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Special rules

Article 1. Organisation

The 75th FLÈCHE WALLONNE is organised by Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) in conjunction with the Royal Cyclist Pesant Club Liégeois (R.C.P.C.L.), under the regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the Royal Belgian Cycling League (RLVB). It will take place on Wednesday the 20th of April 2011. The FLÈCHE WALLONNE is registered on the World Tour calendar.

 

Article 2. Participation

The event is open to teams of the UCI’s 1st and 2nd division. The number of cyclists is restricted to a maximum of 8 and a minimum of 5 at the start of the race.

The mere fact of entering and/or participating in the event implies that each team fully accepts all the provisions laid out in these specific regulations and undertakes to respect them.

 

Article 3. UCI World Tour Ranking

The 75th FLÈCHE WALLONE counts for the UCI World Tour Ranking and awards points as follows: 80 – 60 – 50 – 40 – 30 – 22 - 14 - 10 - 6 and 2 points to the first 10 riders.

 

Article 4. Race Headquarters

The race headquarters will be open on Tuesday the 19th of April from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm at:

Stade du Pays de Charleroi
Boulevard Zoé Drion
6000 - CHARLEROI, Belgium

Licence-holding team managers will be able to collect race numbers from 2.30 pm to 4.45 pm.

The team managers’ meeting, in the presence of members of the Stewards’ Committee, will be held at 5.00 pm at the race headquarters.

 

Article 5. Radio-Tour

Information on the race will be broadcast using the frequency of 169.425 MHZ.

 

Article 6. Neutral technical support

Neutral technical support will be provided by MAVIC.

This service will be ensured by 3 technical cars and 1 motorbike.

 

Article 7. Finishing Deadlines

Any rider whose finishing time exceeds 5% of the winning time shall not be considered for classification. The Stewards’ Committee may extend finishing deadlines in the event of exceptional circumstances after consultation with the organiser.

 

Article 8. Classifications

The following classifications will be established:

  • the general individual time classification;
  • the climbs classification.
 

Article 9. The climbs classification

A general classification is established by adding together the points awarded on all 10 climbs.

On these climbs, 4, 2 and 1 point (s) respectively are awarded to the first 3 riders.

To qualify for the final general classification, the cyclists must have finished the race.

In the event of a tie, the classification at the finish line takes precedence.

The prize money awarded for uphill sections is divided up between the classifications at the top of the climbs and the final general classification.

 

Article 10. Prizes

PLACES Amount of prize money awarded
1st € 16, 000
2nd € 8, 000
3rd € 4, 000
4th € 2, 000
5e € 1, 600
6th € 1, 200
7th € 1, 200
8th € 800
9th € 800
10th € 400
11th € 400
12th € 400
13th € 400
14th € 400
15th € 400
16th € 400
17th € 400
18th € 400
19th € 400
20th € 400
TOTAL € 40, 000

 

TABLE OF PRIZE MONEY FOR THE CLIMBS

For each of the climbs:
to the 1st rider: € 250

i.e. € 250 X 10 = € 2, 500

Final general classification:
- 1st: € 2, 000
- 2nd: € 750
- 3rd: € 500

i.e. € 3, 250

 

TOTAL AMOUNT OF PRIZE MONEY FOR
THE CLIMBS CLASSIFICATION € 5, 750

THE OVERALL TOTAL AMOUNT OF PRIZE MONEY DISTRIBUTED FOR
THE COMPETITION IS € 45, 750

 

Article 11. Fight against doping – Anti-doping tests

A.S.O. and each of the participating teams declare it an absolute obligation to scrupulously respect the regulations and procedures decreed by the relevant authorities governing the fight against doping, as well as the obligation to maintain a strictly irreproachable line of conduct in this domain. Participating teams hereby commit to applying the aforementioned regulations and procedures and shall be entirely responsible for the strict adherence to these regulations by their riders and more generally, their staff and service providers.

Anti-doping tests are carried out under the authority of the UCI and designated officials, at the race finish.

 

Article 12. Protocol Ceremony

The following cyclists must attend the protocol ceremony:

  • the first three riders to finish the race;
  • the winner of the climbs classification.
 

Article 13. Penalties

Only the scale of penalties that complies with the race will apply.

 

Article 14. Objection- Exclusion

14.1. A.S.O. expressly reserves the right to refuse participation in - or to exclude from - the event, any team or members of a team, whose presence shall seriously blemish the image and/or reputation of A.S.O. and/or the event.

14.2. Furthermore, A.S.O. may exclude from the event any team or any of its members in the following cases:

  • a breach of the event's rules, including those concerning the event's internal rules;
  • a serious breach of Belgian law;
  • failure to use the collective means of transport laid on by the organisers during transfers;
  • customs’ fraud.

14.3 The right of withdrawal or exclusion referred to in sections 14.1 and 14.2 above shall be exercised under the following conditions:

a) A.S.O. will advise the team of its decision in writing, which will be notified by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt or by letter delivered personally with receipt, or by fax or email. This letter must specify:

  • whether the disqualification or exclusion is related to the presence of the entire team or the presence of some of its members;
  • specify that, in the event that the disqualification or exclusion is linked to the presence of its members, the team, in its capacity as an employer, will withdraw the member (s) concerned and the associated personnel from the event or, alternatively, waive any right to participation of the entire team to the event;
  • state the grounds on which it is based;
  • mention that to challenge this decision, the team will have a period of 24 (twenty four) hours from receipt of the letter of disqualification or exclusion to refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport ("CAS" ) in Lausanne. Failing that, the team will be deemed to have accepted the disqualification or exclusion.

b) If the team refers the matter to the CAS, the latter will immediately appoint a single arbitrator under the expedited procedure under the Rules of Procedure of the CAS. After calling each party to evaluate its case, the arbitrator will decide within the time limits imposed, whether to reject or exclude the entire team or one or some of its members.

The language of arbitration shall be French.

The arbitral decision shall be final and binding.

 

Article 15. Image rights

In order to enable the promotion of the Flèche Wallonne, each team, and therefore each rider within the teams, acknowledges that participation in the competition grants the organiser and its beneficiaries or legal representatives to reproduce and display, without any compensation whatsoever, his name, voice, picture, biography and more generally his sports performance within the framework of the Flèche Wallonne as well as the brand (s) of his equipment manufacturers and sponsors, in any form and on any material existing or in future, in any format, for any communication in the public domain throughout the world, for any purpose including promotional and / or commercial use without any limitations, and for the duration of the protection currently given to any territory by the laws or regulations, judicial decisions and / or arbitration of any country, and international conventions either existing or in the future, including any extensions that may be made to this duration.

However, when the organiser authorizes third parties to use pictures of the event for advertising or promotional purposes, it will not allow the latter to use the name, voice, image, biography or performance sports of a rider or team nor the brand of their sponsors or equipment with a view to a direct or an indirect association between the rider, the brand of his sponsors or equipment manufacturer and the product, the service, the brand or trade name of the said third party, without the express permission of the rider, sponsor or supplier concerned.

Similarly, with the exception of books, photo books, comics, any form of publishing, video cassettes, CD-ROMs, DVDs or more generally any video recordings or video on any medium and format whatsoever, that may become the subject, in whole or part of the Flèche Wallonne, posters, bills, log books, autograph books, maps and official programmes for the Flèche Wallonne, the organiser will not use and will not allow the utilization of the individual image of a rider within the framework of the marketing of tie-in merchandising.

 

Article 16

The present regulations are written in French and shall prevail in the event of difficulty in interpreting its terms in another language.