Rules & Regulation

Cycling race for the public on road or gravel bikes. The rules for participation are: a properly fastened bicycle helmet, a bicycle with road handlebars (so-called rams). Electric bikes are not allowed in the race. Time-trial/triathlon bar is not allowed in the race.

The race is held according to the following regulations. All participants take part in the race at their own risk, the organiser is not reliable and is not responsible for damages incurred by the participants or caused by them. All participants must comply with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act and are obliged to respect the instructions of the marked organizer, members of the Police of the Czech Republic and the Municipal Police. The organiser reserves the right to make necessary changes to the race rules due to unforeseen (vis maior) circumstances.

Rules of participation
Each competitor must have properly completed registration and wear a properly fixed bicycle helmet and have a bicycle in a good technical condition at all times during the race.

The use of headphones during the race is prohibited and the competitor risks disqualification. The prohibition of headphones is for the safety of participants and spectators.

Within the Hilly Stage, there will be races on three different routes. The Long route measures 130 km, the Medium route approximately 100 km, and the Short route approximately 60 km. The start and finish for all routes are located on Vaníčkova Street in Strahov, Prague. Complete information about the routes will be published in November 2023.

Maximum capacity for each route in the Hilly Stage: 
Short route: 1000 participants 
Medium route: 1500 participants 
Long route: 1000 participants

For the Mountain Stage, there is a race designated on one route measuring between 100-110 km. The starting point, finish, and routes will be announced in November 2023.

Maximum capacity for the Mountain Stage: 1000 participants

The categories for the year 2024 will be announced soon. However, as an example, below, you can find the categories from 2023.

(*age of the participant on 31 December 2023)

** Riders with an elite UCI license can only enter the Long route and compete in the ELITE M/ELITE W category

Individual competitors will be classified according to the following rules:

Tour de France-style bonus competitions:

Overall classification: the winner is the rider who completes the course in the shortest time. The winner gets the Yellow Jersey. The winner of each route will be awarded seperately.

Green Jersey for the best sprinter. It is announced separately on all 3 routes. 

Polka dot jersey for the best climber: The winner is the rider who rides the section/s of the route marked Peak Climber's Premium in the shortest time or sum of times in the sections so marked. It is announced separately on all 3 routes. 

White jersey for the best young rider. On the Long course, this includes competitors who are no older than 25 years of age in the year of the race, on the Medium course, this includes competitors who are no older than 18 years of age in the year of the race, and on the Short course, this includes competitors who are no older than 16 years of age in the year of the race. 

There will be no financial bonuses. 

A team consists of 5 competitors. 

Team members COMPETE in the individual classification. 

Teams can compete on all 3 routes. Team classification has the following categories: Men MT, Women WT, Mix XT. 

The team ranking will be determined by the time of the 4th team member at the finish line, and for the Mixy XT category it is a requirement that at least one team member in 1st to 4th position is of the opposite gender.

Team members must wear identical jerseys.

Teams will be placed in their own starting block at the start, which will be placed behind the first 200 competitors in the individual category. 

There are no financial bonuses for the teams. 

Registration for L'Etape CZ takes place exclusively on the event website www.letapeczech.cz. Registration includes redirection to the payment gateway. The registration of the competitor is completed when the registration fee is paid to the organizer's account. When registering, the candidate must fill in all mandatory data and agree to the declaration of participation in the race.

During registration, the applicant must fill in all the required information and agree to the participation declaration.

The organiser reserves 10% of the total capacity for awarding wild cards. Wild cards will be distributed no later than 31 May 2024. The allocation of a wild card does not mean free participation in the race, it is an opportunity to register for the race. 

Registration for the Hilly Stage will open on June 22, 2023, and close on June 13, 2024, at noon (online) and on June 14, 2024, at the venue.

Registration for the Mountain Stage will open on June 22, 2023, and close on August 15, 2024, at noon (online) and on August 16, 2024, at the venue.

FAIR ENTRY FEE FOR WOMEN (FROM 23.12.2022)

We are responding to the income inequality between men and women by introducing the GPG fair starting fee. The gender pay gap (GPG; variously translated as gender income inequality or gender income gap) refers to the average pay gap between working women and men, with women generally paid less than men. In the Czech Republic, this gap is specifically 16.4%, which is why all women can use the discount code "ferovestartovne" when registering and receive a 16% discount off the basic entry fee. The fair entry fee cannot be combined with other discounts or claimed retroactively.

Starting fee as a gift

A voucher for the entry fee, which includes a special code with which the gifted person registers for the race, will be on sale here: https://eshop.sportprozivot.cz/kategorie/letape-czech-republic/

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND registering on behalf of another participant to provide the necessary consent for their participation in the race by someone who not participating.

The starting pack includes:

• Starting number and a saddle sticker with a chip which is the property of the organiser until the end of the race.
• Gifts from our partners
• A unique participant's medal (for everyone who finishes the race)
• Health care assitance at the highest level
• Well-stocked refreshment station
• Pick up vehicles for those who do not finish
• Pasta party in the finish

The rider in the L'Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France always starts at his/her own risk. The race will run within limited road traffic, despite this the participant is obliged to follow the rules of road traffic and obey the instructions of the organiser, the Policie of the Czech Republic and the Municipal Police members.

Before the race, the rider should know his/her current state of health and undergo a professional examination by a sports doctor. We strongly recommend taking out accident insurance. The organiser does not accept responsibility for any damage to property or health related to the travel, stay and participation of the competitor in the event. Each participant starts at his/her own responsibility.

The race is run on regular roads with complete exclusion of traffic on the entire route, assisted by members of the Police of the Czech Police, Municipal Police and marked and trained organizers.

The organizer cannot restrict the Integrated Rescue System vehicles going to an intervention in any way. Therefore the participants are always obliged to use the right side of the road as a priority or respect the instructions of the security forces, organizers and information boards.

Ceremonial start

The racers will ride the first XY km through the city in a compact formation, assisted by the Police of the Czech Republic and the organisers. During this initial phase, it is forbidden to actively improve your position in the peloton by risky riding, riding in the opposite direction or on the pavement. The official start will be announced by a green flag and a siren from the race director's car.

transverse crossings for passenger traffic

At several points along the route, crossings have been set up to allow public transport providers and local residents in particular to cross the race route. All these locations will be carefully marked and manned by the organizers and in some cases by members of the security forces. Priority will be given to the race participants at these crossings. However, take extra care and follow the instructions of the organizers.

Medical support

At the end of each start wave, an ambulance will drive by. There will be additional ambulances on alert at a few selected locations along the route (7 in total). The medical escort of L'Etape Czech Republic is part of the integrated rescue system. In the event of an accident with injuries, call +420 728 155 155.

Additional services on the route

Feed zones:

Refreshment stations are located along the race route. The refreshment stations will provide a variety of sweet and savoury foods as well as energy products and sports nutrition from the race partner.

Each refreshment station will have dozens of filled bidons, and you will also have the opportunity to refill yours from a prepared water or ion barrel.

Mobile toilets will be available at the refreshment stations.

Approximately 200 metres before and after each refreshment station there will be a Refreshements Zone where you can accept refreshments from your accompaniment and also dispose of waste. Littering elsewhere on the route will be penalized by disqualification.

Technical support:

Team support vehicles are prohibited. 

Additional services in the L'ETAPE village

The race facilities include a sufficient number of showers and mobile toillets as well as backpack and bike storage.

The time limit for each route is set as follows: 

• Short route: 18 km/h
• Medium route: 22 km/h
• Long route: 28 km/h

At the end of the peloton, there will be a vehicle marked as track closure. This vehicle will always move behind the slowest competitor on that route until it joins another route. The vehicle of the "slower" route then takes over this function. Therefore, a situation may arise where a competitor is not overtaken by the track closure vehicle but is classified OTL (Over Time Limit) at the finish line due to not meeting the time limit applicable to the route as stated above.

If the competitor is overtaken by this vehicle he is withdrawn from the race. The competitor may still finish the race, but only at his own risk, in full traffic and without safety. The other option is to load the competitor at predetermined locations with his bike onto a collection bus to take him to the finish.

Schedule will be published soon.

The regulations of the Czech Anti-Doping Agency are in full force for the race.

In case of not complying with these rules and regulations, the participant may be eliminated from the ranking or completely excluded from the race.

A protest against the result and violation of the rules can only be lodged on the day of the race, no later than half an hour after finishing, with the race director at the timing station in the finishing straight. The condition is to fill in the appropriate form and deposit CZK 500, which will be returned to the protester in the event of a positive outcome. Later claims will not be accepted. In exceptional cases, where a protest could not be lodged in due time for an objective reason, a protest can be filed by an email within 2 working days from the day of the race.

Complaints must be in writing (email to info@letapeczech.cz is sufficient). Only the racer can file the protest. Unjustified complaints will not be considered.

The race organizers reserve the right to modify and further specify certain information and provisions of these regulations. They also reserve the right to close the registration of participants in view of the maximum number of participants according to the current measures.

The organisers reserve the right to cancel or suspend the event or part of it in the event of a serious danger, namely adverse weather, unsuitable epidemic situation, threat of terrorist danger or attack threatening the safety of the participants or other unforeseeable circumstances (vis maior).

In such a case, the participant is not entitled to a refund of the entry fee or any part thereof if the organisers have already incurred the costs of the race in the time leading up to the moment of the interruption/cancellation. However, the organisers may, after considering all the circumstances and quantifying the costs associated with the preparation of the race, proceed to a partial refund of the entry fee.

Prior to the race, the organisers will publish the rules and conditions of participation in the race for participants, the organising team and spectators, taking into account the current epidemic situation and hygiene regulations.