SPECIFIC REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 1. ORGANIZATION
The "42h Volta ao Alentejo Crédito Agrícola" is organized by the Podium Events, SA – Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco nº 19 6ºD, Lisbon, under the regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI). It will take place from 24 to 30 March 2025.
Article 2. Type of event
This race is open to athletes of the Men Elite and Under 23 categories. It is entered on the UCI Europe Tour calendar.
The race is registered as a Class 2.2. event, therefore the following points are awarded for the UCI Rankings:
Final overall individual classification: 40 – 30 – 25 – 20 – 15 – 10 – 5 – 3 – 3 - 3
Stages: 7 – 3 - 1
Yellow Jersey (each stage): 1
Article 3. Participation
In accordance with article 2.1.005 of the UCI regulations, the event is open to the following teams: UCI ProTeams of the country, UCI foreign UCI ProTeams (max. 3), UCI Continental Teams, UCI cyclo-cross professional teams, National Teams, Regional ans club teams.
In accordance with article 2.2.003bis of the UCI regulations, the number of riders per team is a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 riders.
Article 4. Pre-competition Procedures and Race Headquarters
The welcoming secretariat will take place on March 25th, starting at 2.30 p.m at 5.30 p.m., in the BejaParque Hotel, in Beja, Portugal.
The meeting between the Organization Direction and all the members of the Commissaires’ Panel will take place at 3:00 pm, at same location as the secretariat.
The registration of the riders and team staff members must be carried out through the respective forms sent by the Organizer, within the regulatory deadline. The Sports Director should send the 72h UCI Form indicating the titular riders and the two substitute riders, as well as all the team staff members.
The confirmation of the participants and the delivery of the bib numbers to the responsible of the teams takes place at the secretariat from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., on March 25th, 2025.
The meeting of the Sporting Directors, organized in accordance with Articles 1.2,087 and 2,093 of the UCI Regulation, in the presence of the members of the Commissaires’ Panel, takes place at 5 p.m., at the same location as the secretariat.
This meeting will have the participation of the following elements: one access link for Sport Directors per team; the President of the Commissaires Panel; the Director of the Organization; the Coordinator Doctor; the Chief of the Security Forces.
All detailed information about the race should be sent in advance by email to all accredited members, thus avoiding face-to-face procedures that imply physical contact.
The Safety Briefing takes place at the start site Beja on the March 26th, at 10:30 am.
This briefing will have the presence of the following elements: the Organization Director, the President of the Commissaires’ Panel, the Chief of the Security Forces, the Coordinator of the “Yellow Flags” Motorbikes, the Coordinator of the Drivers and Pilots, the TV Manager and the Coordinator Doctor.
All detailed information should be sent in advance by email to the participants in the meetings.
The accreditation of all elements will be made online by the organizer of the race.
The race classifications and the communiqués will be sent by email and/or made available online. The paper version and the numbers of the team cars will be distributed at the race headquarters of the start of the following day.
Article 5. Radio-tour
Race information will be broadcasted on the following frequency: 158.4375 Mhz.
Article 6. Neutral Technical Support
The technical support service is handled by Shimano, with 3 neutral cars.
Article 7. Race’s Incidents in the Last 3 Kilometers
The article 2.6.027 of the UCI Regulations applies in all the stages, except in 2nd stage.
Article 8. Finish Time Limit
Taking into account the characteristics of each stage, the finishing time limits have been set as follows:
1st stage: 10% 4th stage: 15%
2nd stage: 10% 5th stage: 10%
3rd stage: 10%
In case riders actually out of the time limit are given a second chance by the president of the Commissaires Panel, all points awarded in the general classifications of the various secondary classifications shall be withdrawn.
In exceptional cases only, unpredictable and of force majeure, the Commissaires Panel may extend the finishing time limits after consultation with the organiser.
Article 9. Stages Expected to Finish Brunch Sprints
The following stages have been identified as « expected to finish in bunch sprint » - 2nd and 3rd stage.
During these stages, the protocol of calculation of time gaps for stages “expected to finish in bunch sprints” published on the UCI website in the Regulations section will be applied.
Article 10. Classifications
The following classifications are established:
1) Individual General Classification by Time - Yellow Jersey Crédito Agrícola
2) General Individual Classification by Points - Blue Jersey Lusíadas Saúde
3) General Individual Mountain Classification – Green Jersey Correio da Manhã
4) General Youth Classification - White Jersey Turismo do Alentejo
5) Team General Classification
6) Time bonus
1) Individual General Classification by Time
It will be obtained by summing the time in each stage for each rider, considering the time bonus and the penalties. The rider with the smaller sum of time will be the best classified.
If case of a tie, the sum of the points obtained in each stage will be considered and the rider with the smaller sum will be the best classified. The points will be given according to the positions obtained: one point to the first, two points to the second, three points to the third, and so on.
If the tie persists, the best position obtained in the last stage will be used to break the tie.
The leader of the individual general classification will wear the yellow jersey Crédito Agrícola.
2) General Individual Classification by Points
It will be obtained by summing the points of each rider on the finish of each stage and on each intermediate sprint “Meta Volante”. The rider with the largest sum of points will be the best classified.
The following points will be awarded:
“Metas Volantes”: 3, 2 and 1 points to the first 3 riders;
Finish line:
25 – 20 – 16 – 13 – 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 and 1 points to the first 10 riders.
If several riders are classified ex-aequo, to each of them will be awarded the points corresponding to the first place in which the ex-aequo begins.
In accordance with Article 2.6.017 of the UCI Regulation, in case of a tie in the general classification by points, the following criteria shall be applied in order until the riders are separated:
- Number of stage wins,
- Number of wins in intermediate sprints counting for the general classification by points,
- Individual general classification by time.
In order to benefit of the prizes of the final general classification, the rider must have completed the entire course of the race within the finishing time limits.
The leader of the general classification by points will wear the blue jersey Lusíadas Saúde.
3) General Individual Mountain Classification
It will be obtained by summing the points of each rider on the 14 climbs indicated as “Prémio da Montanha”. The rider with the largest sum of points will be the best classified.
The following points will be awarded taking into account the category of each climb:
Rank Points
Climb 2nd Climb 3rd Climb 4th
1st 10 5 3
2nd 8 3 2
3rd 6 2 1
4th 4 1
5th 2
6th 1
In accordance with Article 2.6.017 of the UCI Regulation, in case of a tie in the general individual mountain classification, the following criteria shall be applied in order until the riders are separated:
- Number of first places in the highest category climbs;
- Number of first places on climbs in the next inferior category and so on;
- Individual general classification by time.
In order to benefit of the prizes of the final general classification, the rider must have completed the entire course of the race within the finishing time limits.
The leader of the general mountain classification will wear the green jersey Correio da Manhã.
4) General Youth Classification
The General Youth Classification is reserved to the Under23 category riders, according to the Individual General Classification by Time.
The leader of the general youth classification will wear the white jersey Turismo do Alentejo.
5) Team General Classification
The Team Classification for the day shall be calculated on the basis of the sum of the three best individual times from each team.
In the event of a tie, the teams shall be separated by the sum of the places acquired by their three best times on the stage. If the teams are still tied, they shall be separated by the placing of their best rider on the stage classification.
The Team General Classification shall be calculated on the basis of the sum of the three best individual times from each team in each stage ridden. In the event of a draw, the following criteria shall be applied in order until the teams are separated:
- number of first places in the daily team classifications
- number of second positions in the daily team classifications, and so on.
If there is still a draw, the teams shall be separated by the placing of their best rider in the general individual classification.
Any team reduced to fewer than three riders shall be eliminated from the Team General Classification.
6) Time bonus
In accordance with article 2.6.019, time bonus (with exclusive incidence on the individual general classification) are granted in all stages in line.
Bonuses are awarded at the Sprint and the Finish Line (arrival) of each stage, as follows:
1st) In each Sprint, 3”, 2” and 1” are assigned respectively to the first 3 classified.
2nd) At the Finish Line (arrival) of the stages, 10”, 6” and 4” are assigned respectively to the first 3 classified.
Article 11. Prizes
The following prizes are awarded:
1°) TIME TRIAL & STAGE CLASSIFICATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION BY TIME
Stage Classification Individual General Classification by Time
1st € 844 1st € 2 110
2nd € 420 2nd € 1 050
3rd € 210 3rd € 525
4th € 105 4th € 262,5
5th € 84 5th € 210
6th € 63 6th € 157,5
7th € 63 7th € 157,5
8th € 42 8th € 105
9th € 42 9th € 105
10th » 20th € 21 10th » 20th € 52,5
2°) POINTS CLASSIFICATION
General Individual Classification by Points
........ 1st € 600
3°) MOUNTAIN CLASSIFICATION
General Individual Mountain Classification
........ 1st € 600
4°) YOUTH CLASSIFICATION
General Individual Youth Classification
........ 1st € 400
5°) TEAMS CLASSIFICATION
Team General Classification
1st............ Cup
The overall total prize money of the race is € 17 380
Article 12. Antidoping Control
The UCI antidoping regulations are entirely applicable to the event.
The antidoping tests will take place in a caravan parked near the finish line.
Article 13. Award Ceremony (Art. 1.2.112, 1.2.113 & 2.6.018bis)
Based on the classifications established by the Organiser, riders are obliged to perform at the official
protocol ceremony for the award of prizes, jerseys and symbols as following:
After each stage:
- Stage winner;
- The leaders of the different classifications: Individual General Classification by Time (Yellow Jersey); General Individual Classifications by Points(Blue Jersey); General Individual Mountain Classification (Green Jersey); General Individual Youth Classification (White Jersey);
- The Best Portuguese Rider of the Individual Stage Classification.
- The winning Team of the Team Stage Classification
Riders participating in the protocol ceremony must present themselves immediately upon their arrival.
In addition, at the end of the final stage:
- The 2nd and 3rd of the Individual General Classification by Time;
- The winning Team of the Team General Classification.
- The Best Portuguese Rider of the Individual General Classification
Riders participating in the protocol ceremony after the last stage present themselves immediately upon the arrival of the last rider.
Leader's Jerseys
The leader of each classification must wear the respective distinctive jersey. If a rider is the leader of multiple classifications, the order of priority of the leaders’ jerseys is as follows:
1) Individual General Classification by Time - Yellow Jersey Crédito Agrícola
2) General Individual Classification by Points – Blue Jersey Lusíadas Saúde
3) General Individual Mountain Classification – Green Jersey Correio da Manhã
4) General Individual Youth Classification - White Jersey Turismo do Alentejo
If a rider is leader of several classifications, he will wear only one jersey according to the order of priority indicated above. In this case, the next rider in this classification will wear the jersey in question, unless he is the leader of another classification or if he has to wear the World Champion or National Champion jersey or the leader’s jersey of a Cup, Circuit, Series or UCI Ranking.
Protocol on the start of the stages
The wearers of the leaders’ jerseys should take the start from the first raw.
Article 14. Team Presentation and signing of the start sheet
According to article 2.3.009 of the UCI Regulations, the signing of the start sheet begins one hour and ten minutes before the time of departure from the meeting place and ends ten minutes before the same (the time will be published daily of each team).
The teams must present themselves complete for the signature of the starting sheet in the reverse order of the General Classification by Teams, except the Team of the Yellow Jersey bearer of the General Individual Classification by Times that will presence itself in last place.
The presence of the riders is mandatory, under penalty of the sanctions foreseen in article 2.12.007-1.1 and 1.2.
Riders must show up in full running.
Article 15. Penalties
The UCI penalty scale is the only one applicable.
Article 16. TEAM ADVERTISING AUTHORIZATION
It is forbidden to the Sponsoring Trademarks of the participating teams and riders to have any kind of
advertising without the prior written permission of the Race Organizer. In case of non-compliance with this article, the team harmed by its sponsor may be penalized, for rights of improper publicity, with the possible exclusion of the team from the race.
Article 17. INSURANCES
In accordance with articles 1.1.006 and 1.1.022 of the UCI regulations, all riders and teams’ technical staff should be covered by insurance covering all kind of accidents that may happen during the competition and their consequences in terms of civil responsibility.
The organizer bears no responsibility for any damage caused to third parties and/or material damages before, during, and after the stages always and when it complies with the security rules established in the UCI regulations.
In accordance with article 1.2.034, the organizer is required to have risk coverage insurance.
Article 18. Enviroment
The organisation of 42ª Volta ao Alentejo Crédito Agrícola, safeguarding the good principles of environment protection and promotion of ecological cycling, appeals to the parties involved in the event to adopt measures in order to maintain clean all the places of the start, the finish and during the course of the race.The riders must use the Waste Disposel Zones, approximately 30/40 in 30/40 kms, and the last 10 kms before the finish line.