Rules & regulations
general GRANFONDO CHINA REGULATIONS
Granfondo cycling is essentially a personal cycling challenge with timing via electronic chip for non-professional and recreational cyclists. The event is open to everyone but promotes amateur, or non-professional, cycling. This means that professional cyclists, or 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. These cyclists are also expected not to influence the outcome of the competition and restrict themselves to defensive riding
Definition of a ‘professional cyclist’: A professional cyclist is a person whose name features on the latest official team list of a UCI licensed World Tour, Pro Continental or Continental Team, or an ELITE MTB team or UCI MTB team. The team rosters and names of riders are available on the website of the UCI, the International Cycling Federation. There can therefore be no discussion. Note that top amateur riders who are hired as occasional guest riders for any of the aforementioned team categories are not considered professionals and can therefore compete in a granfondo event.
Participants are personally responsible to ensure their bicycle, apparel, and any other gear or equipment are fit for the task of riding long distances in a competitive format.
Participants are responsible to bring their own spare parts for any mechanical or bicycle-related issue (e.g. to handle punctures or chain issues).
Wearing a helmet is mandatory for each participant. No helmet, no start!
Triathlon or TT handlebars are NOT allowed for safety reasons.
E-bikes are NOT allowed. Any kind of electronic, battery-charged or other mechanical aids on any part of the bicycle is forbidden. People caught cheating against this rule may be banned for life from Nordic Ways events. The Organization Committee (OC) reserves the right to check bikes before the start. Footpeg, locks, etc. shall all be removed before the start of the event.
In addition to ‘mechanical doping’ as described in point 7, any rider caught possessing or taking drugs banned by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) will be disqualified from the event and potentially banned for life from Nordic Ways events. If you must take a banned product for medical reasons, please let the race director know in advance of the event providing a TUE or other proof that clearly states you must use the product during the event on medical grounds.
In each Granfondo event, there will be a minimum speed requirement and thus time limits for the long and short distance courses. Please be aware of the cut-off times at checkpoints because we must stop you if you are slower than the announced time limit for the day. If you refuse to stop, you will be entirely self-responsible and you might run into difficulties with local authorities, who are setting clear regulations for our event. Check the cut-off times for each specific Granfondo event.
Except official event cars and media cars, no cars are allowed to follow the participants during the granfondo for security reasons. Any team cars are likewise not allowed to follow riders in the race.
Hydration & energy: Each participant must carry with him at least 1 500ml bottle of water or energy drink, and a couple of energy gels & bars in case of sudden need. Be self-sufficient, do not rely on others.
Participants must obey all orders and indications of the race director and/or his assistant, and any official marshals or volunteers along the race courses.
Fair play is the order of the day: riders who are seen conducting unsporting behaviour towards others will get a time penalty and/or will be disqualified from the event by the Race Jury. This includes pushing or pulling slower people uphill, deviating from your line when sprinting etc.
Pushing or pulling other riders will be penalized by minimum 1 hour for the first infringement for both riders in question. A second offence to this regulation may result in disqualification from the race result
Even though the granfondo course is expected to be kept traffic-free by local authorities, expect the unexpected, watch out for any potential dogs, cats or cattle and follow standard traffic regulations by keeping to the right side of the road and stopping for red traffic lights.
Participants must follow the course as marked by the Organizing Committee (OC). Course marking always overrules GPX files as on any day, emergency route modifications may occur.
Intermediate checkpoints with electronic time measurements are put at random places along the course and must be passed by each rider. 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.
Complaints about race results can be communicated to the race jury at the finish line until 30 minutes after the participant’s finish time. 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.
Every Granfondo stage will have separate starting blocks that must be adhered to. Participants who start in the wrong block will receive a time penalty of fifteen (15) minutes. The start block order is decided per Granfondo event specifically
Leave No Trace - Participants are not allowed to throw litter on the race course and should keep it with them until the next aid station or designated littering zone. Smoking is not allowed in the starting and finishing area. There will be a designated smoking area on-site.
The Race Director, supported by the Race Jury, 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.
Each participant must read through the full specific event regulations and guidelines. By starting a race, the participant acknowledges and accepts the race regulations.
If anything is unclear, please address your question to a Nordic Ways staff or to info@nordicways.com
Yunnan - specific regulations 2023
In 2023, the long-distance category is exclusively reserved for participants riding a road race bike. No MTB, gravel, hybrid bikes allowed.
In 2023, the short distance event has two categories: 1) road race bike and 2) MTB bikes. No hybrid, gravel or other bikes allowed.
All participants are expected to check-in at the start venue and in their start block at least 15 minutes before the start of the race.
The start of each stage in the 2023 Colourful Granfondo Yunnan will have 4 separate starting blocks. The Block A is reserved for invited athletes and 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, Block C for short distance road bike and Block D for short distance MTB.
Altitude sickness and sunburn. In Yunnan riders climb to very high altitudes - already on day 1 in Chengjiang/Yuxi. People should take protect themselves from sunburn, as well as refrain from heroism should any respiratory difficulties or headaches occur.
The general classification (GC) of the 2023 Granfondo Yunnan is based on the accumulated race times of each rider in every stage of the event. The classification of each stage will be based on race time (gun time at the start) and the ranking order of riders across the finish line. If a rider fails to finish a stage, he will not be ranked in the GC classification
In addition to the general classification, there will also be age group rankings and ceremonies for the long-distance riders in the +40, +50 groups.
There will also be a team classification. Teams must consist of minimum five riders, 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 riders of the team must reach the finish within the time limit of the race. The finish times of the three fastest riders of each team are added up to produce the team's finishing time.
The best riders in the overall and age group rankings will be invited to a podium ceremony. Please follow the instructions given on race day.
Each participant must wear a number on the left rear pocket of his jersey. The seat post stickers must be placed according to the guidelines provided by our time-keeping team at race pack collection
There will be intermediate checkpoints along the course. All participants are supposed to cross these checkpoints within the time limit set by the race director. Someone who does not gets registered at a checkpoint will be disqualified from the race result.
All participants in Granfondo Yunnan, long and short distance, must be aware of the daily minimum speed requirement and cut-off times imposed at drinking stations or checkpoints. If someone fails to arrive at such a station within the allocated time, he/she will be required to stop cycling and enter the DNF bus without discussion. Please always doublecheck the cut-off times per stage via our Weixin channel, website and/or Information Board at Race Pack Collection.
Injury & emergency: please use the telephone number printed on your bib. Please only use this number for real injuries or other emergencies. Aid stations are equipped with first-aid kits for minor issues.
DNF - If you retire from a race, whatever the reason, please either try to make it to the next aid station or calmly wait for our bicycle pick-up trucks and ‘DNF bus’ following the last riders on the course. In any case, communicate your bib number to our event staff.