Riders of all backgrounds are welcome. No age, fitness, bike models or any other arbitrary limits. We want to share the fun with everyone.
Unsupported
The Unknown Race is an unsupported challenge. Each participant has to move with his / her own power (no drafting, no assistance car, no public transport) and carry his/her own stuff. No outside help is accepted. Water, food and bike material has to be acquired from commercial areas or provided by the organisation. Equal opportunities for all.
Drafting during the full race is allowed for pairs / trios only. Drafting is allowed during the neutralised start in Lyon until around 30km when we leave the city. A sign will be given by one of the organisers. From this point onwards riders should depend on their own routing choices.
We expect each rider to honour and respect the rules and the spirit of the race. It is expected of all riders to know and respect the local laws.
For this ride, any ferry can be used to cross rivers/lakes.
Participants and results
Riding in pairs or trios is allowed. In this case, the groups are allowed to draft eachother. Pairs and trio’s will not be tracked separately on Follow My Challenge. Please register individually and send an email ([email protected]) to the organisation to confirm as a pair or trio. If one rider of the pair / trio doesn’t finish, the other rider(s) will still be tracked on Follow My Challenge.
As an organisation we are not tracking times or making a classification, this will be done by Follow My Challenge. Riders will be taken off the tracking system when they are not complying with the following:
- Racing in the true spirit of unsupported racing (self reliance and equal opportunity)
- Any national or local laws or traffic rules
- Completed self made route from the start, via checkpoints, to the finish.
The first rider back at the finishing point will get a chance to determine the charity to which we will donate the money.
No Penalties. If a rider doesn’t comply with the law, the rules or acts outside the spirit of unsupported racing without self reporting to the organisation, we simply take a rider out of Follow My Challenge tracking.
We expect full transparency from ourselves, the riders and other people involved in the race. If you notice any behaviour not complying with the spirit of the race, please report. Example: if someone is drafting you, take a picture and share. Sounds harsh, but we want to keep our sport honest.
If a rider is in distress and needs help from another rider, please help out. No impact on classification. It is up to individual riders to determine if a rider can’t be self reliant anymore.
Disclaimer: There will be riders participating from the organisation. In TURNo1, only Victor and Filippo (race directors, not riding) are aware of the CPs and the other organisers will get the coordinates together with all the other riders.
Tracker
We will provide you a Tracker (Follow My Challenge), a 50€ cash deposit will be asked during the check-in. This amount will be refunded at the return of the device. The tracking device has to be turned on during the full race. The rider has to take proper care of it. We expect the race to be finished before the battery is drowned. Tracker can be charged with USB-micro cable when needed. Battery levels can be checked via the Follow My Challenge tracking platform.
In case of device problems the rider has to be able to deliver the GPX (or alternative format) file of his ride. If the rider does not finish the race, he/she has to bring the tracker back to the organisation (or to be shipped with a tracking number).
Pairs, Trios, Groups
Riding in pairs or trios is allowed. In this case, the groups are allowed to draft eachother. Pairs and trio’s will not be tracked separately on Follow My Challenge. Please register individually and send an email ([email protected]) to the organisation to confirm as a pair or trio. If one rider of the pair / trio doesn’t finish, the other rider(s) will still be tracked on Follow My Challenge.
Laws & Security
Each participant has to respect traffic rules and local laws at any time. Roads are open during the entire challenge. Share it with the cars, trucks and other traffic participants. Be respectful and don’t take unnecessary risks .
Insurance coverage
All riders should have and provide evidence of valid insurance that covers emergency extraction and repatriation. There are no prizes involved in the race, this may impact the costs of your insurance.
Feel free to reach out for any advice on getting the right insurance if you are not experienced in participating in similar events.
Mandatory items
We will keep it simple: no light, no helmet, no race
You will have to bring:
- 2 front lights
- 2 rear lights
- emergency blanket
- helmet
- reflective jacket
- valid insurance (carry copy during race)
- a 50EUR cash deposit for the tracker
Media and sponsoring
By registering for the event, participants agree to be filmed and photographed during the event. The images can be broadcasted on the website, the social networks of the organisation and the organisers.
If you are interested in being followed by a media team during the race we are very welcome to accommodate. Please contact [email protected] so we can align against the rules and spirits of the race.
If you are a sponsored rider, we kindly ask you to discuss additional support from your sponsor to our race or an additional contribution to the charity we will support. We don’t want to set up complicated media licences as we are a non-profit race. We understand that without commercial companies our sport and equipment would not have been as great as it currently is so we want to find a balance together.