Rules

3 – PARTICIPATION

The race is open to all cyclists, cycling sports athletes, and cycle tourists, whether licensed or not, of both sexes, aged 18 or older (as of 31-12-2025).

All participants who do not hold a valid cycling federation license for the current year, issued by the Portuguese Cycling Federation, must register as non-licensed riders so that the organization can contract event insurance for the athlete.

The only valid insurance policies for participating in the race are personal accident and civil liability insurance provided with a cycling federation license issued by the Portuguese Cycling Federation, or the insurance contracted by the organization.

Participation in the event is entirely at the responsibility and risk of the participants, who fully assume the inherent risks of their involvement.

By registering, the participant declares that they are physically fit to complete the event routes and have no physical or mental limitations that would prevent them from doing so.

In the ALGARVE BIKE CHALLENGE, there will be 5 SOLO categories and 7 TEAM (pairs) categories, defined by the participants’ age and gender.

There must be at least 5 athletes in a Solo category and 3 teams in a Team category, registered and confirmed by the registration closing date, for the category to be applied.

E-Bikes will not be accepted in the race.

For each category, there will be a leader’s jersey.

3.1 – Requirements

Age
Participants must be at least 19 years old by December 31, 2026.

Each participant is responsible for their own physical condition and health. They should be aware that this is an endurance event that requires good health, fitness, and proper preparation for the physical effort involved.

The participation of persons suspended for the use of illegal substances is not allowed.

3.2 – Equipment

Bicycle – A mountain bike is required to participate in this race.

Helmet – The use of a helmet suitable for mountain biking is mandatory whenever the competitor is moving in any way other than on foot. Failure to comply will result in the suspension of the team from the race.

GPS Device – As this is a GPS-guided race, a GPS device is mandatory for the entire event. The device must have the tracks preloaded and spare batteries available. In the case of models with an internal battery, the participant must ensure it is fully charged. The stage tracks will be provided by the organization in advance. The GPS should not contain any important saved data, and it is advisable not to have other tracks loaded. Participants are responsible for ensuring their device functions correctly throughout the race, under penalty of receiving a time penalty.

Mobile Phone – A working mobile phone must be carried throughout each stage. The number provided during registration must be used for contact in case of emergency. Participants must ensure that the battery lasts for the full duration of the stage and that caller ID is not hidden. Any irregularities will result in a penalty.

Number Plates – The race number plate must be placed in a clearly visible position on the front of the bike, facing the direction of travel. A competitor who arrives at a Checkpoint without their number plate may cause their team to be disqualified. Any modifications to the size of the plates must be authorized by the organization. These plates will display sponsor advertising, and under no circumstances may this space be used for other purposes. Failure to comply will result in penalties. Any obscene graphics or visual expressions on the competitor’s appearance or equipment will result in suspension from the race.

Wristband – Athlete identification is done via a wristband. It must be worn at all times during the event and grants access to all areas reserved for participants. Not wearing the wristband may lead to denial of access to event services and areas. Participants are responsible for keeping the wristband in good condition and should notify the organization if it becomes damaged so it can be replaced.

Staff members will be clearly identified by clothing and/or ID cards.

4 – CATEGORIES

Categories will be defined by the age (of the youngest member of the team) and gender of the participants. All athletes will start together in a single start.

4.1 – Individual Participation

A minimum of 5 registered and confirmed athletes is required by the registration closing date for the category to be applied.

AGE	CATEGORY
19 to 29	Elite Men / Elite Women
30 to 39	Master 30 Men / Master 30 Women
40 to 49	Master 40 Men / Master 40 Women
50 to 59	Master 50 Men / Master 50 Women
60+	Master 60 Men / Master 60 Women

4.2 – Teams – Pairs

A minimum of 3 registered and confirmed teams is required by the registration closing date for the category to be applied.

GENDER / AGE	CATEGORY
M / 19 to 39	Open Men
M / 40 to 49	Master Men
M / 50+	Grand Master Men
F / 19 to 39	Open Women
F / 40+	Master Women
M + F / 19 to 39	Mixed
M + F / 40+	Master Mixed

For the purpose of category assignment, the age considered will be as of 31/12/2026

5 – COURSE

The Algarve Bike Challenge route starts in the mythical and historic city of Tavira, traversing not only the coast but also the “barrocal” and the Algarve mountains, before returning to the coastline and finishing again in Tavira. Approximately 95% of the course is made up of dirt roads, trails, singletracks, and unpaved forest roads.

The course uses public roads, both paved and unpaved, and passes through towns and villages. It will not be entirely closed to traffic, so participants must be aware of the possibility of encountering vehicles, people, and animals travelling in both directions.

The race route crosses some roads where, in certain locations, there may be no staff present, so participants are urged to exercise the utmost caution. Intersections will be marked by the organisation with a STOP sign placed before the crossing. At particularly dangerous crossings, staff will be present to control the passage of teams.

Following the official race route is mandatory. Penalties will apply if deviations are detected. The official route is considered an imaginary strip 80 metres wide, with the trail or track being its centreline. Any deviation will be penalised with 30 minutes for each kilometre missed. For penalty purposes, any fraction of a kilometre will be considered a full kilometre. Teams may leave the course at any time without penalty, provided they re-enter at the exact same point where they left.

The race course will not be marked in full on the ground; only intersections and danger zones will be signposted. Five days before the race, the organisation will send the GPS tracks to the teams’ registered email addresses. These must be loaded onto participants’ GPS devices.

Participants are solely responsible for the correct functioning of their GPS devices and for preserving the uploaded data.

In case of doubts or difficulties uploading the track to the GPS, teams are advised to contact the organisation before the race start.

6 – STARTS

The Prologue will start at 19:00. Four solo riders or three teams will start simultaneously at one-minute intervals. The starting order will be determined according to team category.

A team not starting the Prologue will be assigned the time of the last classified team plus a 20-minute penalty, and will be allowed to start the following stage, remaining in the overall classification.

The start of the following stages will be based on the general classification, with starting boxes in place.

Given the number of participants, there will be three start waves in stages 2 and 3:

The first 100 ranked pairs in the general classification (regardless of category) will start at 09:00.
Pairs ranked from 101st to 300th place will start at 09:10.
The remaining pairs will start at 09:20.

The starting box allocation will be based on the general classification. The Prologue start will be according to each team’s category.

The start control will close 10 minutes after the official start time. Teams starting late within this window will not be penalised but must start before the control closes. A team arriving after the control has closed will not have its stage result validated and the stage will not count towards the classification.

The official race time will be GPS time for the Western European Time Zone (London, Lisbon).

A tent will be available in the start area where participants may leave their official ABC2026 bag, marked with the team’s name, containing personal belongings. Valuables should not be left in these bags.

7 – CHECKPOINTS (CP)

The organisation will set up hidden checkpoints along the route to monitor team passage. Missing a CP will result in penalties or disqualification. These CPs may or may not be staffed. Some CPs will have a closing time.

Any team arriving at a CP after its closing time will be required to abandon the stage. They will be transported to the finish by the organisation or given safe directions to reach it on their own. The CP closing times will be announced to all teams during race week in the race book.

Unless instructed otherwise by the organisation, competitors are not required to stop at CPs.

7.1 – External Assistance

External assistance is only allowed at locations coinciding with feed zones provided by the organisation, as listed in the race guide. These areas will be marked with Start and End of Zone signs. Assistance may be mechanical, logistical, or nutritional, aimed solely at providing additional support to the participant.

Outside these zones, no assistance is allowed under penalty of disqualification. Bicycle changes are not permitted during a stage.

7.2 – Feed Zones

Feed zones will be available along the route, providing solid and liquid nutrition.
Participants may rest, eat, hydrate, and make mechanical repairs here. The organisation will not transport personal supplies to these locations.

Access to feed zones may be subject to health authority restrictions depending on current regulations.

8 – FINISHES

The location of each finish line will be marked on the GPS track and on the maps provided to the teams. Timing will be recorded to the hundredth of a second.

A team finishes a stage—and the official time is recorded—when the second rider crosses the finish line, which will be physically marked with a line on the ground and a structure related to the competition. The time is taken based on the front wheel of the second rider crossing the line.

The closing time of the Finish Control will be announced later in the race book.

If a team is not classified in any stage, it will be marked as Did Not Finish (DNF). In the General Classification, it will appear after all teams without an official result.

Teams may be required to hand in their GPS device after crossing the finish line so that the organisation can check the route completed in that stage and verify whether there were any errors or deviations from the official course.

In the Algarve Bike Challenge, the GPS device is an essential part of each team’s participation, and teams must ensure that it is always present and recording the entire route.

If a team refuses to hand in its GPS at the finish, or if the device does not contain the recorded track of the route completed, the stage result will not be validated and the team will be considered Disqualified (DSQ).

At each stage finish line, the organisation will set up a recovery and rehydration support area. This service is included in the registration fee.

9 – WITHDRAWALS

If, for any reason, a team decides to withdraw from the race, it must immediately inform the organisation. This can be done at any checkpoint or by calling the Race Course Coordinator directly using the contact number printed on the participant wristband.

Any withdrawal not communicated to the organisation may trigger a search and rescue operation, which could incur expenses for the organisation. Such costs, if applicable, will be charged to the team that failed to report its withdrawal.

A team that withdraws from a stage may start the following stage; however, it will not be classified and must start after all teams with valid classification.

10 – TECHNICAL SUPPORT

At the end of each race day, the organisation’s partners will provide technical assistance for participants’ bicycles for those who hire the service on-site. All parts or accessories used for repairs will be charged to the respective participants, including the applicable VAT, to be invoiced directly by the service partners.

11 – ACCOMMODATION

Registration for the Algarve Bike Challenge may be made with or without accommodation included. The registration package with accommodation includes two nights at the hotel chosen at the time of registration.

Accommodation will be in a double/twin room shared by the registered team and includes a buffet breakfast and dinner on 28/02 at the restaurant of the respective hotel.

12 – COMPULSORY WITHDRAWAL

The Race Director, at their own discretion, has the authority to disqualify or prevent a team from continuing in the race if, at any point, one or both athletes from that team exhibit any of the following:

– Physical or mental health issues;
– Premeditated violation of the Race Regulations;
– Unsportsmanlike conduct;
– Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
– Participation under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs;
– Disrespect for the law, religions, or customs;
– Disrespect for the environment (including deliberately littering);
– Serious disregard for traffic regulations.

13 – CLASSIFICATIONS

The Algarve Bike Challenge will be won by the team with the lowest accumulated time at the end of the prologue and the two stages.

There will be an overall classification for each category and an absolute general classification.

Leader jerseys will be awarded for each category.

Two classifications will be published daily: one for the stage results of the day and another for the overall classification up to that point.

14 – PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 teams in the final overall classification of each category.

Penalties Table

A team that does not start the prologue will be classified with the time of the last classified team in the prologue plus 30 minutes, and can start the following stage, counting towards the general and stage classifications.
If one rider of a team does not finish a stage, the other rider may continue in the race but will start from the last start box, behind all classified participants still competing.

Infraction	Penalty
Not wearing a helmet	Disqualification
Hiding or losing the front plate	1 hour
Loss of identification wristband	1 hour / Disqualification
Missing a checkpoint (CP)	Disqualification
Ignoring CP closing times	Disqualification
Disrespecting other participants	1 hour / Disqualification
Disrespecting traffic rules	2 hours / Disqualification
Disobeying law enforcement, emergency teams, or race staff	Disqualification and removal from the race
Littering outside designated areas	1 hour / Disqualification
Failing to assist an injured participant	Disqualification and removal from the race (only applies to accidents; mechanical or logistical issues do not require assistance)
External assistance outside designated zones	1 hour / Disqualification

15 – Course Changes or Race Cancellation

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, depending on its evolution and if required by health authorities, the organisation may be forced to cancel or postpone the event. In such a case, all registrations will be transferred to the new date at no extra cost. Teams requesting cancellation and refund will receive 90% of the amount paid (only for Covid-19 related cases).

In the event of adverse weather conditions, and in line with the principle of participant safety, the organisation may make significant changes to the course and schedule, including route changes, road diversions, or time adjustments, which participants must comply with or risk disqualification.

In extreme cases, the organisation may be forced to postpone the event to another date or cancel it entirely (only in very extreme circumstances). Any postponement may be decided up to 72 hours before the scheduled start and will be immediately announced on the official event website. Cancellation or postponement will not entitle participants to any compensation or refund.

16 – Image Rights

The Associação Clube BCF reserves the right to use captured images, as well as other data (classifications, times, or interviews) during the Algarve Bike Challenge for the promotion of its products and events, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Anyone wishing to revoke the use of their image must submit a written request to algarvebikechallenge @gmail.com.

17 – MISCELLANEOUS

Responsibilities

The organisation commits to contracting event liability insurance in accordance with current legislation.

The organisation will not be responsible for any damage to participants’ bicycles at any time during the event, whether during the stages, in the bike park, or other related areas.

The organisation guarantees the safety of participants’ bicycles—properly identified—only when stored in the bike park during its official opening hours.

18 – Unspecified Cases

Unspecified cases or situations not covered in these regulations will be analysed by the organisation, whose decisions will be final. Participants may be called to provide clarifications on situations arising from complaints.

Questions regarding the interpretation of these regulations should be addressed to the organisation.

The organisation will not be liable for accidents caused by or suffered by participants during the race and their possible consequences, except as provided under the personal accident insurance policies.

The organisation reserves the right to amend these regulations without prior notice if important omissions are identified that affect the proper functioning of the race, including stage or event alterations or cancellations due to weather conditions that threaten the safety of the event and the athletes. Any changes will be communicated on the event’s official website.

1 – DEFINITION

2 – REGISTRATION

2.1 – Registration Requirements

2.2 – CANCELLATION POLICY

2.3 – COURSE CHANGES OR EVENT CANCELLATION