MTB Enduro is challenging cycling sport full of speed. It requires a good physical strength, but also an eye for riding lines and the bike handling skills.

Taking a part in MTB Enduro is simple - just show up in the events and you'v found the immediate and relaxed MTB Enduro atmoshpere. Licences are not required. Everyone can find the proper racing class, even if one is not so keen on competing, but likes to enjoy of the fantastic trails and event itself.

Enduro race consists of several special tests (ST) and transitions between them. Each rider will have own starting minute to the course. Electronic timing system (EMIT) is used to output race results quickly and reliably. Total course distance is usually about 35 km. ST's make approximately thehalf of total distance.

MTB Enduro racing classes are: Women pro, Juniors under 16 years, Juniors under 19 years, Tour, M40, M50 and Pro. In Tour-class (open for all) riders won't compete of cup points.

Bike model is freely selectable, but basically most of the riders choose the light full suspension bike with the disk brakes. Service during the race is free, but changing the whole bike or the frame is prohibited. Use of helmet is required. Check also racing rules below.

RACE IS TO BEGIN.....

Entry info - Enduro calendar lists a link toentry info. It tells all the information needed before the race. Check it out to follow the instructions and schedules.

On the race day, rider needs to sign up in a competition office, where they are given a number plate, Emit-card and race schedule. Attach the number and schedule sheet to your bike. You may won't to follow up the schedule during the race. Think how, it would be best way to carry the Emit-card, so you won't loose time in labeling and the card won't get lost. Emit-card is labeled always wider end forward and green side up. If you are uncertain, don't hesitate to ask in rider's meeting or of more experienced riders...

Rider's meeting - last info for all racers before the race at around 11.15 o'clock held near to the competition office.Be there! Everything important concerning the race is told in the meeting.

Results - Mtb enduro cup usesEmit-timing system. Rider has a small electronic timing card e.g on his/hers wrist (or any other way he/she chooses to carry it). Each special test start and finish has a control unit, where rider needs to punch the timing card. Card needs to be punched also before the race in the start unit, which starts the clock and clears old results from the card. Start unit locates in the race center. Punching to the start unit differs slighly of the other conrol units. In the start unit the card needs to be kept at least 5 seconds to clear the memory. Other control units will accept the punch immediately when contacted. In the ST start, the officer hands control unit to the rider when it's time to go. Punch as fast as you can, but make sure the contact is good and card was properly placed to the control unit. Otherwise, if labeling wasn't registered, the result will be disqualified. In the ST finish, control unit is placed to the pole at middle of the trail, so you may punch either from the right or left side. When rider returns from the course to the racing centre, rider heads to finish control. There Emit-card is punched once more to get the finish time. Immediately after that rider should carry the card to the office for results. Also riders, who did not finish the race should take Emit-card in to the office for reading and indicate that did not finish. Note, It's in the riders responsibility to place the card properly to each control unit to get electronic timing labels. If the card wasn't started in the start control, one or more ST start/finish labels or the race finish label is missing or forgotten, result will be disqualified. Results will count only the time spent in the ST's, but if defined maximum total time from the start to finish was exceeded, the excess will be added to the time of the last ST.

Route marking - All MTB enduro cup routes are marked in similar way. Mostly route is marked with red-white fibre ribbon. Crossovers and tight corners are marked with arrows on white base. Dangerous and other places requiring special attention are marked with three down pointing arrows. Being fast is not only focusing in speed, but also following the route marks and staying in the trail! Altough, routes are mostly very well marked, novice riders would often be best not to use all the focus in pedaling, but also to look little bit upper. That way it's easier to avoid of dismissing the route markings and to find the best riding lines. 

Results - of each class will be printed and published immediately, when all riders of the class has finished.

Other important things - if you get lost, try to return same track you came until you find the route markings. -do not stray into terrain! If you are totally lost, try to find someone to help and phone to the racing office. If your bike is broken and you cannot continue, contact to the staff in the next start/finish e.g by the following rider.  If someone is injured everyone on the track is required to help. First aid kit and phone/connection to the emergency group is found in every ST's finish. Next rider following the injured one checks, if the help is needed and stays to help if needed. The second rider will check the situation and ride as fast to the finish as possible to call the emergency and transportation. Unwritten rule is that, no-one won't loose the race, if had to stop to help injured rider. In that case, judges will mark you the best time of the ST.

These rules are followed in MTB enduro cup races starting from 01.01.2005.
Rules can be followed also in other MTB enduro races as they will best suited for them.

1. Enduro cup

1.1 Enduro cup consists of 5 - 8 MTB enduro races, which are classified to be cup races in advance. One race may be winter or night race and 1 - 3 sprint races.

1.2 Racing classes

• Juniors 15: Under 15 years old and those who reaches 15th birth day at the ongoing racing year.
• Juniors 18: Under 18 years old and those who reaches 18th birth day at the ongoing racing year.
• Women pro
• M-40: Over 40 years old and those who reaches 40th birth day at the ongoing racing year.
• M-50: Over 50 years old and those who reaches 50th birth day at the ongoing racing year.
• Men pro
• Tour: Open for everyone. Enduro cup points are not shared for tour riders. Prizes of goods are raffled among tour riders.
• Rider is not allowed to move from racing class to another during one season, except out from TOUR. 

1.3 Starting order

1. Juniors 15
2. Women pro
3. Juniors 18
4. Men pro
5. M-40
6. M-50
7. Tour

1.4 Starting window

All classes use 1 minute starting gap between riders. Starting order in each class is according the ascending cup points standings. 

1.5 Cup points

• Cup-points are given in the following racing classes:
  Women, Juniors 15, Juniors 18, M-40, M-50 and Pro.
• Final Cup points are taken of N-1 races (N=total number of cup races during the season). If rider has got points of all races during the season, the race with least points will be ignored in final cup results.
• Points table:
  

  Pos	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
  Points	20	18	16	14	12	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

• Equal points. If two or more riders have same amount of points, the final order is defined according the following rules:
  
  1. Better position in results. E.g. rider A has one win, rider B has two wins -> B reaches higher standing in final results. If both have same amount of best finishes, second best positions are checked, etc.
  2. If positions and points are same for both riders, the higher position will be defined by the highest number of the participants in races, where riders reached their best finishes. E.g. if rider A has win in the race where 15 riders finished Pro class. Rider B won the Pro serie, when 20 riders finished the race.  -> B reaches higher position in final results.
  3. Races where rider has not scored points are ignored when defining the final cup results.

1.6 Timing

Emit system modified for the Eba is used for the race timing.

2. Route

2.1 Winter/night enduro.

• Total distance 20-30 km.
• 4-8 special stages, which of few can be at dark time.
• Distance of special stages: 1-3 km, riding time 2-15 min/ST.

2.2 Sprint enduro

• Total distance 15-30 km.
• 5-10 special stages.
• Distance of special stages: 0,5-2 km, riding time 1-10 min/ST.

2.3 Enduro

• Total distance 30-60 km.
• 6-8 special stages.
• Distance of special stages: 1-5 km, riding time 2-20 min/ST.
• Junior 15 and Women classes may have shortened route (60-70%). For junior (<15v) it's recommended to shorten the route, when ever it's possible.

2.4 Transitions

• Recommended speed for the transitions between the special stages and racing centre is 15 km/h.
• Main roads and places with big traffic should be avoided.

2.5 Special Stages

• As variating terrain as possible.
• Special stage can be technically demanding - but not dangerous.
• 90 % of the special stage should be possible to ride (not carry) in dry conditions. In wet conditions 80 %.

2.6 Route markings on special stages

• Special stages are marked using EBA's arrow guides and red-white fibre band. Arrow guides are used in crossovers, tight corners and in other places where they are needed to foresee the route. 
• Bands and natural blockages are used where it would otherwise be obvious to lose the way.
• Dangerous places are marked by plate with three (3) arrows pointing downwards.

2.7 Route markings on transitions

• Transitions are marked with EBA's arrow guides and red-white fibre band.

2.8 Race time

• Rider is expected to finish the race within the race time defined by the race organicer and progress in the route according the race schedule. Rider should punch the Emit-card immediately, when permission to start is given (and timing unit is handed to the rider) in each start. Excess of the race time is added to the last  ST's finishing time.
• Note: Race time = Time from the Route start (punch to the starting unit in the competition centre yard) to the route finish (punch to the finish unit) in the competition centre yard. Rider may start special stages late of schedule without penalty (e.g. late because of technical problems with bike). When rider arrives late to the start, he will start immediately 30 seconds behind the previous rider.
  
  
• Penalty of being late is not given in ST starts, but only in being late of the defined race finishing time. When rider is behind the schedule (e.g. because of technical problems), they should try to catch it on the transitions to avoid the penalty.

3. Bike and equipment

3.1 Bike

Any kind of bicycle.

3.2 Service

Unlimited, during the race changing of full bike or frame is prohibited.

3.3 Wear

Helmet is required. No othere limitations.

3.4 Number plate

EBA number plates are used in races. Number plate must be mounted to the front of the bike (handlebar).

4. Results and prize giving

4.1 Puplishing of the results

• When results of each racing class has finished, unofficial results are published on the competition office result board. Protest time is marked to the unofficial results sheet.
• Unofficial results may be missing the penalties of excessing the defined race time.

4.2 Protest time

Protest time ends 15 minutes after publishing the results.

4.3 Protest handling

Protests are handled by the jury, which consists of race director, EBA presentative and riders presentative.

4.4 Prize giving

Trophy seremonies are held when protest time of all race classes has finished and jury has confirmed the results.

4.5 Results

Results will be fully published in internet page:http://www.mtb-enduro.net.

5. Järjestäjän tehtävät

5.1 Kilpailukutsu

Julkaista kilpailukutsu, josta tulee selvitä: Kilpailuaika, -paikka, ilmoittautumisaika, kilpailuluokat, osallistumismaksut, maksutapa ja tiedusteluihin vastaavan henkilön yhteystiedot.

5.2 Reittiin tutustuminen

Vähintään viikkoa ennen kilpailua tulee järjestäjää halukkaille mahdollisuus tutustua kilpailureittiin. Kilpailureittiä ei tutustumisajon jälkeen saa muuttaa tai muokata kuin pakottavissa tapauksissa. Muutokset tulee ilmoittaa ohjaajakokouksessa.

5.3 Opastus kilpailukeskukseen

5.4 Hankkia "Nolla-ajaja"

• Nolla-ajaja kiertää reitin ennen kilpailijoita ja tarkastaa reitin sekä merkkauksen.
• Kun reitti on nolla-ajajan toimesta tarkistettu ja kuntoon saatettu, ei erikoiskokeita hylätä vaikka harhaan ajoja tapahtuisikin.

5.5 Ensiapu

• Kilpailupaikalla tulee olla riittävä valmius ensiavun antamiseen mahdollisten loukkaantumisten varalta.
• Ilmoitustaululta tulee ilmetä Sairaankuljetuksen ja lähimmän Terveysaseman puhelinnumero.
• Ensiapulaukut erikoiskokeitten maaleissa.

5.6 Peseytymis- ja pukeutumistilat

• Kilpailijoille on järjestettävä mahdollisuus peseytymiseen ja pukeutumiseen kilpailukeskuksessa tai sen välittömässä läheisyydessä.
• Pyörän pesupaikka.

5.7 Juomahuolto

5.8 Kuulutus

5.9 Tulokset

• Julkaista tulokset internetissä sekä toimittaa ko. www-osoite (linkki) tai tulokset sähköpostitse: info@mtb-enduro.net.
• Toimittaa tulokset sanomalehtiin ja alan julkaisuihin.

6. Kilpailijan tehtävät

• Ilmoittautua kilpailuun kilpailukutsun mukaisesti.
• Ilmoittautua ennen ohjaajakokouksen alkua kilpailukansliassa.
• Ilmoittaa mahdollisesta keskeytyksestä Ek:n maalissa / kilpailukansliassa.
• Välittömästi kilpailusuorituksen jälkeen toimittaa Emit-kilpailukortti luettavaksi kilpailukansliaan sekä palauttaa kilpailunumero järjestäjälle.
• Kilpailijan tulee noudattaa järjestäjän merkitsemää reittiä, antaa tietä nopeammalle kilpailijalle, siirtymätaipaleilla huomioitava muu liikenne sekä jalankulkijat.
• Liikuttava kilpailureitillä roskaamatta ja aiheuttamatta luonnolle tarpeetonta vahinkoa.
• Kilpailija ei saa oikaista tai muulla vastaavalla tavalla yrittää saada hyötyä muihin kilpailijoihin nähden.

7. Tuomariston tehtävät

• Tuomaristo voi päätöksellään mitätöidä ek:n tulokset yhden tai useamman kilpailuluokan osalta mikäli erikoiskokeella on tapahtunut huomattava määrä harhaan ajoja jotka johtuvat merkkauksen puutteesta tai erikoiskokeelta ei ole saatu tuloksia esim. laiteviasta johtuen.
• Kohtien 3. ja 6. noudattamatta jättämisestä voi kilpailun tuomaristo hylätä kilpailijan suorituksen sekä mitätöidä saavutetun tuloksen.
• Tuomariston tulee päätöksissään huomioida urheilulliset näkökohdat ja kohdella kaikkia kilpailijoita ikään, sukupuoleen ja arvoon katsomatta tasapuolisesti.