Advance Race Information - Please Read!

Shimano TweedLove International Enduro
21-22 May 2016
Peebles/Innerleithen - Tweed Valley, Scottish Borders

Event HQ: Tweed Green, Peebles EH45 8AP

Race Notes
Full details and official Race Notes will be sent to all riders on Wed 11 May. 

License and Insurance
No racing license is required to take part in the event, but a valid race licence and/or personal insurance for participation is strongly recommended.

Race Registration
Event registration will be from the race office on Tweed Green, Peebles, EH45 8AP at the following times:
- Thursday 19 May: 9am-12pm and 4:30pm-6pm
- Friday 20 May: 9am-12pm and 5pm-8pm
- Saturday 21 May: 7:30am-10am
You will need a number plate to practice.

Timing card collection, Tweed Green
- Saturday 21 May: 10am-2pm

Mandatory Rider Briefing
6pm on Friday 20 May at Tweed Green. Any changes to the race will be notified to riders at this briefing. It is mandatory to attend the briefing for event safety reasons. Non-attendance at the Rider Briefing will not be an acceptable excuse for any rule violations.

Rider Start Times and Seeding
All riders will be seeded and top 250 will be given stage start times for all race stages. These times are mandatory and penalties will apply for missing stage starts. Transition times will not require a sprint to make them, but will not have huge amounts of slack either.

These 250 riders will be referred to as ‘Seeded Riders’. All other riders can choose their start times at registration (first come first served) so they can ride with friends of they wish. They will have an overall course completion time to achieve and they will be given stage opening and closing times.

More info provided in the Race Notes on Wed 11 May.

Start Lists
Event start lists (for the 250 Seeded Riders) will be released on Monday 16 May at 7pm. 

Start lists will be available on the TweedLove Website

These will also be available to view at event registration on Tweed Green.

Course Map
Course map will be released on Monday 16 May at 7pm on the TweedLove website

Course Description
Race location:
Trails around the Tweed Valley. May include Glentress Forest, Caberston Forest (aka the Golfie) and Elibank and Traquair Forest.

Full description will be released with the course maps.

Practice Info
Monday 16 May at 7pm - Course map released.
Maps will be posted online, and an email link will be sent to all riders.

- Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 May – Course closed for marking. No riding or bikes on course, walking only permitted.  Please be aware that TweedLove course markers will be on the route and course marking will not be complete. 
- Thursday 19 May, 10am-8pm – Stages 4-7 only
- Friday 20 May, 9:30am-6pm – All stages open
- Saturday 21 May, 9am-12pm – Stages 4-7 only

Practice is unmarshalled but there will be course officials around the course, doing final trail prep. A contact number for event HQ will be included on the back of rider number boards should you need assistance.

Number boards must be attached at all times for practice.

Race Info
Day 1:
Saturday 21 May (partial day racing)
First rider start approx. 11am
Last rider start approx. 2:30pm
All Seeded Riders go out first, fastest seed last. Non-seeded riders follow.

Day 2:
Sunday 22 May (full day racing)
First rider start approx. 8:15am
Last rider start approx. 12pm
All Seeded Riders go out first, fastest seed last. Non-seeded riders follow.

Everyone gets a free beer on finishing the course (if over 18!).
Tempest Brewing Co have created a new craft beer especially for the race.

Start times for Seeded Riders posted at race office on Tweed Green

Uplift
There is no mechanical uplift for the race. All transitions are pedal-powered.

Shuttling
Race Day:
NO SHUTTLING PERMITTED on race day. DQ for anyone caught.

Practice Days:
Shuttling between Peebles and Innerleithen is permitted for Practice Days only, and in Glentress as far as Buzzard’s Nest car park.

Timing System
Sport Ident Air system, rolling start/racing finish.
Active timing cards must be returned to get results.
Non-returned cards will be charged at £60 per card.

Results
Results posted online as soon as possible after racing – Saturday and Sunday. 

Mechanical Support
Once on course no team mechanical assistance is permitted. Shimano will provide neutral mechanical assistance on course and at the event HQ.

Feed Stations
Feed stations will be provided on course each race day.  The locations of these will be highlighted on the route map released on Monday 16th May at 7pm.

Mandatory Protection
Protection regulations:
- A helmet must be worn at all times while riding on course, this includes transitions. Helmet can be full-face or open (full face helmet strongly recommended).
- Knee pads mandatory.
- Gloves strongly recommended.

Waiver of Liability
Every rider understands and admits that his participation in the event is voluntary.

He/she assumes full responsibility for any injuries or damages from his/her participation in, or practice for, the event. He/she recognises and understands that mountain biking and the activities associated with this event may be hazardous, that his/her participation is solely at his/her own risk and that he/she assumes full responsibility for any resulting injuries and damages that may occur.

Every rider affirms that he/she is in good health. He/she declares that he/she is physically fit and capable to participate in the event. Every rider understands it can be a strenuous day out with significant amounts of climbing and distance to be cycled in order to complete the course.

Every rider has to acknowledge that he/she has read and understand this entire waiver of liability and agrees to be legally bound by it.

Cancellation Policy
If for any reason you are unable to attend the event refunds will be available on request (info@tweedlove.com) as follows:
• Up to 2 weeks before the event - refund available, subject to an admin fee of £10.00 which will be deducted from the refund
• Less than 2 weeks before the event – no refunds available. A riders name may be changed on payment of £10.00 admin fee up to 1 week before the event. After this date no changes are permitted. 

No rider may use another’s rider’s event number.

Awards
Shimano TweedLove International Podiums
Sunday 22 May 2016   
Tweed Green, Peebles, EH45 8AP
Approximately 6pm

Prize Money
The prize money is for the fastest three men and fastest three women, regardless of category.

                                  Men                                               Women
                           1st        1250 GBP                         1st        1250 GBP
                           2nd        700 GBP                          2nd        700 GBP
                           3rd         400 GBP                          3rd         400 GBP

Non-cash prizes are also given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed riders in each of the competitive categories.

First Aid
Emergency Response:
Practice Days - no static first aid cover. Race Office contact 07495 082086
Race Days - Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team. Contact via Marshal or Marshal Control (Marshal Control 07870 233443). 

Nearest hospital clinic
Borders General Hospital
Melrose
Roxburghshire
TD6 9BS
01896 826000

Entertainment
The Love Club, Sunday 22 May 
Tickets £5 available here or on the door

Bar by Tempest Brewing Co on Tweed Green:
Friday 20 May 4:30-8:30pm. Beer School 6:30pm
Saturday 21 May 12pm-9pm
Sunday 22 May 12pm – 6pm

Travel
The Tweed Valley is easily reached from all over the UK and a short transfer from airports and train stations.

If you are arriving by car the main roads into the Tweed Valley are the A7 and A701 from the South and the A701 from the North.  And if you’re arriving by air you will probably arrive via Edinburgh Airport [EDI], Newcastle [NCL] or Glasgow [GLA].

The closest stations are Tweedbank station nr Melrose and Galashiels and Edinburgh Waverley Station. Check Travelline Scotland for dedicated bus connections.

Share car transport whenever you can – there’s a very useful car-sharing website at www.tripshareborders.com

Accommodation
Our official accommodation partner, The Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, is only 3 miles from Peebles, and offers premium accommodation, good parking, secure bike storage and an excellent laundry service.

There’s a huge variety of providers offering bike friendly facilities – a good place to start is on the TweedLove website, and also check out www.visittweedvalley.co.uk for other selection of places to stay.

Please note that there will be no camping available on site at Tweed Green, as it is a public park. There are plenty of local camping and caravan sites though - visit this page for more info. 

Contacts
Event Director: Neil Dalgleish, neil@hillsideoutside.com

Athlete / Team / Expo Inquiries: Rhian Anthony, rhian@hillsideoutside.com  

Media / Accreditation: Fiona Dalgleish, fiona@hillsideoutside.com

Accounts / Registration Inquiries: Fiona Rae, accounts@hillsideoutside.com

Social Media
Facebook #tweedlove #tweedvalley #bikevalley #oorvalleyyourvalley

Twitter @tweedlovefest

Instagram @tweedlovefest

Other TweedLove Events
TweedLove is a two week festival, celebrating all kinds of bike riding on the trails, roads and social establishments in the area. Our festival motto is ‘Two Weeks of Riding Bikes and Good Times’. We hope you can stay and enjoy other events either on or off the bike.

www.tweedlove.com