2020 GUIDEBOOK #siminncyclothon PLEDGES SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE! We are starting an amazing journey together around the country! While we are at it we are going to raise funds for Landvernd nature conservation society. Landvernd, the Icelandic Environmental Association, is the oldest and largest environmental association in Iceland with 6000 members. The main aim of the association is the conservation of Icelandic nature, protection of the environment in Iceland, ecological restoration, sustainable development and active participation in international collaborations. The issues Landvernd focuses on 2019-2021 are the climate crisis, conservation of Icelandic nature and sustainable societies. Environmental education is the main activity of Landvernd. The association emphasizes public participation in decision making regarding the environment. Generous gifts, support, benefactors and fundraising have been fundamental to supporting their tireless efforts in protecting the amazing nature of Iceland. WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THEIR FUTURE! PARTY AND AWARD CEREMONY! Most definitely we will need a celebration for Síminn Cyclothon finishers. We are all looking forward to hearing your stories and sharing our own. Just know that when you say “this was incredible” you will be understood by each participant. Riders’ party, staff, supporters and organizers will be held Saturday June 27th in Listasafn Reykjavíkur from 20:00 - 24:00. Winners of each category will also be awarded their prizes. Please demonstrate sportsmanship at all times and respect your fellow riders and participants. Let’s have fun having fun! Itinerary 23. June 18:00 Team meeting (in English) and race expo in Ölgerðin, Grjóthálsi 7-11, 110 Reykjavik. All riders are welcome but presence of team managers is mandatory. Race document will be presented after the meeting. 23. June 19:00 Individual and Hjólakraftur start from Ölgerðin, Grjóthálsi 7-11, 110 Reykjavik. Race finish 84 hours later. 23. June 19:15 Team meeting (in Icelandic) and race expo in Ölgerðin, Grjóthálsi 7-11, 110 Reykjavik. All riders are welcome but presence of team managers is mandatory. Race document will be presented after the meeting. 24. June 18:00 A-category start from Egilshöll, race finish 72 hours later. 24. June 19:00 B-category start from Egilshöll, race finish 72 hours later. 26. June 06:00 First teams should be approaching the finish line (based on historical timing). 27. June 20:00 - 00:00 Celebration and award ceremony in Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavik. THE ROUTE Síminn Cyclothon is a relay race around Iceland, 1,358 km on Iceland’s Ring Road. There are five exceptions on the route: The race starts at Egilshöll where the route goes onto Vesturlandsvegur (Road nr. 1), continues on Þingvallavegur (#36) and passes Kjósaskarðsvegur (#48) before entering Hvalfjörðu. Please note Kjósarskarðsvegur includes 5 km gravel section. Shortly before reaching Lake Myvatn in North Iceland cyclists cross the bridge over Laxá River and ride north of the lake (Route 1). Soon after they make a right turn to Reykjahlid municipality and then they turn left towards Egilsstaðir. Cyclists can not ride the more popular rout 848 by Lake Myvatn. All cyclists must go through Öxi mountain road (Route 939) and not Breiðdalsheiði (Route 1). This means all teams must have a mountain bike or a cyclocross bike to pass the 29 km gravel section. After passing through the town of Selfoss cyclists turn south onto route 34 and pass by Eyrarbakki and onto Suðurstrandavegur Road (Route 427) and then onto Krýsuvíkurvegur Road (Route 42) through Krýsuvík and to the finish line which will be located on Hvaleyrarvatnsvegur Road. Please note that during the last 20 km of the race no rider exchanges are permitted, both dropping riders from the car and picking up riders. Part of Routes 48, 42 and 939 are unpaved and teams must decide whether to put out a mountain bike / Cyclocross or if their racer can handle the gravel. START The start will be from Egilshöll Stadium. There are plenty of parking spaces and room by the stadium as well as a good route to get onto the main road out of Reykjavik. We recommend that teams show up with time to spare. First riders will be called onto the starting blocks 15 minutes before the race starts. Also for the first time, teams will be offered to position themselves according to their estimated final time. Please note that regardless of this, all teams in the same category will start at the same time. From Egilsholl Stadium riders will take the Þingvallavegur and Kjósarskarðsvegur into Hvalfjörður Fjord. Special race rules apply on the 38 km route from Egilshöll Stadium to the end of the gravel road on Kjósarskarðsvegur. On this part of the race route no rider exchanges are allowed apart from at a one pre-defined exchange zone. It is also forbidden to stop to pick up a rider which means that those riders which enter a section on the first kilometers must finish it. Until the exchange zone on Kjósarskarðsvegur no follow vehicles are allowed. Direct follow vehicles for Category A and B teams must leave Egilshöll not later than 17:45 on June 26th and wait for their riders next to the allowed rider’s exchange zone on Kjósarskarðsvegur road #48. Race officials will assist with parking on the section, please respect their authority. After the first exchange each team is only allowed one vehicle at a time until the team has left Hvalfjarðarvegur road #47. Therefore it is advised that the second follow vehicle (if registered) travels directly through the Hvalförður tunnel and meet their teams on road #1 after the intersection of road #47 and road #1. Once Category A has started the race at 18:00 vehicles will not be able to pass the riders until after Category B has passed an hour later. Please respect the time limit to ensure rider’s safety and to keep traffic delays at a minimum. If an unforeseen incident like a failure of a bike or similar that demands that a rider of the team needs support, spare parts or a new bike the team needs to contact the race director to make it possible to give such support. For given reasons we want to reaffirm that setting up team tactic based around changing riders bike to a more suitable bike just before entering the gravel section is strictly forbidden, this is a misinterpretation of the rules. If a team is believed to have broken this rule it may be stopped and given time penalties. There is a 5 km gravel segment on Kjósarskarðsvegur Road. The segment’s condition will be discussed at the team meeting on Tuesday, June 25th, as the road is under construction and conditions can change before the race. Riders who ride the first section of the race (from Egilshöll to end of gravel section on Kjósarskarðsvegur) is obliged to carry a mobile cell phone in case an incident causes the cyclist to be unable to proceed with the race. We would like to use the opportunity to note that teams are free to have more then one team member riding at any given time, including this first section. It is not allowed to use other vehicles then the registered team car to support riders in this first section of the race. All teams must familiarize themselves with the first 38 km of the race. Read below for a more detailed description of the new route out of Reykjavik. Part 1 (6 km) NO EXCHANGES ALLOWED – CONTROLLED RACE Riders start from Egilsholl Stadium with a police escort controlling the speed. All teams must respect the speed limit given by the police safety car and give it plenty of space. Part 2 (18 km) NO EXCHANGES ALLOWED – FREE RACE At the roundabout by Álafoss the escort vehicle will release the race and riders are free to race at their preferred speed Riders make a right turn from Vesturlandsvegur Road (No. 1) onto Þingvallavegur Road (No. 36). Þingvallavegur Road will be closed to general traffic from the east by Grafningur, so riders should not expect cars coming from the opposite direction. Riders must still adhere to general traffic rules and stay on the right side of the road. Police escort vehicles will stay with riders making sure that no vehicles will try to pass the group on its way to Kjósarskarðsvegur Road. Part 3 (14 km) ONE EXCHANGE ALLOWED IN A DESIGNATED CHANGE ZONE Riders make a left turn off Þingvallavegur Road onto Kjósarskarðsvegur (No. 48). 0 km – 1 km Kjósarskarðsvegur Road: Exchange Zone All exchanges before the gravel part of Kjósarskarðsvegur Road must be done here. Team vehicles must stop and wait outside this zone. Teams that attack, put pressure on other teams or in any way try to use the change zone to gain advantage on other teams might have to face time penalties. 1 km - 9 km Kjósarskarðsvegur: Parking for team cars. NO EXCHANGES ALLOWED! Síminn cyclothon staff will guide team cars to appropriate parking. We kindly ask participants to follow directions from our staff. 9 km - 14 km Kjósarskarðsvegur: Gravel section NO EXCHANGES ALLOWED! FINISH The finish line is located on Hvaleyrarvatnsvegur. The team’s participation will finish once the front wheel of the first rider passes the finish line. Please make sure that the time chip is attached to the bike most likely to pass the finish line first to make sure the timing is accurate. For A and B category the timing chip should be on the bike that is aimed to be the first bike of the team to cross the finish line. If the results are unclear from the timing chips the results will be determined with a finish line camera, the front tip of the front wheel of the first bike of the team determines when the team has finished.