Carpathian mtb epic 2018
Discipline: MTB / Cross Country (XC)
Data: 16-08-2018 - 19-08-2018
County: Brașov
Location: Cheile Gradistei - Fundata
Website: http://carpathianmtb.ro/ro/
Now in its second edition, Carpathian MTB Epic, the first UCI multi-stage mountain bike event in Romania, has established itself as one of the most spectacular competitions in the region, managing to put Romania on the map of the most important cycling competitions in this category abroad. Bringing together performance cyclists with international track records and passionate amateurs, the competition is open to all MTB lovers, both from Romania and around the world.
International recognition came immediately after the closing of the first edition, held in September 2017. Top cyclists, as well as international journalists, praised the event as premium, comparing it to the most famous races worldwide.
For the 2018 edition, the organizer MPG Romania announces the following important aspects:
Carpathian MTB Epic is a competition registered in the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar in the S2 category, offering performance athletes, for the first time in Romania, access to 80 UCI points, relevant for the eligibility of participants in the 2020 Olympics. Cyclists with internationally recognized results have already announced their intention to participate, along with amateur athletes from 15 countries. Thus, MTB enthusiasts from Romania have the opportunity to live a unique cycling experience alongside famous names, testing their skills in a top international competition.
The well-known Swiss organizer Joko Vogel has joined the Organizing Committee of the Carpathian MTB Epic, highly appreciating the standard of implementation of the first edition. Joko Vogel is the founder of the renowned cycling competitions PERSKINDOL SWISS EPIC and TORTOUR, co-initiator and organizer of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship, which will take place in Switzerland in 2020.
The event will be hosted by the Olympic-level resort Cheile Grădiștei - Fundata Resort, in Brașov County, located only 3 hours by car from Bucharest, in the immediate vicinity of Bran Castle.
The prizes offered by the organizers will exceed the total value of 30,000 euros. The cash prizes will be allocated according to a prize grid comparable to that used in the World Cup stages.
Carpathian MTB Epic will benefit from live video broadcasts this year as well, including real-time tracking of the competitors on the route, complemented by a summary of each day taken over by specialized sports television channels. Thus, it becomes the cycling competition with the largest media coverage in Romania. Anyone interested in this sport will have the opportunity to find out information about the races and experience the excitement of the competition in real time.
Carpathian MTB Epic is the most challenging and spectacular premium competition in Romanian mountain biking: 4 stages offering a unique experience, with over 180 kilometers of cycling in a wild natural setting and 8,100 meters of elevation gain. The adventure will take place on the most picturesque trails of the Southern Carpathians, in a special 4-day event: Carpathian MTB Epic! Wild, Rugged, EPIC.
Two participation packages are available:
The 4-day EPIC includes a Prologue and 3 daily competition stages. The Prologue, which will take place on Thursday, August 16, is an XCO (Cross-country Olympic) race on a 4-kilometer loop route. The 3 stages, organized between August 17 and 19, 2018, are in the XCM (Cross-country Marathon) format and take place on a distinct competition route, over a distance of 60 km each, starting and finishing at Cheile Grădiștei – Resort Fundata.
The 1-day Challenge takes place on August 19 this year and, as a novelty compared to the first edition, proposes a shorter route, of only 40 km, specially designed to offer amateur riders, who have not yet reached the level of training necessary for the 4-day EPIC race, the opportunity for an authentic MTB experience within a top international competition.
The participation package is all-inclusive. The event offers all participants a complete experience - "eat, sleep and ride" - covering everything from accommodation in a resort with top sports facilities, to nutrition and food plans, complete competition-specific services in the Start/Finish area and on the route, to which are added pleasant hours of relaxation and a carefully selected entertainment program. Thus, competitors will only have to focus on the competition and enjoy the entire experience and the festival dedicated to the passion for cycling to the fullest.
Each competitor will have at their disposal a complex package of services and benefits, at an international organizational standard, which includes: registration in the competition, number with timing chip supplemented by an individual electronic tracking device on the route – tracking – with an SOS button, or a specialized mobile application; technical cycling jersey with a special design – the Carpathian MTB Epic 2018 edition; basic insurance policy, accommodation, breakfast, meal after the race, dinner during the themed parties and a farewell lunch on the last day of the competition; feeding and hydration points at the Start/Finish area and on the routes equipped with water, isotonic drink, fruit and other energizing food products; locker room and wardrobe; technical bicycle services, as well as medical assistance and emergency communications services both in the Race Village and on the routes; bicycle washing; Finisher medal with an original design. In addition to these, there are many other surprises and activities available in the Race Village.
All standard benefits and optional options, premium technical services or sports recovery massage, which can be included in the participation package, are fully detailed on the official competition page in the section describing the experience offered by the event.
Registrations for the competition are open and can be made exclusively online on the official website, available in English and Romanian: www.carpathianmtb.ro/ro/. The last day available for registration for this competition is August 5, 2018.
Registration for the Carpathian MTB Epic is only open to competitors who are at least 19 years old, no later than the first day of the competition. Limited media participation is also available, based on early application, experience in competitive cycling, and selection for special accreditation.