BALTIC DH CHAMPIONSHIPS2016 COMPETITION RULES

Goals:
To popularize downhill (DH) as a mountain biking discipline in Baltics. To gather all riders from Baltic States and around in one competition.To find the best Baltic downhill riders.To promote active lifestyle among youth.
The competition is organized and led by DOWNHILL.LV in corporation with Freedown.ee and Extreme sports association “WhitePuppy”.
Chief referee of the competition – Gusts Ošmucnieks.
Assistant referees - DzintarsMelvers (LV), RamūnasDranseika (LT) ,ViljarTeppo (EE).

Baltic DH Championship date and location:

1.07. – 3.07.2016 Riekstukalns, Baldone, Latvia

The competition will officially take place over three days. Friday (1st day of the event) is for registration on place, race number receiving, the on-foot inspection of the course, training sessions for all 4 tracks and gathering at the place of the event Saturday (1st day of the race) is for the training sessions and gathering at the place of the event, registartion and 2 race runs.
Sunday (2nd day of race) is for the training sessions and gathering at the place of the event and 2 race runs.

1st day of event (Friday, 1st July)

Tracks are closed for riding till 15:00 , only on-foot inspection allowed

15:00 – 21:00 Training session (only registarted riders with race numbers )

14:00 – 21:00 Registartion, Riders confirmation

1st day of race (Saturday, 2nd July)
10:00 – 14:00 Trainings only for 1st and 2nd track

10:00 – 14:00 Riders Registration, Confirmation

14:30 Riders Meeting

15:00 – 18:00 1st and 2nd Race run

18:30 – official results from 1st and 2nd track

No trainings allowed on 3rd and 4th tracks on Saturday

2nd day of race (Sunday 3rd July)
10:00 – 14:00 Trainings only for 3rd and 4th track

10:00 – 14:00 Riders Registration, Confirmation

14:30 Riders Meeting

15:00 – 18:00 3rd and 4th Race run

18:30 – official results from all 4 runs

18:30 Award Ceremony

*Changes in the training schedule in order to improve the training process can be made only with the approval of the organizer and other officials; the riders must be informed before any changes take place.

Clothing and protective gear requirements:
A helmet is COMPULSORY for all participants (full-face helmets recommended), we also recommend knee, elbow, back and other protective accessories. If the rider is not using shin/knee pads, full-length pants are COMPULSORY. If the rider does not meet the requirements, chief referee of the competition may not let the rider start the race for safety reasons. In that case the participation fee is not returned.
For Jaunieši (Youth) and Junior categories elbow pads or long-sleeve jerseys are COMPULSORY.
Clothing and protective gear requirements must be observed also in training day.
Rider categories:
The participants are competing in following categories:
-Elite(19 years old and older riders with any type of bike)
-Juniors(10 to 18 years old riders with any type of bike)
-Hobby HT(18 to 29 years old riderswith hardtail bicycles)
-Hobby FS(18 to 29 years old riders with full suspension bicycles )
- Master(30 years old and older riders with any type of bike)
-Chainless(riders of any age with any type of bike without chain)

By signing the *competition registration form at the registration before start, ridersconfirm that they agree to the competition rules and take full responsibility of themselves during the competition.
For riders under the age of 18, a signedDH Parental Consent form is COMPULSORY.
You can find the parental consent form in DOWNHILL.LV homepage or the parent/guardian signs the *competition registration form.

If the parental consent or signed *competition registration form cannot be shown, the rider may not be allowed to participate in the event.
*In each event the rider or parent/guardian signs the *competition registration form thereby confirming that they agree to the competition rules and take full responsibility of themselves during the competition.
The chief referee decides whether to let the rider participate in the event.
Team Application & Registration
Riders or their representatives can register a team for participation in the Baltic DH Championships. During the race the teams compete against each other in the team rankings at the end of the race.
The team can consist of 2 (two) to 6 (six) athletes or riders. If there is more riders in team, you can make 2 teams.
The team can consist of riders from one category or it can be mixed (there can be riders from different categories in one team).
The team can be registered by writing an e-mail to , includingteam’sname, ridersoftheteam, andtheircategories.
You can confirm your team’s participation forBaltic DH Championshipsin the registration time before competition on 1st and 2nd May in Riekstukalnsby paying a participation fee of €20 (for entireteam).
Teams that are not registered and confirmed will not participate in Baltic DH Championships team competition.

Competition/training process:
In the competition each rider will take four runs in four different courses.
Times of four runs are combined, rider with the best time wins.
If two or more riders set identical times, rider with the best time set on the last run wins.
Riders must carefully inspect the course before race and they must follow the course tape/markers during the race.
If a rider leaves the course by crossing or breaking the tape they must return to the course at the point of exit, also if they do not gain a time advantage from crossing the tape, otherwise the rider will be disqualified.
Riders must finish the race on their own; outside help of any kind during the race is prohibited.
The run counts if the rider and at least the frame of the bicycle with the number plate on it have crossed the finish line.
During the competition the course is watched by assistants of the chief referee - course marshals. They signal the arrival of riders on a whistle, check for any violations of rules and, if there are any, they report that to the chief referee.
The official training runs are allowed only if the rider is registered for the competition andhas a number plate; otherwise the rider may be disqualified.
The chief referee decides whether the rider will start the race; the chief referee also checks the technical condition of the bicycle and decides whether the bicycle is properly prepared for downhill competition.
Riders starting order is as it is displayed on their number plates. The order of categories is as follows: Chainless, Junior, Hobby HT, Hobby FS, Master and Elite.
It is prohibited to use the course when it is closed (time period between training sessions and the beginning of the competition and in between runs), otherwise the rider may be disqualified. In that case the participation fee is not returned.
Participation fees, race number plates, registration for the competition:
The participation fee if you register online ( is €20, but on the day of the competition the participation fee is €25.
The online registration form must be completed with following details: name, surname, ridingclass,, club/team, andifyouare first timeinrace. Numberswillbegivenoutinrace Office duringregistartiontime. Full race number plate serves as a unique identity number for calculating the result of the race. If you change or lose the number plate, the times will not be combined.
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By signing the competition registration form riders confirm that they agree to the competition rules, will not protest without a reason, and will take full responsibility of themselves during the official training sessions and competition (for junior the responsibility lies with parent/guardian).
Riders is suggested to register before Baltic DH Championships race on The registration ends at 21:00 30th June
If the rider has not managed to register online, they can confirm their participation on location according to schedule.
Awards:
The first five places of each category and best 3 teams are called up to the podium and awarded with prizes from sponsors and supporters.

Protests:
Any protests about violations of these rules or referee’s decisions can be submitted within 30 minutes after the end of the race. The protests must be submitted to the chief referee of the competition Gusts Ošmucnieks.
You can find more information in Latvian Downhill Association homepage or by writing to e-mail