OFFICIAL REGULATIONS.

PA Events S.L. is the official organizer of the Mongolia Bike Challenge 2012 (MBC) event which will take place from July 28th till August 11th 2012 in Mongolia in an area defined in the technical data sheet.

PA Events S.L. (Progetto Avventura Eventi) is furthermore holder of the trademark and takes care of the sports appearance, logistics and the image of the event as well as the communication between the authorities where the race takes place. Those authorities are identified as the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Tourism Association.

MBC is a bike competition in stages, without any pace regulations for an overall distance of 1400 km divided in 10 stages. For every details about each stages place have a look about technical schedule or directly on the web site.

The regulation and the track of the race could be subject to variations either in part or completely, depending on particular situations such as extreme necessity or general security. Those variations will be communicated in time and methods adequate to the circumstances, however all participants will receive the information prior to the start of each lap.

Before each lap, a technical briefing will be organized in order to give all the necessary information or eventual up-dating to each participant.

Everyone being 18 years of age at the moment of the start of the race the 29th of July 2012, any nationality, is admitted to the competition. No discrimination and nobody will be entitled to a different treatment. Professional athletes as well as none, are admitted to the race, as long as fit and medical and health conditions are appropriate. In any case, every participants has to present a valid membership to a sportive association, or a medical/sportive health certificate proving he is fit, this certificate has to be released by a Centre of Sports Medicine. Those documents have to be handed in at the same time of registration and represent a valid and important part. Every participant has to sign a form, releasing the organization of any responsibility regarding health.

In any case, the participating athletes have to have a perfect physical preparation and have to be able to resist to extend physical strain. In the longest laps, the athletes will be undergoing very high and sudden changes of temperature which can reach an extreme level. One has to keep in mind that sleeping in a tend might not be sufficient for a complete recovery in order to face the efforts of the next day. The athletes will be accumulating physical strain throughout many days in a row.

The categories of the participants are the following:

Khan		Professional athletes
Sportman		from 18 to 32 years
Master 1		from 33 to 42 years
Master 2		from 43 to 49 years
Veteran		over 50 years
Female		from 18 years
Tandem		from 18 years

Each category is officially composed by a minimum of 5 athletes.

There will be a list of the overall results, as well as one for each category. For prize-giving and acknowledgements please read the specific article

There will be no teams, nevertheless it is up to each singular participant to form a team in order to improve competitiveness.

The start of each lap will be divided in groups and the timing will be on base of official time. In case of arriving late for the start, the minutes of delay will be handled as time penalty. In any case, a maximum 1 hour delay is allowed, otherwise the participant will have to hand his number over to the staff.

Starting time as well as technical issues, will be discussed every day throughout the briefing prior to the race.

Each athlete is authorized to organize his liquid and energetic supplies as he wishes.

However, along the route refreshment stands will be put up (described in detail in the briefings) with a minimum of 3 for each stage where the participants are able to find generic supplies.
The refreshment stands are of non-specific character, giving the chance to everyone to use it and therefore it is not allowed to entrust them with any kind of personal objects, drinks or anything. Should a participant have special needs, it will be his own responsibility to carry those with him.

Athletes are not allowed to throw food/drink containers or waste along the route, otherwise there will be a fine applied or a time penalty. Waste has to be left at the refreshments stands or at the check-points.

Along the track and together with the refreshment stands, there will be check-points (as well as the ones at the start and finish) for the timing. Missing the check-point, the athlete will be disqualified, and will have to leave the track until the end of the competition.

Each athlete has to carry his proper number, visible, on his bike as well as on his shirt and has to take care of it. This number can not be changed, cut or forged otherwise the athlete will be disqualified. Should the number during the competition degenerate, the athlete has to hand it over to the staff and ask for substitution. Should the athlete change bike during the race, the number has to be moved to the new bike immediately.

Athletes are not supposed to change or hide any eventual sponsor visible on the number or those provided by the organization.

However, each athlete is authorized to wear sponsored uniform or to carry trademarks of any personal sponsor, taking care not to hide the sponsors provided by the organization.

The organization is authorized to hide eventual sponsors not compatible, offensive or of bad taste.

Each leader of his category, whenever asked by the organization, is obliged to wear the official shirt of the leader provided by the organisers.

The colour of the leader’s shirt will be: PINK


The complete track will be marked in a compatible way with the competition: tapes, signs, etc, forming the guideline of the track. Each athlete will have to follow those indications, however he can choose to change or use alternatives to satisfy his own style of guiding according to his technical inclination. In any case, there will be check-points provided at key points in order to avoid short-cuts or not acceptable changes, putting at first place the spirit of a sports competition.

In each lap, in addition to the official ones, one or two surprise check-points will be provided, placed in points unknown to the athlete. Those surprise check-points are there to avoid any possible sports frauds such as short-cutting the designated track.

Each athlete must use his own GPS for the valuation of his position for security reasons. The GPS track is available from the organization and downloadable from the website.

However, MBC is not an orientation race. The complete track is well marked in every point.

For basic repairs, there will be a mechanical work-shop present at the camps. Athletes, however should count on their own capability and not be dependent upon the organization.

At the refreshment stands there will be some of the organizational staff present, in order to help out in case of small repairs.

Should the athlete use help from the outside during the laps he will be eliminated from his rank. Mechanical help can only be accepted from authorized members of the organization or from other willing athletes, officially registered.

At the camps at the finishing of each lap, there will be a first-aid centre as well as a medical sports team. At each refreshment stand there will be equipment available in order to transport injured athletes to the camp (radio stations connected to the camp, jeep). This transport means the silent drop of the competition for the athlete.

Any serious injured on the track will be taken care of with emergency together with the collaboration of the other athletes which will report the accident to the next check-point. There is not full-time helicopter coverage.

Each athlete participates upon his own will and responsibility, therefore the organization can not be made liable for any accidents, falls or illness. At the same time, any dispute or incorrect behaviour from the athletes part (when not recognized immediately or confirmed by the organization) is not the responsibility of the organization. In order to keep the spirit of the competition, should any of those behaviours occur, the responsible athlete will be immediately excluded from the competition.

We will be travelling between the 43° and 49° northern longitude and within a very continental area, desert and stepps. In August we will find ourselves at the peak of the boreal summer with sudden temperature changes between day and night. During the day and near the GOBI temperatures can rise up to 45/50 °C and drop to 0°C during the night. In the north, heavy or light showers are possible and also heavy snowfalls (as in 2010 edition).

For each of the 10 stages of the Mongolia Bike Challenge, there will be a set time limit (see "Technical Schedule"). The time limit is defined as the maximum time allowed to cover the whole stage of the official route from start to finish line.

The time limit can be updated (reduced or increased) by the organizers for logistical or organizational reasons and for the security or for the athletes. Any changes will be reported to the athletes in the briefing prior to each stage.

The time limit may also change during the stage, at the discretion of the race committee, where there is the need to make changes to the track due to environmental or safety issues.

The athlete who fails for any reason, to complete the stage before the official time limit, is equivalent to an athlete who decides on "partial abandonment" (see Article 15: Conditions for the permanent and partial abandonment). The rider will be assigned the time the last competitor of the stage who finished within the time limit, plus a penalty of 50% of the difference between the first and last time of the stage in progress, with a minimum of 30 minutes.

Failure to meet the time limit in a single stage as above, (as well as the partial abandonment in a single stage) automatically disqualifies the rider from being an Official Finisher (see Item 22: Results and Prizes). In this case, the organizers will make a note on the official results with the same race number but with different colors to distinguish these athletes from those who still qualify to become "Official Finishers".

The athlete who twice fails to finish on time is placed outside the official results table but is otherwise authorized to continue the competition. The athlete who decides to continue the race, although they cannot obtain the Official Finisher status, must still abide by the maximum times set for each remaining stage.

In case of definite drop of the competition, the competitor has to indicate this as soon as possible, handing over his number as well as the chip timer, should the latter have been provided by the organization.

The athlete can leave the competition at any moment. Definite dropping of the race and therefore reconciliation of the athlete to the camp, will be subject of time and logistics of the staff. The abandoning athlete will follow the convoy until the end, when the responsibility for conveyance of the event ceases.

Athletes are not allowed to return to their country or leaving the camp earlier, only in case of serious injury.

Partial drop, meaning the withdrawal from the lap for personal reasons, but willing to continue the next day (for example: a mechanical problem). In this case the time of the last competitor of the current lap as well as a penalty of 50% of the difference between the first and the last time of the current lap, at least 30 minutes, will be the time calculated for the athlete partially leaving the race.

The organization will provide breakfast, refreshment stands and dinner.

The organization’s vehicles will transport the luggage which has to be handed over in the morning before the lap and can be found in the evening at the camp. The organization is responsible for the appropriate security and keeping of the luggage.

All infrastructures, check-points, refreshment stands, camps and supplies are being handled by the organization.

Nonetheless, each athlete is responsible for the assembly, disassembly of his own tent and will take care about it at the camp.

The tents are assigned to each athlete at the beginning of the competition and will remain assigned until the end of the event.

The organization holds all image rights for the images of the event. By registering, each athlete automatically authorizes the use of his name, image and contextual situations, to the race.

This rule is valid for everyone, including professionals or athletes whose image is protected by other sponsors in different contexts.

Any photos or videos created in private during the event can only be used for private purpose prior to specific authorization by the organization.

In order to guarantee your own personal security, in case of emergency or losing of the track, each athlete has to carry with him on track, in addition to the GPS, the following minimum security equipment:

• - Officially approved helmet (closed and worn correctly at all times)
• - Whistle
• - Thermal cloth
• - Reflective surface
• - Electric front torch or similar
• - GPS

Surprise checks will be made by the organization to verify the integrity of security equipment.

The vehicle used for the race has to be a classical mountain bike in perfect condition. MTB’s with 26" and 29" tyres are admitted. Considering the particularity of the place and the distance to shops and towns, we recommend to bring all material necessary for maintenance and any possible emergency repairs. Being a race with long laps, the vehicles could be exposed to continuous stress. It is therefore recommended to inspect, lubricate and check screws and all important parts prior to each lap.

Any complaints have to be handed over in written form 1 hour before the end of the lap referred to in the complaint together with a deposit of 50 € which will be returned by the organization only if a concrete base for the complaint was given.

If the complaint is not accepted the deposit will not be returned.

Each athlete must follow all the indications for the protection of the environment and infrastructure given by the organization with care, respecting therefore the place and the population as well as keeping up the sports spirit of this event. It is strictly prohibited to wash your bikes in rivers or streams, as well as contaminating those with any chemical substance. Rivers and streams represent most of the times the only water supply available to the indigenous population.

However, other than the mentioned specific indications it is up to each single individual to use his good sense.

Any incorrect behaviour regarding the environment will be punished severely by the organizers.

All times will be summed in order to get a total time. Neither time bonus nor rating points are foreseen. Only the actual time of race exists. The written ranking foresees an overall ranking in each category.

Prizes will be given to the first 3 athletes of each category and to the first 3 athletes of the overall ranking. The total value of the prizes are 15.000 €. The first 3 classified on the overall classification will not be awarded also on his own category.

All participants, regardless the final result, will receive an official MBC 2012 gadget. At the end of the event there will also be a fair-play prize given to the athlete who distinguished himself by his availability, sportiness and unselfishness.

Finishers of the MBC will receive the fabulous bike shirt which proves and confirms the fantastic top finishing achieved.
All athletes which have completed the 10 MBC stages within the time limit are considered Finishers.

In 2010 and 2011 editions the 70% of bikers have finished the race.

Offence		1st infringiment	2nd infringiment	3rd infringiment
Non official approved helmet, not worn properly or non closed properly		warning	10 minutes penalty	disqualification
Help from the out-side		warning	60 minutes penalty	disqualification
Not respecting the environment and the infrastructures		warning	disqualification	-
Anti-sportive behaviour		warning	30 minutes penalty	disqualification
Partial or complete covering of the event’s official trademark		warning	disqualification	-
Security equipment not in accordance with the regulations		30 minutes penalty	disqualification	-
Skipping or missing a time checkpoint		4 HOURS PENALTY	8 HOURS PENALTY	disqualification
Altering or removing a racer’s bike identification number		warning	disqualification	-

OFFICIAL REGULATION.