No, Ride Across Portugal® is a cycling stage event, where each athlete rides at his (her) own pace, scrupulously complying with traffic rules and always safeguarding their safety and the safety of the other public road users.

However, participants can choose to participate in the competitive version of the event. For this, in each stage there are segments of the course, duly identified and communicated by the organization to the athletes, where their times will be timed. Classifications (general and per stage) will be established based on the sum of these timed segments.

Ride Across Portugal® is open to everyone who has reached the age of 18 up to the day before the start of the event.

The best flight program to join Ride Across Portugal is to land in Porto and depart from Faro. In case you need or you have any advantage on the place of departure to be the same as the arrival, the most balanced option is Lisbon airport.

There are also air flights from Faro to other Portuguese airports (Lisbon and Porto) at cheap prices.

Another option is to take one of the international trains that connect Porto and Lisbon to cities like Paris, Bayonne and Madrid.

On Sunday – Day “0”, the organisation has a transfer service (bus and bicycle transport), from Lisbon and Porto to the beginning of the event at Douro-Armamar.

On Sunday, after Day 6, the organisation has transfer services (bus and bicycle transport), from Porches (place of arrival) to Faro (airport), Lisbon (airport).

Participants can purchase these services, as extras, at the time of registration.

Yes, but the organisation guarantees only a limited number of places in the accommodation units to companions.

The companions must to guarantee their own transport during the stages, always complying with the rules regarding the dynamic support.

However, the companions can follow the stages, having access to the departure and the arrival points, as well to the pit stops.

The organisation will provide some tourist information to help the companions to plan their daily programs, especially with the identification of tourist points along the course.

To subscribe supported transport services and tourist guides and programs for companions, the Official Tour Operators must be contacted.

Registrations can be made on the official website or through one of the Official Tour Operators.

As an alternative to the full event (6 stages), participants can register for one of the two shortest versions, choosing to do the first 3 stages (RAP North) or the last 3 (RAP South).

As an alternative to the solo participation, there is also the possibility of participating in a team of two elements, riding the stages on a team relay system.

With the registration, each participant can purchase some extra services, such as single room accommodation supplement, premium mechanical pack, massage pack,  and transfers to the beginning, or from the end, of the event. In addition to these extras, participants can also subscribe several personalised services.

If for some reason you’re not able to participate in all stages, there is the possibility to sign if for just 3 stages.

Choose among 3 types of registration:

– Ride Across Portugal (6 stages)
– Ride Across Portugal – North (3 stages)
– Ride Across Portugal – South (3 stages)

The bicycle  and travel bags participants bring from their places of origin will be transported by the organisation directly from the beginning (Douro-Armamar) to the end of the last stage (Porches). During the stages, participants won’t have access to these packages.

Depending on the distance and the difficulty level, in each stage there are 2 or 3 pit stops.

In each one of them athletes have fast-eating foods such as sandwiches, fresh fruit, nuts, cookies, energy bars, water, juices and isotonic drink. In addition to these energy recovery sports foods, at each pit stop athletes will also find some local gastronomic specialties.

There will be signals along the course in each stage. However GPS is strongly recommended to safely and reliably carry out the entire course in each stage.

GPS course registration is also essential for individual time recordings in timed segments – if the athlete chooses to participate in the competitive component (timed sections).

Yes, during the whole stage and in all stages, participants must transport and use:

– Certified helmet
– Rear light
– Basic mechanics kit (replacement inner-tube, tyre levers and air pump)
– Mobile phone (connected)

At the beginning of each stage, depending on weather conditions, participants may be required to present some material and equipment that the organisation considers necessary to complete that stage safely.

– Survival blanket
– Windbreaker jacket
– Arm warmers
– Full fingers gloves
– Overshoes

At the accreditation, in Day “0”, it will be mandatory to present all the equipment and material mentioned in this point.

To ensure the record of your time in the timed segments, the participant must use a GPS device that synchronises his records with the STRAVA platform (competitive version of RAP).

For those who don’t want to participate in the competitive version and therefore do not need to register their times in the timed segments, the use of GPS is not mandatory but it’s strongly advised as an important complement to follow the route of each stage without errors.

However, a participant can choose to ride always with another rider and therefore does not need to use the GPS device.

Yes, all participants are covered by personal accident and civil liability insurance provided by the Portuguese Cycling Federation.

Coverages:
– Personal Accidents (AP)
– Death or permanent disability by accident: € 28 043.00
– Expenses for treatment and repatriation by accident: € 5,000.00
– Funeral expenses (expenses): 2 700,00 €
– Civil Liability (RC) 50,000.00 €

Participants who wish to have an insurance with more coverage must guarantee this service, using their own resources.

In view of the risks associated with the current pandemic situation, in particular the risks associated with the need for isolation, confinement or quarantine and the costs associated with these situations, it is advisable that each participant has an insurance to cover these situations.

Yes, it’s possible to register and participate in teams of two elements. Participants will be able to register in “doubles” mode, dividing the course of each stage by the two athletes (team relay), with the transition area defined by the organisation for each stage.

The registration fee for participants in doubles is the same as for regular participation.

The participants in double teams must to guarantee their own vehicles to travel during the stages, (from the beginning of the stage to the transition point and from this point to the end of the stage, always safeguarding the event’s rules, especially regarding to the circulation of vehicles among the athletes.

The participants in doubles who wish to get transfers to and from these transition points at each stage, they should contact the organisation or the Official Tour Operators.

Yes, during the stages there is a team of professional mechanics, who circulate among the athletes trying to solve the problems that can be solved in the dynamic stage context.

However, basic interventions such as punches and other easier repairs must be solved by the participants.

Each participant must safeguard the good condition of the bicycle and its components before the departure for each stage and also ensure the transport and handling of replacement and repair material such as inner tubes and pumps during the stages.

In addition to this mechanical support during the stages, athletes can subscribe the “Premium Mechanical Assistance” service as an extra, ensuring more personalised support at the end of each stage.

Ride Across Portugal is supported by a permanent medical team, who will be present at departures and arrivals, but also moving along the course of each stage, supporting any eventual emergency situation.

Yes, participants need to present a document signed by a doctor, attesting their physical fitness to participate in an endurance event like Ride Across Portugal®. The draft of this document is sent to the participants, after the validation of their registrations.

All athletes who hold a UCI license valid for the year of the event, don’t need to present this document since that license already includes medical validation for cycling, including participation in these types of events.

Yes. There is a massage team at the end of each step that ensures a 15 minute massage to each participant.

This service is purchased by the participant as an extra at the time of registration.

No, support cars are not allowed to circulate between cyclists during the stages.

There are areas, defined next to the pit stop zones where the companions can watch the participants and provide them with some type of support.

However, this presence must always be approved by the organisation, guaranteeing safety, the good functioning of the pit stops and the good access of athletes to these areas.

Included for all participants:

– One Ride Across Portugal ® official jersey.
– One Ride Across Portugal ® official polo-shirt .
– One Ride Across Portugal ® official Finisher medal.

At the end of the last stage, on the closing ceremony, official Ride Across Portugal® trophies will be given to the fastest female and male athletes in the sum of the 6 stages timed segments.