 1325)
Arad (CP16, km 1408)
Timisoara (CP17, km 1469)
Hateg (CP18, km 1633)
Bumbesti Jiu (CP19, km 1718)
Horezu (CP20, km 1790)
Curtea de Arges (CP21, km 1866)
Bucharest (CP22, arrival, km 2020)
The opening and closing time of the control points MUST be respected except for those organized in gas stations. The controls organized with rest, hydration and energy will be closed outside the periods mentioned on the brevet-card, so participants passing outside those hours will not be registered.
Only in the case of special situations (incidents, traffic congestion, etc.), participants may notify delays to the next control, but they will have to recover at most during the next two controls. In the abovementioned special circumstances, if there are more than three control points at which the participant arrives after the closure, the participant will be disqualified.

Art. 5 (Pre-registration)

To reserve a place there is a pre-registration period (February 2^nd – March 2^nd, 2020).
The pre-registrations are open to all cyclists that have finished at least one ride of minimum 600km between 2016-2019. Reservations are done based on the “first come, first served” rule and requires a down payment from the participation fee, that is non-refundable in case of giving up. For the GREEN option the pre-registration fee is 150 RON (30 euro) and for the RED option it is 50 RON (10 euro).
If the pre-registration is not converted into a definite registration until April 25^th, 2020 (23:59), the reserved place will be lost. Riders in this situation can still apply and the pre-payment remains valid until the end of the registration period but the priority is lost.

Art. 6 (Registration)

The registration period is between March 15^th – May 25^th, 2020, with the remark that March 15-22 is reserved to the pre-registered cyclists who made the prepayment. The registration can start anytime in the announced period and can be finalized after completing the 300km race, which is mandatory for the participation in the ultra-brevet.
The registration fee or the remainder of it needs to be paid until May 26^th 2020 at 23:59 PM (Romanian time) the latest. Applications that have not been completed by this time will be definitely canceled and the riders considered as not starting.
The applications will be processed after the registration period ends (all provided brevet information will be checked in the national and international databases) and each participant will receive a confirmation email with instructions concerning the ride.
If you do not receive the confirmation email by June 15^th, you must contact the organizers at the following email address: rovet2020@adevaratiiveloprieteni.ro.

Art. 7 (Payment)

The down-payment and/or the payment of the registration fee can be done either individually or for a group, with mention of the participants that the payment is made for.
The registration fee depends on the version chosen for the ultra-race, on being a member of the Randonneur Romania club and on the period the payment is done:
1) GREEN version:
a) between March 15^th – April 25^th, 925 Ron / 190 Euro (825 Ron / 170 Euro for members of Randonneur Romania Club);
b) between April 26^th – May 25^th, 975 Ron / 200 Euro (875 Ron / 180 Euro for members of Randonneur Romania Club).
2) RED version:
a) between March 15^th – April 25^th, 290 Ron / 60 Euro (245 Ron / 50 Euro for members of Randonneur Romania Club);
b) between April 26^th – May 25^th, 315 Ron/ 65 Euro (270 Ron / 55 Euro for members of Randonneur Romania Club).

Art. 8 (Participation kit)

The participation fee includes the following:
(a) the processing of registrations and pre-registrations for the participation homologation to Ro-VET-R2020;
(b) the official water container;
(c) the official personalized high visibility vest;
(d) “pasta-party” package on arrival, ONLY FOR THE GREEN variant;
(e) the documentation necessary for participation in Ro-VET-R2020;
(f) Ro-VET-R2020 frame-badge and number;
(g) Ro-VET-R2020 brevet-card;
(h) Ro-VET-R2020 Roadmap;
(i) finisher medal;
(j) certificate of participation;
(k) brevet medal (for the homologues);
(l) homologation of the results with Randonneurs Mondiaux
(m) outward and return baggage transport (max. 50 liters) at all controls at the end of each stage, only for the GREEN participants;
(n) free access to the rest, hydration, energization services in the controls, ONLY FOR THE GREEN participants;
(o) signs of orientation in the area of the controls at the end of each stage;
(p) parking of personal machines at the arrival control for the entire duration of the event;
(q) brochure with the results of the event.
The cost of food provision, bedroom (other than those included in the participation fee) or of the return to start in case of abandonment shall be the responsibility of the participants.

Art. 9 (Cancellation/Withdrawal)

The refund of the participation fee (less the advance paid by the pre-registered persons) will be made only under certain conditions:
(a) in the event of withdrawal during the registration period, 50% of the participation fee will be refunded;
(b) after the end of the registration period, any withdrawal will be made only by transfer of the fee to another participant that fulfills the qualification criteria and has not been able to take up a seat, otherwise without the tax being returned.
Not completion the required race to meet the qualification criteria during the period after registration and payment of the participation fee shall not constitute grounds for its return.
After the end of the registration period, in case the event is canceled in circumstances not related to the organizer, a fixed amount of 450 lei / 90 euro (for THE GREEN version) and 100 lei / 20 euro (for the RED version) will be returned. No other indemnity will be paid.
Also, if the participant has ordered the customized T-shirt of the event, it will be distributed to him.

Art. 10 (Bike rules)

Any bike with two or three wheels steered by a handlebar and propelled by muscle power via a transmission consisting of one or several chainsets may be used. The bike must not exceed 1 meter wide. Bikes not meeting those criteria will have to be vetted by the organizers. Electric bicycles of any kind are prohibited. Aerobars and any other forms of extended bars are only allowed if they do not exceed the line formed between the front of the brake levers.
Bikes must possess a lighting system powerful enough to be seen at a distance of 100 m from the front and 150 m from the rear. It must be securely and permanently fixed on the bike, even during daytime, and in working order at all times. Flashing LEDs at the rear are forbidden. Backup lighting systems are strongly recommended.
Lights must be turned on at all times during hours of darkness or other low-light conditions, whether the participant rides alone or in a group.
If the organizers staff stops a rider because of no lighting or insufficient lighting, they will not allow him or her to continue until the lighting failure has been repaired, unless he or she has emergency lighting. In this case he or she may ride to the next checkpoint.
To test their equipment, riders are advised to complete at least a 400 km or 600 km event on the same bike that will be used for the Ro-VET-R2020 super brevet.
In order to make checks easier, all riders will have their number marked on a frame badge which MUST remain attached to the bike throughout the ride.

Art. 11 (Equipment)

According to Romania traffic law, a reflective vest MUST be worn when riding at night or in other low-light conditions.
If your reflective vest is hidden (e.g. because you are carrying a backpack), make sure that you have additional reflective material to ensure you are seen.
Light-coloured clothing is recommended for night riding.
It is MANDATORY to wear an approved helmet throughout the event.
It is recommended to wear a randonneuring club’s jersey, the official DDR jersey or any other RM event’s jersey.

Art. 12 (Responsibilities and Insurance)

Under all circumstances, riders must obey the Romanian traffic law.
The participants assert under the honor principle to be covered by insurance when registering and in case of any incidents they assume full responsibility.
Participants must take care of their bicycle and equipment at all times. The organizer shall not be liable in the event of their loss or theft.
Each cyclist must ensure that the brevet card is validated (stamped/signed/mentioned time and date) at each control, including THE SECRET ones. Brevet-card loss, lack of validation or incomplete validation at a control, official or secret, shall cause disqualification of the participant.

Art. 13 (Homologation)

If the ride time is less than 72h, the result will not be approved (this time corresponds to the average speed with breaks of 28 km/h).
All participants who have completed the brevet in at least 72 hours and at most 202 hours (or 162 hours, depending on the option selected), after the validation of their passing through all the controls, will receive the certificate of homologation and the official medal, both included in the registration fee. The certificate of homologation and the medal will be offered by Randonneurs Mondiaux.
At the end, all riders who have been attributed a penalty will have it included in the finishing time, and the decision to validate the result is taken subsequently. All the participants who finish the race, regardless of the time, will receive the finishing medal and the certificate of participation.
Riders who abandon must show their brevet card to a controller or another member of the organizers staff, who will sign it and annotate it with ABANDON. The abandoning rider has to remove the frame number and the tracking device, but can keep both items, as well as the brevet card.

Art. 14 (Support Vehicles)

Participants who wish to have a support vehicle (only at the controls) MUST register/declare it at the start.
Support vehicles are prohibited from offering assistance to the riders on the route, with the exception of the checkpoints and their vicinity (a radius of 5 km around the checkpoints is allowed for assistance from the support vehicles). To eliminate any concerns that may lead to the riders being disqualified and/or removal of the support vehicle from the route, it is highly recommended that the support vehicles take an alternate route to get to the controls.
The organizers staff may recommend an alternate route for the support vehicles (where one exists) to get to the controls.

Art. 15 (Penalties, Disqualification and Appeals)

The organizers (Randonneurs Romania and Adevaratii VeloPrieteni) reserve the right to decline the registration of a person as well as disqualify participants who grossly violate the regulations without any compensation.
The organizers staff will wear distinctive badges or clothing to ensure they are easily identified in the controls and in the aforementioned areas from the start and finish.

(I) Penalties
Any violation of the regulations will result in time penalties as follows:
(a) Overtaking official vehicles at the start of the event: 1h
(b) No lighting at night, or under conditions of poor visibility or improper use of lights (such as flash mode): 1h
(c) Violation of the Romanian traffic law: 1h
(d) Drafting with someone not taking part in the event: 1h
(e) Riding without a helmet: 1h
(f) Environmental pollution in any form: 2h
(g) Absence of (or hidden) reflective vest at night:2h
(h) Refusal to obey controllers: 2h
(i) Registered vehicle present on the official route although the organizer provided an alternate route: 2h
(j) Support given on the official route outside of the controls: 3h
(k) Support given on the official route, or in the control towns, by a non-registered vehicle: 5h
(l) Inappropriate behavior of rider or support crew towards the controllers or the organizers staff: 5h
So far as possible, riders will be informed of the attributed penalty either immediately or at the next checkpoint. Penalties will be noted in the brevet card. They apply to the overall time only.
Penalties will be cumulated in case of further offenses.

(II) Disqualification
The following can lead to the disqualification of riders from the event (the decision will be up to the members of the organizers staff):
(a) Sharing the brevet card with another participant in order to have it validated, without the presence of the actual brevet card holder at the control
(b) Use of shortcuts on the route or other means of transportation besides their own bike to move along the route
(c) Violent attitude or attacks towards other participants, traffic participants or any other person during the event
(d) Exceeding 10h in time penalties or 5 penalties, even if the time penalty does not exceed 10h.
Based on the severity of the action, the organizers staff can reach out to other BRM event organizers to recommend prohibiting the said rider from participating in other similar events.

(III) Appeals
All complaints must be addressed within 5 days after the finish by emailing the organizers at rovet2020@adevaratiiveloprieteni.ro or by registered mail to the mailing address of the non-profit organization Adevaratii VeloPrieteni.

Art. 16 (Environment)

All riders must respect the environment in the control towns and throughout the Ro-VET-R2020 route, especially since they will pass protected areas. Riders will be liable for any damage noted.
It is strictly forbidden to litter on the road. Your eco-friendly behaviour benefits all riders, and the public image of randonneuring is at stake!

Art. 17 (Image Rights and Liberties)

Riders authorize expressly the organizers of the Ro-VET-R2020, or their proxies such as partners and media organizations to use static or moving images on which they may appear and which have been captured during their participation in Ro-VET-R2020 for publicity purposes, including promotional material and/or advertising, throughout the world and for the longest period provided by the law, regulations, and treaties in force, including any extensions that may be made to this period.

Art. 18 (Updating)

The Ro-VET-R2020 organizers staff reserves the right to modify these Regulations and if needed to decide about eventualities not foreseen in the present Regulations. The organizers can modify the conditions under which the event is run.
As far as possible, decisions or possible modifications will be brought to the attention of the participants either by using the press, radio, and Internet, at the latest three days before the date of the event if a possible cancellation is foreseen or during the event by loudspeaker and posters.