Rules & Regulations

1) Format: The Tour of Wessex must be completed as a solo rider, a 2-Up team, a 4-Up team or 3 person relay team, self-supported, and as a single stage, i.e. the clock runs non-stop. For non timed Cyclotourists group riding is permitted. 2) Values: Fair play and moral values are valued above completion time or gain. 3) Organisation: The event organiser provides the signed route, control points with sports nutrition and mechanical support, start and finish, chip timing and live tracking to present rider progress. This is where the responsibility of the event organisers ends. 4) Navigation: Directional signs are placed by the organiser, downloadable files (GPX,TCX & FIT) are also available for GPS devices and navigation enabled bicycle computers. It is recommended that complex sections of the route should be viewed prior to the event using Google Street view. 5) Safety: Riders are responsible for their own safety. This includes adhering to the Official UK Highway Code. Further, it is recommended that each participant has a white front light and a red rear light. Reflectors should also be fitted to the pedals and the rear of the cycle. If the light emits a steady light, it must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it should emit at least 4 candelas. If you’re involved in an accident during twilight and the hours of darkness, any slight irregularity could be challenged in court and may be regarded as ‘contributory negligence. 6) Conduct: Riders must self-police their conduct. 7) Communication: There is no mechanism to communicate to riders on the course other than at the start/finish and the 55 km, 125 km, 180 km, 250 km, and 305km control points. Riders alone are responsible for communicating with their friends and family. 8) Tracking: Online tracking is not intended to ensure rider safety. It is for information purposes only, and validation of course compliance. 9) Disqualification: The organiser reserves the right to disqualify a rider from the Tour of Wessex for confirmed rule violations. 10) Time Penalties: The organiser reserves the right to award time penalties to a rider for confirmed rule violations such as course deviation or drafted riding. 11) Notification of sanction: Tour of Wessex participants will not be notified of possible disqualification/penalty during the event. It is the sole responsibility of all riders to know the rules, police themselves, and in cases of course deviation, recognise their error and correct it before proceeding on the route. 12) Eligibility: Any cyclist over 18 may register to take part in the Tour of Wessex. Under 18’s may participate as part of a two or four-person team under the care of a parent or guardian. 13) Field Size: Entries are limited to 300. 14) Selection of participants: Entry shall be on the order of entry. A reserve list will be initiated once 300 participants are reached. 15) Observance of Law: The Tour of Wessex is an open road event and all participants in, or near the vicinity of the event must observe the Official UK Highway Code. In particular, but without prejudice to the general principles of this Regulation, participants must: I. Not ride in a manner that is unsafe either to themselves or to other road users. II. Ride on the side of the road as the oncoming traffic except for safe overtaking and when making right turns. III. Conform to all traffic signs, signals, and direction indicators. IV. In making any turn before, during or after the event, ensure that it is safe to do so. V. Event officials are not permitted, nor must they seek to regulate or interfere with other traffic. 16) Group Riding: Company Riding or Drafting other riders or vehicles is not permitted unless you are participating as a member of a two or four-person team and only then from members of your own team. However, for the first 3 km after the start, group riding is permitted as the course is predominantly uphill and minimal advantage will be gained from drafting. Outside of the first 3 km of the Tour of Wessex, any riders spending long periods very close to others will come under scrutiny by the event director. 17) Paced & Company Riding (Drafting): Solo riders must ride entirely alone and unassisted and not ride in company or take shelter (commonly known as drafting) from other riders or slow-moving vehicles such as tractors or mopeds. A rider overtaking another must pass, as quickly as possible, without receiving or giving shelter. The onus of avoiding company riding shall be upon the rider overtaken. Riders should set their own pace and not use another rider as a pacemaker. Nor is it in order to ride alongside or to ride a few metres behind for any appreciable distance. In the spirit of the event, caught riders should not disturb the performance of the rider catching them by repassing and/or riding closely behind them, except when they can sustain that move. This is generally considered to mean that the caught rider should allow a reasonable gap to develop of some 30 to 50 metres. Any riders seen via the live tracking system or otherwise proved to be drafting may be awarded time penalties or even removed from the final list of finishers. It is a rider’s responsibility to ensure that they are not being drafted, as well as that they are not drafting themselves. 18) Support & Assistance: The Tour of Wessex strives for equal opportunity for every rider, from local riders living close to the route to those from other continents. To complete the route, a rider may resupply food, and equipment, and even service their bike at the aid points at 55 km, 125 km, 180 km, 250 km, and 305 km, or at any commercial outlet along or near the route. A certified mechanic will be available at the start and the on course control point. The intent is that participants ride unsupported between the Start, Control point(s) and Finish, and function self-supported at all times. Any services utilised must be commercially available to all challengers. No private resupply or help, including at control points other than that provided by the event organiser. I.e. you can’t have someone waiting to hand you a bottle or food. 19) Use of Motor Vehicles: A participant in the Tour of Wessex shall not be preceded, accompanied, followed by or in any way receive assistance from a motorised vehicle or its occupants. 20) Feeding: Tour of Wessex participants may not be handed any food, drink or equipment from a helper and may only purchase such items from commercial outlets or official event support. Water and Sports Nutrition is available at the 55 km and 125 km control points on each lap while hot food and drinks are available to purchase at The Hub Café adjacent to the Start/Finish, at Sweets Tea Rooms at 74.2 km and Newlands Farm Café at 99.3 km. Every precaution must be taken to ensure that traffic or members of the public are not impeded at control stops. 21) Supporters: The Tour of Wessex is not intended to be a live spectator sport! However, mid-race support from challengers' family or friends is permitted so long as no assistance is offered, or supplies provided. 22) Receiving supplies (to the course): In the name of equal opportunity for international riders and to minimize the race 'footprint', challengers are encouraged to ride as reliant as possible on the official event support or commercial services along the route. 23) Mechanical Breakdown: In the event of a serious mechanical that renders a bike unrideable, a rider may use a motor vehicle in any direction to repair the problem. The location of the incident must be well documented by GPS files. A rider may also receive assistance returning to the exact location of the breakdown to begin forward progress. Again, the entire incident, from breakdown to return to the route must be fully documented by the GPS files. 24) Mechanical assistance: a rider may be assisted by a third party in receiving emergency repair/replacement items only. Food resupply is not considered an emergency. Items may not be delivered privately by family, friends, or even anonymous persons. Use of a private address (residence) along the route is forbidden. Use of social media to 'broadcast' for help is also not allowed. 25) Medical Treatment: No person may participate whilst knowingly suffering from any disease, or a mental or physical disorder or is undergoing treatment which makes it unsafe or undesirable to do so. 26) Use of Proscribed Substances: The anti-doping rules are the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti-Doping, as amended from time to time. Such rules shall take effect and be construed as the rules of the Tour of Wessex. Note:- The UK Anti-Doping Rules are available via the following link 27) Route: Aside from permitted deviations to seek resupply or mechanical servicing/repair, entrants must always ride 100% of the route as denoted by the most current map edition published by the event organiser. This means if a rider leaves the route for any reason, they must re-join the route at the exact same point. GPX, FIT and TCX files of the Route will be provided by the organiser. Please ensure you have the final published route prior to the start. 28) Tracking app is a requirement: Participants must download the tracking app if they wish to appear in the official finishers list. 29) Phone Battery: For those participating in the 250 km and 375 km events it is suggested to bring a battery pack to keep your phone charged. Running the tracking app will reduce the battery life by about 10% of its normal daily duration. Most phone batteries last between 8–20 hours a day. ENSURE YOUR PHONE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED BEFORE STARTING 39) If a participant fails to pass through a virtual control gate, for any reason it will result in a time penalty or disqualification depending on the GPS evidence. virtual control gates located every 10 km along the course. 40) There are 2 control points at which the race organisers will be present. These will only be open as follows: I. Start/Finish – 5:30 am to 7:30 pm II. 55 km – 7:30 am to 5:00 pm 41) The majority of the ride takes place on rural country roads. You will encounter the following types of carriageways along the route: I. “A” roads II. “B” roads III. Unclassified Rural Roads 42) Teams: Comprising of 2 or 4 riders will be accepted for male, female, and mixed categories. 43) Relay Teams: Comprising of 3 riders will be accepted for male, female, and mixed categories each team member must complete 125 km to achieve a finish time. 44) Duo Teams: Both riders must finish to appear on the finishers list. If only one rider finishes a finish time will be awarded to the finisher but the team will not appear in the category finishers list. 45) Quad Teams: Three riders must finish to receive a finish time. 46) Teams must adhere to all the rules and regulations governing all participants, namely, they must not assist other riders outside of their team. 47) Finish: The Finish line will close at 7:30 pm 48) Finishers Party: An informal drinks reception will take place at 7:45 pm at The Cross Keys, The Parade, 88 Cheap Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9. All those who started the Tour of Wessex are welcome to attend. endnotes: [1] Pre-arranged is defined as before the start. [2] Outside assistance is defined as any third-party assistance in navigation or lighting and any non-commercial assistance in food resupply and mechanical support. A service is deemed 'commercial' when it can be purchased at a commercial outlet and is available to all racers.