Regulation

1. Introduction

1.1. It is a staged MTB race, divided into 4 stages.

1.2. It is an individual competition at the UCI XCS1 level (only the PRO test), which can also be played as a couple or individually in an OPEN way (cycling license or hiring a day license).

1.3. The competition will take place from April 6 to 9, 2023.

1.4. The competition is held in the town of Igualada (Anoia region). All departures and arrivals are made from the same point (Par Central d’Igualada)

1.5. The competition follows the technical and sporting regulations of the UCI (International Cycling Union) in the elite male categories and of the FCC for the rest of the categories.

You can consult the UCI rules here.

2. Registration

2.1. Anyone wishing to participate in this competition must register on the official website: www.volcatbtt.com. For the registration to be valid, it is mandatory to fill in all the required fields in the form and pay the registration fees.

2.2. The registration period ends on April 11, 2022.

Participants must be in possession of a cycling competition license, issued by a national cycling federation approved by the UCI. Participants wishing to compete in the UCI Elite Men’s and Women’s categories must hold an annual cycling competition license.

2.4. If you have a cycling license, you can participate in the OPEN/POPULAR modality. It is also possible to purchase a day license, at an additional cost of €12.

2.5. IMPORTANT: In accordance with the regulations of the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), foreign participants with a cycling license not processed by the RFEC must have a written authorization from their national federation, an exit permit, certifying that their insurance It is valid in Spain. This document must be presented to the Commissioners in order to collect the number.

2.6. During the administrative checks, a bracelet will be given to all participants, which they must wear during the competition days. This bracelet allows access to the areas reserved for participants and guarantees compliance with security measures.

2.7. The registration price per participant is:

2.8. Registration includes:

The right to take part in the competition.
Registration gifts. Official jersey of the test for those who do Volcat and Volcat Half (the size is guaranteed up to a maximum of 1 and a half months before the closure). For those who complete 1 stage there will be a commemorative shirt.
Plate and number
Adhesive of the profiles of each stage.
Timing service.
Electronic chip control.
Liquid and solid supplies.
Food at the end of each stage (except the first, which will be a refreshment)
Marking of the route and with control points
broom bike
Medical assistance within the tour. Technical zones.
Finisher Gift (4 stage participants only)
Dutxa service and. toilet
Bicycle washing service provided by the BLUB brand.

*services subject to what is permitted by health regulations.

2.9. Optional and additional services:

Caravan area
Mechanic and physio
Expo area
Others to specify

2.10. In the event of disqualification or withdrawal from the competition, the registration fee will not be refunded, in whole or in part.

2.11. Cancellation and changes policy (regarding the registration price):

Return policy according to the date of request, for those registered who do NOT contract the return guarantee.

Period	% Return
Until March 14, 2023	75%
From March 15 to March 30, 2023	50%
As of April 1 there is NO refund.

Change of ownership

Allowed with a charge of €10, it can be managed automatically in your registration file on the registration platform.

3. Participants

3.1. All participants must be at least 18 years old on December 31 of the year in which the competition takes place.

3.2. Participants can register in these categories in the PRO / COMPETITION modality:

ELITE FEMALE.
MALE ELITE.
UNDER 23 FEMALE
MALE UNDER 23
MASTER 30. Men and women who are 30 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. If they maintain the Elite license they will not be able to compete in Master 30.
MASTER 40. Men and women who are 40 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. If they maintain the Elite or Master 30 license they will not be able to compete in Master 40.
MASTER 50. Men and women who are 50 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. If they maintain the Elite, Master 30 or Master 40 license they will not be able to compete in Master 50.
MASTER 60. Men and women who are 60 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. If they maintain the Elite, Master 30, Master 40 or Master 50 license they will not be able to compete in Master 60.

3.3. The bib numbers will be assigned by categories and according to the order of registration and the last update of the UCI ranking.

3.4. Participants can register in these categories in the OPEN / POPULAR modality:

MEN’S OPEN. Men who are 16 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held.
FEMALE OPEN. Women who are 16 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held.
MEN’S OPEN DUO. Couple formed by two men who are 16 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. They can be holders of the competition license (since it is a category not recognized by the UCI, it is not possible to opt for prizes or UCI points), a day license cycling license is admitted.
FEMALE OPEN DUO. Couple formed by two women who are 16 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. They can be holders of a competition license (as it is a category not recognized by the UCI, it is not possible to opt for prizes or UCI points), a cycling license or a day license.
MIXED DUO OPEN. Couple formed by a man and a woman who are 16 years of age or older on December 31 of the year in which the test is held. They can be holders of a competition license (as it is a category not recognized by the UCI, it is not possible to opt for prizes or UCI points), a cycling license or a day license.
HALF. Modality where the participant will only carry out 2 of the 4 stages, chosen by blog either 1 and 2 or 3 and 4, you can participate in both DUO and Individual. Minimum age 16 or more years as of December 31 of the year of the test dispute.
STAGE. Modality where the participant can choose the stage that he wishes to carry out from the 4. Minimum Age 16 years or more on December 31 of the year of the test.

3.5. All participants who only register for one or two stages, even if they have a valid UCI federation license, will only participate in the OPEN category.

3.6. All those participants who are registered in the PRO category and drop out of the race, may continue to participate, but only in the OPEN category and with all the regulations that govern this modality.

4. Team meetings

4.1. All changes will be announced on the race information billboard, and it will be the responsibility of the participants to stay informed.

5. Race procedure

5.1. This competition follows the general regulations of the UCI and the specific regulations of Mountain Bike of the UCI.

5.2. After each stage, the results of the stage and the general classification will be published on the official website of the race and on the information billboard.

5.3. The starting box area will open 20 minutes before departure time.

5.4-There are different starting areas according to the general classification of the competition.

5.5. Five minutes before the start time, access to the start area will be prohibited and the participants that are added will be placed at the end of each of the start groups.

5.6. No participant can join the race once the official start has been given, unless a commissioner allows it. Participants who start after the official start will be considered DNS (Did Not Start).

5.7. Any breach of the regulation will mean the disqualification of the participant in question.

5.8. Participants who are no longer part of the official classification may continue to participate in the event in a non-competitive manner, as long as it does not influence the development of the competition. In case of not respecting this rule, they will be expelled from the race, without the possibility of continuing.

6. Cutting times

6.1. Court hours. The organization establishes a cutting speed, which may be applied if necessary. The established median is 10 km/h and it will be established whenever the organization deems it necessary.

7. Departure neutralized

7.1. For security reasons, the start of any stage can be neutralized. The race will lead the start with an official vehicle of the race. After the race director gives the start to the stage, the participants can start competing.

7.2. When the official car has reached the end of the neutralized section, it will stop to one side to indicate the end of the neutralization.

7.3. During the neutralized start it is forbidden to overtake the race director’s vehicle.

8. Tour

8.1. This route will be duly signposted with markings, especially at conflictive points, such as crossroads or streets.

8.2. The route will be open to traffic, but duly controlled. Participants must follow the instructions of the traffic authorities and drive with caution.

8.3. The route includes demanding climbs and sections with technical descents. It is the responsibility of the participant to decide which section is cyclable. The organization is not responsible for the abilities or fitness of each of the participants.

8.4. During the tour there are checkpoints.

8.5. At the control points, a commissioner will write down the bib number of each participant and his time.

8.6. Skipping a control point will mean the disqualification of the participant in question.

8.7. Not following the indications in a segment will mean the disqualification of the participant in question.

8.8. The abandonment of the route established by the organization will mean the disqualification of the participant in question.

9. Refreshments

9.1. The refreshment areas are duly signposted along the route. In these you will find everything you need to cover the needs of runners between stages in terms of food and hydration.

9.2. The equipment supply points will be the points where assistance will be allowed.

10. Marking

10.1. The race will be marked with ribbons and direction arrows. No electronic device is necessary to follow the race.

10.2. Every ten kilometers, the distance to the finish line will be indicated. The last five kilometers to the finish line will also be indicated.

11. Dropouts

11.1. Any participant who leaves must inform the organization as soon as possible.

11.2. Failure to report the abandonment could lead to expulsion from the competition.

11.3. In case of accident or emergency, and taking into account the safety of the participants, the organization reserves the right to force the withdrawal of a participant from the competition.

12. Results

12.1. The results of each stage are established according to the time required to complete each of the stages, plus the penalties.

12.2. The total time of the completed stages and the total penalty time determine the final rankings.

12.3. The following classifications are established in the PRO/COMPETITION modality:

SCRATCH
Under 23 female
Under 23 male
Elite female
Elite male
Master 30
Master 30 female
Master 40
Master 40 female
Master 50
Master 50 female
Master 60
Master 60 female

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 3VOLCAT, this classification will be obtained from the sum of times of the 3Volcats (Platja d’Aro, Igualada and Costa Brava) in the corresponding categories named above. Only participants who have completed the 8 corresponding stages of the 3Volcat will be part of this classification.

In the OPEN/POPULAR modality, the classification will be according to the following categories:

OPEN MAN
OPEN WOMAN
OPEN DUO WOMEN
MEN’S OPEN DUO
MIXED OPEN
HALF 1
HALF 2

12.4. There is a UCI classification for Elite women and men, in order to reward participants with UCI points and prize money.

12.5. Any participant who does not officially complete a stage is not considered a Finisher.

12.6. All participants wear a single-use chip to be able to record their times and be able to follow up. The stewards must approve these times to validate the results.

13. Awards

13.1. There will be an award ceremony for each stage and for the first in each category, only for the PRO/COMPETITION modality.

The first three of the masculine and feminine general and the 1st of each category will go up to the podium.

13.2. Team classification: 2 men and 1 woman score, and the times of the 3 runners are added. The sum of the times of the 4 stages gives the final team classification. In each stage the first classified team will climb to the podium, while in the final overall the 3 best teams of VolCAT 2023 will climb.

13.3. Cash prizes:

The first five men and the first five women of each stage will win the following prizes: €200 / €150 / €100 / €75 / €50.

Total per stage: €1,150

The first ten men and the first ten women overall will win the following prizes: €600 / €500 / €400 / €300 / €250 / €200 / €150 / €125 / €100 / €50.

Total: €5,350

UCI points:

13.4 The OPEN modality prizes will be awarded to the first 3 of the GENERAL classification of each modality on the last day of the competition, except for the day modality that will not have a GENERAL classification.

14. Bicycle

14.1. The bicycle must comply with the UCI regulations, both in terms of technical characteristics and safety measures.

14.2. Competitors can change the bike at each stage, but they cannot change completely or change it during the stage (UCI regulations).

14.3 The bicycles parked in the official car park of the race may only be removed by the participants who wear the bracelet with the corresponding bib number.

15. Equipment

15.1. It is mandatory to compete with the bib number assigned by the organization. The bib number must be placed on the front of the bicycle and on the back of the participant. Both must be clearly visible and cannot be modified. The electronic chip cannot be modified and is attached to the back of the board.

15.2. All the leaders of the general classification must wear the leader’s jersey, issued by the organization. The leader’s jersey has a blank space both in front and behind reserved for the participant’s sponsors.

15.3. It is the responsibility of the participant to place their sponsors in the reserved space of the leader’s jersey.

15.4. For security reasons it is recommended to bring a mobile phone.

15.5. It may be necessary in some stages to wear certain warm clothing (raincoat, thermal leg warmers, etc.). The choice of material is the responsibility of the participants.

15.6. The organization will not be responsible in case of breakdown of the bicycle.

16. Sport and nature

16.1. Mountain biking is a competitive sport and/or a leisure activity that takes place in a natural environment and the impact it may have on the environment is the responsibility of all participants and organizers. Participants are asked not to litter on the route and to be respectful of the environment (do not pedal off the paths and not take shortcuts that could damage the vegetation), to be careful with animals, etc.

16.2. The commissioners and the organization reserve the right to disqualify any participant who does not respect the environment or private properties that come across during the race, and to expel him without the possibility of continuing to participate in the competition.

17. Considerations

17.1. Any participant may be subject to anti-doping control following the UCI regulations.

17.2. All participants must be respectful of other cyclists, commissioners, members of the organization, journalists and spectators.

17.3. The route where the competition takes place is drawn up exclusively for the race and the diffusion of the track is not allowed.

17.4. The commissioners reserve the right to disqualify any participant who does not respect these considerations, and to expel him without the possibility of continuing to participate in the competition.

17.5. All participants transfer their image rights to the organization, which can use any photograph or video derived from the competition.

17.6. The organization is not responsible for the expenses or debts that the participants may incur during the course of the event.

17.7. If necessary and only in case of force majeure and in order to guarantee the development of the event and the safety of all people (participants, commissioners, technical team, etc.) the organization reserves the right to delay the departure time , modify, alter or cancel a stage.

18. Claims

18.1. Claims must be formally submitted to the commissaires and will be processed following the UCI regulations.

19. Paddock

19.1. No participant or team member can camp or spend the night in the paddock, only those authorized by the organization. You have to make the corresponding reservation of space with the payment corresponding to the reserved area, you can do it at www.volcatbtt.com

19.2. There will be an area for parking camper vans or caravans. It is necessary to make the reservation at: www.volcatbtt.com

20. Order of starting

20.1. The starting order of the first stage will be in order of UCI ranking scores and then in order of numbers. The remaining 3 stages according to the classification by category in the relevant drawers.

REGISTERING WITH VOLCAT IMPLIES ACCEPTANCE AND COMPLIANCE WITH THIS REGULATION. IT ALSO IMPLIES THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION AND THE CANCELLATION POLICY.