Special rules

This event is reserved for riders in the Elite Men category. It is a Class 1 event registered on the European continental calendar and awards points as follows, according to article 2.11.014 of the UCI regulations :

- general individual classification: 80 – 56 – 32 – 24 – 20 – 16 – 12 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 and 3 points to the first 12 riders

- stage winners: 16 – 11 – 6 – 5 – 4 and 2 points to the first 6 riders

- the wearer of the leader’s jersey for each stage: 8 points

In accordance with article 2.1.005 of the UCI regulations, the event is open to:

- teams in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd divisions;

- national teams

In accordance with article 2.2.003 of the UCI regulations, the number of cyclists per team is restricted to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8

Through their involvement and/or participation at the event, all teams hereby accept all the provisions of these special rules and agree to abide by them.

The race HQ at the start will be open on Thursday, August 30 from 2:30 to 6:30 pm at:

OVG Las Palmas Building, Wilhelminakade 300, Rotterdam

The collection of numbers by team leaders will take place from 2:30 to 4:45 pm.
The Team Managers’ meeting will be attended by members of the Race Commissaires and take place at 5 pm. at the race HQ

Race information will be broadcast on frequency 169.425 MHz.

Neutral technical support will be provided by MAVIC with 3 vehicles.

According to the characteristics of the stages, finishing deadlines will be the winner’s time plus 8%.

In accordance with article 2.6.032 of the UCI regulations, the deadline may be extended the College of Commissioners, in consultation with the organiser.

In accordance with article 2.6.019 of the UCI regulations, time bonuses (applied only to the general individual classification) are awarded in the stages and intermediate sprints as follows:

1°) at each intermediate sprint: 3''– 2'' – 1''

2°) at the finish of each of the 2 stages: 10'' – 6'' – 4''

The general individual classification by time is established by adding up the times recorded for each stage, taking bonuses and penalties into consideration, in accordance with article 2.6.014. of the UCI regulations.

The leader of the general individual time classification will wear a blue jersey.

Total des prix du classement général individuel :  € 26 814

A points classification is established by adding together the points obtained in each of the 2 stages as well as the intermediate sprints, in accordance with article 2.6.017. of the UCI regulations.

The following points are attributed at the finish of each stage: 25 – 22 – 20 – 18 – 16 – 15 – 14 – 13 – 12 – 11 – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 and 1 points to the first 20 riders

At each intermediate sprint: 3 – 2 and 1 points.

The leader of the points classification will wear a green jersey.

In the event of a tie in the general individual points classification, the following criteria will be applied in order until the riders are separated :

• the number of stage wins
• the number of wins in intermediate sprints
• the general individual classification by time

Prizes awarded for the points classification are as follows:

final general classification:

Only riders born on or after January 1, 1987 may take part in the young rider classification.

The leader of the young rider classification is the first young rider in the general individual classification. He will wear a white jersey.

Prizes awarded for the young rider classification are as follows:

In accordance with article 2.6.016 of the UCI regulations, the daily team classification is established by adding together the three best individual times of each team. In the event of a tie, the teams will be separated by adding up the places obtained by their three best placed riders on the stage. If the teams are still tied, they will be separated by the place obtained by their best rider in the stage classification.

The team general classification is established by adding up the three best individual times of each team in the two stages. In the event of a tie, the following criteria will be applied in order until the teams are separated:

• the number of first places in the daily team classification
• the number of second places in the daily team classification; and etc
• etc.

If the teams are still tied, they will be separated by the place obtained by their best rider in the general individual classification.

Teams reduced to fewer than three riders are eliminated from the general team classification.

The total amount of prize money for the WORLD PORTS CLASSIC is as follows:

• general individual classification by time: € 126 814
• points classification: € 3 000
• young rider classification: € 3 000

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY: € 32 814

ASO and all participating teams consider as an absolute necessity strict compliance with rules and recommendations issued by the authorities in the fight against doping and the obligation to observe impeccable conduct in this regard. Participating teams undertake to apply these rules and recommendations and will be fully responsible for the strict compliance by their riders and by all employees and contractors.

Doping control will be carried out under the authority of the UCI by designated officials, upon arrival of each stage in the mobile home of the organisation.

After each Stage, must report to the protocol:

• The stage winner;
• The overall leader - individual;
• Leader of the points classification;
• The leader of the Young Rider classification;

After each stage finish, the stage winner and overall leader must appear in the press room.

All penalties are consistent with all UCI regulations.

17.1. ASO respects the preservation of its image and reputation

ASO reserves the right to refuse participation in – or exclude from - the event, to any team or one of its members, whose presence would be likely to damage the image and / or ASO's reputation and / or event.

17.2. In addition, ASO may disqualify or exclude from any team or one of its members, in the following cases:

• violation of the rules of the event, including those concerning the internal discipline to the event (e.g. rules concerning accommodation );
• serious breach of French law;
• vandalism during the race or outside of the race;
• indecent or inappropriate behaviour;
• any other act or fact which would be likely to damage the image and / or reputation of ASO and / or event.

17.3. The right of withdrawal or exclusion referred to in sections 20.1 and 20.2 above shall be exercised under the following conditions:

a) ASO will advise the team of there decision in writing, notified by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt or by letter delivered personally with receipt, either by fax or e-mail.

This letter should:

• 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, if the disqualification or exclusion is linked to the presence of its members, the team will, in its capacity as employer, withdraw its staff and associated personnel for 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 enter 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 ASO contacted by the team, the CAS 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 arbitrator shall decide the dispute in accordance with French law.

There will be no right to appeal.

To enable the optimal promotion of Paris-Nice, each team, and therefore each rider within the teams, acknowledges that participation in the competition grants the organiser and its successors or assigns cause to reproduce and display, without any compensation whatsoever, their name, voice, picture, biography and more generally its sports performance in Paris-Nice as well as the brand of their equipment and sponsors, in any form on any material existing or in future, in any format, for any communication to the public domain, 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 future, including any extensions that may be made at this time.

However, the organisers, when they allow others to use pictures of the event for advertising or promotional purposes, will not allow others to use the name, voice, image, biography or performance sports of a rider or team or hthe brand of their sponsors or equipment for a direct or indirect association between the rider, the brand of its sponsors or equipment and the product, service mark or trade name of such as 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 that may become the subject, is in whole or part of Paris-Nice, posters, log books, autograph books, maps, official programmes for Paris-Nice, the organiser will not carry and will not allow the exploitation of the individual image of a rider in the commercialisation of products known as merchandise.

This regulation is written in French and shall prevail in case of difficulty in interpreting its terms in another language.