Merida Bike Adventure 2010

The 10th score MTB race of couples
The Army area Brdy - Spálené Poříčí

The race the mountain bike was invented for

Two-day-points race of couples on mountain bikes with a map takes place in beautiful terrains south-east of Plzen, mainly natural parks Třemšín, Trhoň, and the army area Brdy.

The race fits for everybody, starting with holiday bikers to experienced racers where everybody can choose his/her way according to his/her ideas and facilities. The couple passes whole race together and so the team cooperation and good coordination are of a great importance too. Moreover a pair-race brings new experience, sharing of crises and joy of success.

Before the start, each team receives a map with checkpoints and at the start they receive their point-classification. The aim is to collect as many points as possible passing the checkpoints in the given period of time. Free-order orienteering is more interesting and adventurous than classical marathon races, as it doesn't depend on your cycling style and qualities only, but also on your sense of direction in the landscape and chosen tactics.

To the 10th anniversary of BA we have prepared one original news - Loap BA Challenge - special race for the most adventure and romantic people. Loap BA Challenge is coming back to the history of Bike Adventure, where we saw similar races in foreign countries, which were inspiration for us. The main idea is the same like in other Bike Adventure races - but competitors don't get back to the central base camp, they carry all the necessary equipment by themselves and sleep over in the given place somewhere in the forest. So competitors have to depend just on themselves. Finally, they are awarded for their performance with a stronger and more romantic experience.

Organization:

University Sporting Club Prague, Club of Orienteering

Date of event:

24th - 25th July 2010

Center of the event

BDC Area Těnovice by Spálené Poříčí

Registration

Register in the on-line registration form at www.bike-adventure.cz. The number of participants is limited up to 1000 people limit for Merida Bike Adventure and 200 people Loap for BA Challenge. We need you to give all the necessary information to the application form (esp. date of birth and personal ID card Nr.), because of the Army permitting.
You can up-date your data in the registration database yourselves until 14th June, than we close the database. Eventual later changes in your inscription address to prihlaska@bike-adventure.cz (manipulation fee = 50 CZK).
Track the registration status on www.bike-adventure.cz.
The start is open only for people aged 18 and more. For younger than 18, only with parental consent.

Fees

1 000 CZK (for 2 days and 2 people in team) for Merida Bike Adventure (including starting fee, showers and another service in the event centre, parking fee)
1 200 CZK (for 2 days and 2 people in team) for Loap BA Challenge (including the same as at Merida Bike Adventure plus accommodation during the race)
Nr. of account 670100-2201368476/6210 (mBank)
Variable symbol is your phone number (9 digits)
Constant symbol is 558.
In case, you will pay on place during registration (for foreigners only), put it into the note in the subscription.
In case, you will not participate, the entry fee is not turned back. You may cancel your registration by e-mail on prihlaska@bike-adventure.cz before 30.6. 2010 (cancellation fee = 100 CZK)

Sport Ident

The electronic system SportIdent will be used to measure and record your track. Take your SI chip with you if you have any - and input its number in the entry form. There will be the possibility to rent SI on place for 80 CZK. One SI chip is needed for every couple.

Accommodation

Organizer ensures the camp in the centre of the event for 150 CZK/1 person and night (in your tent). Regarding the fact the centre is located on a meadow; the camp will be equipped by basic standard only - mobile WC, cold water for washing). For more comfort accommodation we recommend offers of pensions in surround (Spálené Poříčí, Nepomuk, Rokycany...)

Parking

According to the organizers' rules in the competition centre.

Presentation for the event

Friday 23rd July in the centre of the event - from 18,00 - 22,00
Saturday 24th July in the centre of the event - from 8,00 - 8,30

Start

Interval start, no risk of traffic jams. First bikers start at 9,00 on Saturday and Sunday. The personal start times are available at our web pages, at registration or by SMS, which you can order in application form (only for Sunday).

Courses - time limits

The same for all categories
1st day 6 hours (Saturday)
2nd day 4 hours (Sunday)

Map

Tourist map SHOCart 1:50 000. The special print will be edited for the event. Subscribed participants will receive the map from organizer on place - 1 for 1 couple. Further maps will be possible to buy on place.

Bike Adventure Team Spirit

The special category is open for clubs or company teams. One team is composed from three couples (ladies, men or mixed) from the same club or company. The subscription is made automatically (upon the same name of the team) - be careful about capital letters and so on.

Additional program

10 years of BA - retrospective program
Baby Zoom - the special care for your kids during the race (for children more than 2 years old).
Bike Service - the basic service and sale of the bike equipment, our partners are Merida, Můj Sport, and Bike Tunel. They provide service, sale basic tools and equipment.
Night guard for bikes - limited capacity
BA Photo Express - express photo in the centre of the event - finish area, www.bezvafotky.eu
BA10 stylish T-shirts - upon the order during on-line registration
SMS result service - we send you your results and starting times for Sunday, you have to order in application form during on-line registration
BA Open - opportunity for those, who want to try Bike Adventure just for fun. It will be possible to buy a map in info tent and after the start go and plan your track according to points of each checkpoint. Just without SI, number, time measuring all the other service around, but also without need to register in time.

Refreshment

Basic offer will be ensured in the party tent in the centre of Bike Adventure. Further possibilities are in nearby restaurants. On Saturday it is possible to have warm lunch after the race, but it is necessary to order in time.

Prize giving and closing ceremony

First 3 couples in each category will be awarded by valuable prizes and diplomas. All start numbers will be given into the lottery.

Compulsory and recommended equipment

Merida BA

Mountain bike (not the road one), helmet, spare equipment, map holder, refreshment for the race. Bike helmet is obligatory.

Loap BA Challenge

Compulsory equipment: tent (one for team), sleeping bag, cooker (one for team), some food (1 portion for person) which must survive to the finish of second day, mountain bike, helmet - can all be control.

>Recommended equipment: spare clothes, groundsheet, map holder, enough of food, repair kit, light, locker for bikes.

More information

Contact Infoline: + 420 720 546 994
Email: info@bike-adventure.cz

Rules and conditions

All the participants are obligatory to keep all the rules of the behaviour in the nature.
Each participant will receive a cycling map with printed checkpoints, SI chip and a list of all checkpoints at his/her registration.
On the start day the point evaluation will be announced by the organizer - individual checkpoints have various point value. It depends on the couple what strategy they will choose to achieve as many points as possible in the given period of time.
Start is in regular times with intervals of 3 minutes - it is therefore necessary to appear in the start-zone with a time reserve of 6 min at least so that the couple is ready for their start time (stated in the start list) in time. If a couple comes later, the participant will lose his/her minutes without return.
The participants mark passing of checkpoints in their SI chip. The athletes from one couple must stay during the race close to each other all the time. The checkpoints and finish line must be passed together. The motto of this race is: "two are more than just one".
The race limit is set and every minute more is penalized.
Other people's help is absolutely out of question. The participants using other people's help (hitch-hiking) can be disqualified.
The organizers take no responsibility for the health of participants, the technical condition of bike etc. The participants acknowledge by signing/entering the application form that they take part in the race at their own risk.
The organizers ask the participants to respect the principals of behaviour in nature - not to throw away paper, not to leave packing behind, not to bike off roads, etc.
Entire race is regulated according to the MTBO rules (Mountain Bike Orienteering). In case of any rules infraction (especially the ride in couple), all the points from the stage will be cancelled. The head referee has to judge in the controversial cases.

Two more rules concerning Loap BA Challenge only:

The competitors need to have their compulsory equipment during the whole race. Any team found not to have the minimum specified equipment will be disqualified.
The race is inspired by the idea of minimum contact with civilization and maximum consonance with nature, on self sufficiency and independency on comfort and help of another people. Therefore all competitors have to sleep in the overnight camp during the race (in own tent), another restrictions (concerning the food etc.) are not announced. We suppose, only the teams who appreciate the unique experience of this race and fair play more than their results in the finish will take part in this race.

Kamil Arnošt
director

Zdeněk Polák
hlavní rozhodčí