Regulations for the Swiss Bicycle Marathons

Participation
All well trained riders may take part in the Swiss marathons.
Limit of age:
720 kms: 18 years
200 kms: 16 years
100 kms: 14 years
Juveniles between 16 and 18 years of age need a written consent of a parent or of a guardian. Juveniles between 14 and 16 years of age may only start when accompanied by an adult.
For organizational, traffic and security reasons there is a limitation of maximum 120 competitors overall. Registration will be accepted in sequence of arrival.

Categories
Categories are written down separate.

Registration and Registration Fees
The registration form may be sent by post or e-mail. Juveniles have to send the registration form, signed by a parent or by a guardian, by post. The registration will only be valid as soon as the registration fee is paid. With the registration the competitors accept the rules on hand.
Participants can cancel their booking until 20 days before the start of the event without giving any reasons.
A later cancellation can only be accepted if a medical certificate can be shown which confirms the unability of participation.
Illness/accident of a group member does not entitle other group members to cancel their booking (exception: relay teams and tandem).
A cancellation can only be accepted with a registered letter. The address of payment has to be indicated. A medical certificate has to be delivered to the post office at the latest on monday after the event.
If the cancellation is accepted you will get 75 % of the starting fee back.

Bicycles
The bicycles have to fulfil the technical requirements for race bicycles of the Union Cycliste International (UCI) or have to fulfil the technical requirements of the International Triathlon Union (ITU).
"Human Powered Vehicles" (HPV) are tandem, recumbent bicycles, full fairing and part fairing bicycles and other vehicles which can be moved by muscle power only.

Equipment
Triathlon handbars and disq wheels are allowed.
All vehicles have to fulfil the traffic laws of all the countries the course goes through. Bicycles belonging to Swiss Competitors have to have a valid "Vignette".
The bicycles have to be equipped with a white front light and a red (not flashing) rear light. These lights have to be on from 10 p.m. until 5.15 a.m. or as long the riders are not clearly visible for the other road users.
Competitors without satisfying lighting will be fined by the police and won't be able to continue.
Each competitor has to wear the starting number clearly visible on their back.
All competitors must have a valid identity card or a passport to be allowed to cross the borders.

Support Vehicles
It is compolsury for the relay teams to be accompanied by a support vehicle to transport the previous rider.
In all other categories each rider or each team may be accompanied by one support vehicle.
We ask the competitors to do without a support vehicle if possible.
Support vehicles are not allowed the 110 kms marathon.
The support vehicles have to be marked with the starting number on the right side of the windscreen and with the official warning bill on the rear window.
Communication between competitors and their accompanying vehicles is only allowed outside the course area.
The support vehicle shouldn't hinder the regular traffic.

Traffic Regulations
This event is not a race!
The traffic regulations have to be followed by all competitors and by all support vehicles.Those who ignore rights of way or traffic lights will be disqualified immediatly.
Cycling side by side is not allowed. The maximum size of a group consists of 10 competitors.
The general traffic must not be disturbed by the support vehicles.
Cycling tracks and lanes are to be used.

Safety
The course is neither blocked nor secured otherwise.
It is strongly advised to wear a helmet.
Drafting behind other competitors of these marathons is allowed, except behind those who are qualifying for the RAAM (Race Across AMerica). Drafting behind motorized vehicles is not allowed.
If a support vehicle is near its rider, it has to drive behind the rider.

Course
The course is marked with signposts. Riders have to follow the route. Each competitor gets a "Road-Book" with the detailed course description. Riders off the course may be transported back by a support vehicle to the point where the course deviation was made.

Checkpoint Closing and Retirement
The opening hours of each checkpoint are written down in the "Road-Book".
At each checkpoint the "Road-Book" has to be shown to get a control entry and a signature to control the course.
Competitors who arrive at a checkpoint before the opening hours have to wait to get the control entry.
Each competitor has to be at each checkpoint himself. If the support vehicles carries the Roadbook the entry will be made only when the competitor arrives at the checkpoint.
The relay teams change the rider at each checkpoint.
Competitors who arrive at a checkpoint after its closing will be disqualified and may ride on without any support of the organizers. Due to certain circumstances the organizers may extend the opening hours of the checkpoints. There will be a final support vehicle belonging to the organizers to transport retired competitors and their bicycles.
Those who want to retire have to tell that they are leaving at the next checkpoint or to the driver of the final support vehicle at any rate.
Search operations, which are caused by ignoring the duty to inform the organizers about the retirement, have to be paid by the failing competitor.

Responsibility
Each competitor must have a personal liability insurance and an accident insurance.
The organizers cannot accept liability for accidents, diseases, lost equipment, robbery and other damages.

Drugs and Dopes
It is not allowed to take drugs which cause an increase in performance or which are mentioned on the list of forbidden drugs of the Swiss Olympic Commitee (SOC).
The competitors may be tested for drugs.

Sanctions
Those who offend against these regulations or against the traffic regulations will get a warning and a time punishement of 30 mins. The punishment will be registered in the "Road-Book".
Repeated or serious offences will cause disqualification.

Additional Regulations
There are special regulations for those who participate in the "Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux" and for those who are qualifying for the RAAM (Race Across America).