Etape Royale Event Info Pack Sunday 27th September 2015

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1 Etape Royale Event Info Pack Sunday 27th September 2015 Brand new for 2015 the Etape Royale is a closed-road cycle sportive set in the regal surroundings of Scotland s majestic North-East. The 65 or 100-mile, closed-road route takes participants across Aberdeen-shire and Moray s breath-taking scenery, through the heart of whisky country and Royal Deeside.

2 Sponsor - Quilter Cheviot We are thrilled to announce investment management firm Quilter Cheviot as our new sponsor for the 2015 Etape Royale. As any keen rider knows, preparation, experience and teamwork are the secrets to success in competitive cycling - the same skills our new investment partners have in abundance. Offering an individually tailored approach, Quilter Cheviot is committed to its clients, offering unbiased investment advice informed by the latest research and investment expertise. Their exceptional standards have been recognised with the award of a Defaqto 5* rating for both its Discretionary Portfolio Service and Managed Portfolio Service for 2012, 2013, 2014 and The Quilter Cheviot teams in Edinburgh and Glasgow are delighted to support such a prominent local event and will even be testing their own physical skills to the limit as they take to the road in this year's Etape Royale. Good Luck Team Quilter Cheviot! Event Weekend Timings Event Parking and Camping opening times o Ballater - Friday 25th September from 4pm until Monday 28 th September at 11am o Rhynie - Saturday 26 th September from 6pm until Sunday 27 th September at 7pm Event Registration - Saturday 26th September 10am to 9pm Etape Royale Start Times o 100 mile route from Ballater (6am am) o 65 mile route from Rhynie (8am am) Registration All participants in both the 65 and 100 mile routes MUST collect their registration pack in person from the event hub, these cannot be posted. The event hub is located in Ballater Town Square Registration is located at the Glenmuick Church in Ballater Town Square The event hub is open for registration on Saturday 26th September, from 10am to 9pm. No registration on Sunday morning. Please bring photo ID, either driving licence or passport. If you are collecting the registration pack on somebody else's behalf you must present a copy of their photo ID and a signed letter giving you permission to collect their pack. You can collect on behalf of someone else without a copy of there ID.

3 Registration Pack At registration you will receive your Registration Pack. This will include: Timing Chip Sticker (Left side of helmet) Participant Number (To be worn on front of body) Label Pack - (Bike and helmet label sheet) Number and Label Placement Guide Sheet Start and Finish Location The Etape Royale event hub is located in the beautiful and historic Royal Burgh of Ballater, Aberdeenshire. 100 mile route - Start and Finish: Ballater 65 mile route - Start: Rhynie, Finish: Ballater Getting To The Start On the morning of the event please arrive early. Both Ballater (100 mile route start) and Rhynie (65 mile route start) will be busy places. Please follow the signs and directions given by event marshals. Please ensure you factor in the final road closures timings and their potential impact to your journey. If you are staying close to Ballater or Rhynie please cycle to the start line to ease congestion. We welcome spectators to the event but please try and car share as much as possible. Whether travelling by car or cycling please follow the signs and directions given by event marshals. You will be directed from the main car park in Ballater and Rhynie to the start line. PLEASE NOTE: There is no event transport to the 65 mile route start point in Rhynie provided by the event organisers. Participants must make their own way there so they are not affected by the road closures. You are advised to use the FREE camping in Rhynie on Saturday 26th or stay in accommodation north of Ballater with access to the A97 so you can easily get to the event start at Rhynie. Getting back to Rhynie There will be a bus and bike transportation service to take the 65 mile route participants back to Rhynie from the event finish in Ballater. Buses will leave from just outside Ballater from 12pm. Buses will only leave once they are full so please note that you may have to wait a while before the bus departs. Bikes will be loaded into event vehicles by event staff and transported with participants to Rhynie. The journey back to Rhynie will take approximately 1 hour and is 40 miles. Bus and bike transportation tickets are booked during the online registration process at a cost of 15. Parking Car Parking for all participants and spectators is included within your entry fee. Parking will be available close to the centre of Ballater (100 mile route start) and Rhynie (65 mile route start).

4 Accommodation Event camping facilities for all participants and spectators are included within the entry fee. If you are participating in the 100-mile route you can camp on Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2015 in Ballater at the event campsite, close to the centre of Ballater. If you are participating in the 65 mile route you can camp on Saturday 26th September 2015 in Rhynie at the event campsite, close to the centre of Rhynie. At the Ballater and Rhynie event campsites there will be toilets and a water supply. Use of camping stoves is permitted but no open fires or BBQs. There will be no shower facilities. No vehicles will be allowed in the campsite, please use the FREE event parking for all cars, vans and camper vans. Information Point The information point will be located at registration on Saturday 26 th and close to the start/finish line on Sunday 27th September. If you require info in the lead up to the event please info@wildfoxevents.com or call The Route The 100 mile circular route, starting in Ballater and the 65 mile linear route, starting in Rhynie takes you on a traffic-free journey via Dufftown, the Lecht and back to Ballater on the banks of the River Dee. The route has a real mix of scenic rolling roads, challenging ascents and alpine-esque descents through a wild landscape scattered with iconic whisky distilleries. The King of the Mountain Climb over the mighty Lecht will see participants test themselves against the clock as they grind steeply upwards over a 1.5 mile stretch in the most testing climb of the day. Feed Stations With 65 or 100 miles to cover this will be tough and energy-sapping event. You must equip yourself with full drinks bottles and energy food before you start. 100 mile route - 6 feed stations will be stocked with energy drinks and food along the route. 65 mile route - you will pass the last 3 feed stations on the route. At each feed station there will also be mechanical support, rubbish collection and toilets. Feedstation Location Distance (Approx) 1 Tarland 13 miles 2 Tullynessle 28 miles 3 Rhynie 37.5 miles 4 Dufftown 56 miles 5 Tomintoul 75.5 miles 6 Lecht Ski Centre 81 miles

5 The Start 100 mile route - Participants will start in wave intervals from 6am to 6.30am 65 mile route - Participants will have a rolling start from 8am to 8.30am. There will be a bag drop available near the start line in Rhynie. Bags can be collected in Ballater once you finish. Start times for the 100 mile route will be ed to you in the lead up to the event. Your start time is based on the estimated finish time that you provided when you registered so that participants can be grouped with others of similar ability. If you are part of a team we will try to start you with the rest of your team. If you arrive late or miss your start wave, you will join the event from the last wave. Your race time does not start until you cross the Start Line. No participants will be allowed to leave after the sweep vehicle has left the event start. Slow Participants After the last wave has departed on the 100 mile route from Ballater, the sweep vehicles will set off and maintain a speed of 13mph. Roads will re-open once the sweep has passed through each section and after it has been deemed safe for them to re-open. Participants cycling the 100 mile route must maintain a minimum average speed of 13mph. Participants cycling the 65 mile route must maintain a minimum average speed of 11mph. If you do not maintain the stated speeds above, you will be overtaken by the sweep convoy and removed from the event. It is MANDATORY that participants then get on the sweep convoy bus. This is due to the remote nature of the route and our responsibility, as event organisers, for all participants who take part in the event. If you cannot continue due to critical mechanical breakdown or you wish to withdraw, there will be a bike trailer and bus as part of the sweep. You will be collected and taken to the Finish. IMPORTANT: For safety reasons, you must not leave the course without informing an Event Official. Litter This is a stunning part of the country and we need to leave it as we found it. Please do not drop rubbish or used water bottles on the route. Littering will have a negative impact on whether the event will run in future years. Please drop litter in bins at the feed stations only. Toilets Portable toilets will be available at the event hub throughout the event weekend. On the route there will be toilets at each feed station. For the consideration of landowners and local residents please do no stop to relieve yourself anywhere else on the route.

6 Bike and Kit Guidelines Bike, fully serviced (Road bike recommended) Bikes with modifications such as aerobars and Triathlon specific bikes are NOT permitted Helmet (Must comply with safety standard BSEN 1078) Bike lights (front and rear) The event starts at 6am, just before sunrise. Participants will be riding in twilight in the early stages of the race. All participants, regardless of start time must have lights fitted to their bikes. Pump, spare inner tubes, tyre levers and puncture repair equipment Drinks bottles (2 recommended) Mobile Phone fully charged Personal supply of high energy foods Foil Blanket - For use in emergency only - HIGHLY ADVISED NOTE: MP3 players with headphones are NOT permitted. These may prevent you from hearing the instructions of safety marshals and are therefore a safety hazard. Emergency Alerts Over the event weekend you may receive a text message from EtapeRoyale. This will only be used if we are issuing emergency information relating to the safety of participants or if we are having to halt or cancel the event mid-way through. Road Closures The Etape Royale takes place on closed roads. This means roads closed to vehicles. Local residents have been sent a reminder letter with the road closure timings 14 days before the event. To limit the impact on residents, there will be a rider control point at Rhynie at the A97 crossing point (37.2 miles) starting at 9am. All participants passing through this point after 0900 may be held for a short period to allow local traffic to pass. Participants arriving before 9am will not be affected by this. We anticipate this will not affect the fastest two-thirds of participants. This only affects the participants riding the 100 mile route. There will also be 2 short sections of the route where participants will ride on the left hand side of the road only. These are at approximately 56 and 98 miles. First Aid and Medical Support We will be working closely with all emergency services to ensure the safety of all participants, staff and volunteers during the event. Medical provision will be provided by Prometheus Alpha Med, event medical specialists. First Aiders will be available at static and mobile units along the route as well as at the Finish. If any participant is NOT allowed to continue for medical reasons, Event Control will be notified. If you see another participant who is having trouble or who needs assistance, please notify an Event

7 Official or a member of the medical team as soon as it is safe to do so, giving their rider number if possible. If you need to stop for any reason throughout the event, ensure you stand clear of the road, facing oncoming participants and raise your right hand so that it is clear that you need assistance. Please ensure that your hand is raised in enough time to let the event marshal see you in time to stop safely. IMPORTANT: Please give way, stop or pull off the road for any emergency vehicles that require access on the route. We advise that if you have recently had a cold or have been ill, you should seek medical advice. If you feel unwell on event day, our advice is that you should not take part. The organiser s reserve the right to prevent participation on the day for medical reasons. We sincerely hope that your training has gone well but if that is not the case, we seriously advise that you consider whether you are fit enough to participate. To ease your aching muscles Athletes Angels will be providing massage at the finish line at a cost of 10 for 15 minutes. Mechanical Support There will be mechanical support provided at the event hub in the centre of Ballater on Saturday 26th September. The team there will be able to assist with minor issues only, as they are likely to be very busy. We advise that you get your bike serviced in advance of the event to best avoid difficulties across the event weekend. All participants must carry a minimum of a pump, spare inner tubes, tyre levers and a puncture repair kit. More importantly you must have the knowledge of how to change an inner tube - you must not rely on mechanical support reaching you or fellow participants stopping to assist. Chip Timing All participants will be given a timing chip sticker to attach to the left side of the bike helmet. You will receive instructions on how to fit the timing chip at event registration. Assuming this is fitted correctly you will receive an official finish time. The official finish times will be posted online within 48 hours of the event. Medals All finishers will receive a medal on completion of the event in Ballater along with a souvenir water bottle. Prizegiving Prizes for top 3 men and top 3 women in both the 100 and 65-mile routes. King and Queen of the Mountains 1st man and 1st woman in both the 100 and 65 mile routes.

8 Baggage There is a bag drop facility in Rhynie for the 65 mile route participants only. Please attach the correct label from your registration pack label sheet. Bags can be collected back in Ballater at the Event Hub. Changing and Showers There will be changing facilities available at the Event Hub in Ballater. There are no shower facilities. Photos Event photographers will be located around the route and in Ballater. Photos will be available to view online the week after the event. Lost Property If you find or wish to claim any lost property please go to the event registration on Saturday 26th September or the Information Point close to the event finish on Sunday 27 th September. Rider Etiquette and Road Safety Be aware there will be a wide range of rider abilities on this event, as well as a range of experience of riding in large groups. Communication between participants and event marshals is very important to everyone s safety so no MP3 players and headphones will be permitted throughout the event. MARSHAL RED FLAG: This means hazard ahead. If requested by a marshal to stop, you must do so. MARSHAL BLACK FLAG: This means the race has been halted. Please take direction from an event marshal. Stray Livestock: Be aware of potential stray livestock on the route. Traffic Management Systems: Please note there are 2 short sections where participants will cycle in the left hand lane with cars on the right. The cars will be controlled by a traffic management system. Getting Here Please view the travel guide on the event website: Rules and Regulations These can be viewed here: