Special rules

The 8^th Tour of Qatar is organised by the Qatar Cycling Federation with technical and sports-related assistance from Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) under International Cycling Union regulations. It will take place from Sunday 1 February 2009 to Friday 6 February 2009 and comprises six stages.

This event is restricted to athletes in the Elite Men category. It is a Class-1 event on the Continental Asian calendar and awards points as follows (as per U.C.I. regulations article 2.11.014):

• Individual overall ranking: 80 - 56 - 32 - 24 - 20 - 16 - 12 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 3 points for the 12 ccontenders,
• Stage winners: 16 - 11 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 2 points for the top 6 contenders,
• Winner’s jersey at the end of each stage: 8 points.

As per U.C.I. regulations article 2.1.005, this event is open to:

• U.C.I. Pro Team,
• Professional continental teams,
• Continental teams,
• National teams.

As per article 2.2.003, teams will count a minimum of 5 cyclists and a maximum of 8 cyclists.

Race Headquarters will be open on Saturday 31 January 2009 from 2.00 pm to 5.45 pm at the Doha Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Team managers will be welcome to claim jersey numbers from 2.00 pm to 4.45 pm.

The Sport Directors meeting, held pursuant to U.C.I. regulations article 1.2.087 in the presence of the Race Stewards College, will be held on Saturday 31 January 2009 at 5.00 pm at the Doha Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Race information will be broadcast on “Radio-Tour” (162.150 MHz).

Impartial technical assistance will be provided by Mavic, using 3 vehicles.

The finish deadline for each straight stage is the equivalent to 12% later than the winner’s time.

Exceptional situations may be arbitrated by the College of Stewards after consultation with race management.

Contenders start every 3 minutes in the order established by Race Management.

Stage rankings for each team are based on the time that the 5^th contender took to cross the finish line. All cyclists in the team are awarded the same time if they arrive at the same time or earlier.

In the general individual ranking, times are allotted as follows:

• The 5^th contender’s real time is taken into account for the 5^th contender and for all other contenders falling under the above rule.
• Real time for contenders who cross the finish line later.

In the general team ranking, the real time of the 5^th contender in each team is taken into account.

There are no elimination times in this stage. All contenders are required to finish the stage.

• 1^st team: 1 800 €
• 2^nd team: 1 100 €
• 3^rd team: 900 €
• 4^th team: 650 €
• 5^th team: 400 €
• 6^th team: 250 €
• 7^th team: 200 €
• 8^th team: 200 €
• 9^th team: 200 €
• 10^th team: 200 €
• 11^th team: 200 €
• 12^th team: 200 €
• 13^th team: 200 €
• 14^th team: 200 €
• 15^th team: 200 €
• 16^th team: 200 €
• 17^th team: 200 €

TOTAL : 7 300 €

Time bonuses (applied only on the individual overall ranking) are awarded for all straight stages (art. 2.6.019).

They concern intermediate sprints and stage finishes, and are awarded as follows:

• 3”, 2” and 1” will be awarded in order of arrival to the first three contendersin intermediate sprints.
• 10”, 6” and 4” will be awarded in order to the first three contenders to cross a stage finish line.

The individual overall time ranking is the based on the accumilated time that each contender has taken to complete each pf the stages, minus bonuses and plus penalties as defined in U.C.I. regulations article 2.6.014.

The leader in the overall individual ranking will wear a Gold jersey.

Total prize money for the Overall Individual Time Ranking: 92,435 €

The point ranking is based on the total amount of points that each contender has earned in each of the stages, as well as in intermediate sprints, as per U.C.I. regulations article 2.6.017.

Points for the 2 intermediate sprints in each stage will be awarded as follows:

• 3, 2 and 1 points will be awarded to the first 3 contenders.

Points for each stage will be awarded as follows:

• 30, 27, 25, 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points willl be awarded to the first 20 contenders.

The Points Ranking leader will wear a Silver jersey.

In the case of a tie, the following criteria will be usedto rank contenders:

• number of stage victories,
• number of intermediate-sprint victories,
• overall individual ranking on time.

To be entitled to final overall ranking prizes, contenders have to complete the entire race within regulatory time.

Prizes for point-ranking winners follow.

Each intermediate sprint:

• 1^st: 200 €
• 2^nd: 150 €
• 3^rd: 100 €

i.e. 450 € x 10 = 4,500 €

Final overall ranking:

• 1^st: 1,800 €
• 2^nd: 1,500 €
• 3^rd: 1,200 €
• 4^th: 1,000 €
• 4^th: 800 €
• 6^th: 600 €
• 7^th: 500 €
• 8^th: 400 €
• 9^th: 300 €
• 10^th: 200 €

TOTAL: 8,300 €

Total prize money for the points ranking: 12,800 €

Only riders born on or after 1 January 1984 may take part in the Young-Cyclist Ranking.

The leader in this ranking will wear a Blue jersey.

Prizes awarded for the Young-Cyclist Ranking follows.

• 1^st: 1,500 €
• 2^nd: 1,200 €
• 3^rd: 1,000 €
• 4^th: 800 €
• 5^th: 600 €

TOTAL: 5,100 €

Total prize money for young cyclist ranking winners: 5,100 €

As per U.C.I. regulations article 2.6.016, the overall ranking by teams is decided by adding up the three best individual times in each team. If there is a tie, the team order will be decided by adding up the positions obtained by their first three cyclists in the stage. If there is still a tie, the team ranking will be decided by the position of the best cyclist in the stage rankings.

The overall team ranking is decided by adding up the three best individual times for each team in all the stages.

If there is a tie, the following criteria will be used to decide the race order:

• the number of first places in the team rankings for the day,
• the number of second places in the team rankings for the day, and so on,
• etc.

If there is still a tie, the team order will be decided by the position of the teams’s best cyclist in the overall individual rankings.

Teams with fewer than 3 cyclists will be eliminated from the overall team rankings.

Prizes awarded for the Overall Team Ranking follow.

• 1^st: 1,500 €
• 2^nd: 1,200 €
• 3^rd: 1,000 €
• 4^th: 800 €
• 5^th: 600 €

TOTAL: 5,100 €

Total prize money for the team ranking: 5,100 €

Total prize money for the 8^th Tour of Qatar follows:

• Overall individual ranking on time: 92,435 €
• Young Cyclist Ranking: 5,100 €
• Points Ranking: 12,800 €
• Team Ranking: 5,100 €

Total prize and bonus money: 115,435 €

Doping tests will take place at the Doha Ritz Carlton Hotel under Qatar Cycling Federation regulations.

The following contenders are required to report after the 1^st team time trial stage:

• the 8 racers in the team that won the stage,
• the leader in the overall individual ranking,
• the leader in the young-cyclist ranking.

The following contenders are required to report after the other stages:

• the stage winner,
• the leader in the overall individual ranking,
• the leader in the points ranking,
• the leader in the young-cyclist ranking.

At the end of the final stage, the following contenders are required to report:

• the stage winner,
• the top 3 riders in the overall individual ranking,
• the leader in the points ranking,
• the leader in the young-cyclist ranking,
• the 8 riders and the Team Manager of the winning team in the overall team ranking.

The leader in each classification must wear the corresponding leader jersey.

If a rider is leader in several classifications, the order of priority for the wearing of jerseys is as follows:

• overall individual time ranking,
• points ranking,
• young-cyclist ranking.

Penalties comply with U.C.I. regulations.