1 BREVETS
1.1 Only Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (LRM) has worldwide sanctioning authority for randonneur cycling events of 1200 km and above, excepting the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km. LRM registers all such brevets. Each brevet receives a homologation number. These are assigned chronologically based on time of receipt.
1.2 To have an event sanctioned by LRM, the event organiser must provide, at a minimum, the following information to the RMR of their country, who will provide the details to LRM.
1.2.1 Name of the event;
1.2.2 Distance of the event as specified in 1.5;
1.2.3 Location of start and finish;
1.2.4 Date of the event;
1.2.5 Name, address, telephone number and email address of the organiser;
1.2.6 Course outline;
1.2.7 List of all control points to include the opening and closing times and the distance between each control;
1.2.8 Details of any requirements specific to their country or club, e.g. the need for insurance, helmets, mudguards, dual rear lights, etc.
1.3 The allocated times for LRM sanctioned events are based on anoverall average maximum speed of 30kph. Overall average minimum speeds for events shall be as follows
1.3.1 For events from 1200 to 1299 km: 13.33 kph
1.3.2 For events from 1300 to 1899 km: 12 kph
1.3.3 For events from 1900 to 2499 km: 10 kph
1.3.4 For events of 2500 km and above: 200 km per day.
1.3.5 For events where the rate of climbing is greater than 11 meters per kilometre the President will give consideration to requests for extra time. This will normally be based on a 5% allowance for every full m/km of extra climbing. Specific authority to adopt these allowances must be sought from the LRM President.
1.4 Event organisers may, with the permission of LRM, introduce a higher minimum speed category but will not be permitted to deny riders access to the minimum speeds specified in 1.3.1 to 1.3.5.
1.5 The distance of the course will be determined by the shortest distance between controls capable of being cycled safely on road. The time limits will be calculated by dividing this distance by the overall minimum and maximum average speeds applicable.
1.6 For all events the RMR may request permission of the LRM President to approve modifications of the opening and closing time of the control points but only within the total time allocation available. In such circumstances, the RMR will provide appropriate supporting documentation.
1.7 It is recommended that all LRM sanctioned events be patterned after the Paris-Brest-Paris and use qualifying brevets to ensure participants are well prepared and non-finishers are minimised.
2 HOMOLOGATION
2.1 All LRM events of 1200 km or more shall appear in the official ACP and/or LRM calendars of events published at the beginning of each year. It is the responsibility of the event organiser to provide via the RMR the complete information to LRM by 31 October of the year preceding the event. The calendar of LRM sanctioned events will also be published on the web site of LRM, currently at randonneursmondiaux.org and in the bi-annual PRESIDENT'S LETTER to all RMR's.
2.2 All events of 1200 km or more to be submitted for homologation by the President of RM will be accepted only if submitted by the RMR of the country.
2.3 Homologation of event results by the President of LRM will be chargeable to the relevant national association via the RMR according to charges laid down by the GA and will include, if the organiser has so requested, the cost of any LRM medals allocated.
2.4 LRM medals must be ordered by the organiser at the end of the event. Exceptionally they may be ordered though the RMR.
3 GENERAL REGULATIONS
3.1 These brevets are open to any amateur cyclist regardless of his or her cycling affiliations and covered by insurance. Any rider under the age of 18 must have the consent of his or her parent or legal guardian in order to take part.
3.2 To participate in a LRM brevet a rider must complete a registration form and pay a registration fee set by the event organiser. In some countries, a waiver of liability must be signed.
3.3 Each rider must be covered by liability insurance, either by a group policy or by a personal policy.
3.4 Any form of human-powered vehicle is acceptable. The only stipulation is that the vehicle must be powered solely by the rider.
3.5 During the event, each rider is considered to be on a personal ride. The rider must ride in accordance with all applicable traffic codes and obey all traffic signals.
3.6 LRM, event organisers, and the RMR and his/her association cannot and do not accept responsibility for any accidents that may occur during the course of a brevet.
3.7 For night riding and at any other times when poor visibility conditions exist (eg rain, fog etc) riders must be equipped with lights and reflective gear deemed necessary by the legal requirements of the jurisdiction or jurisdictions through which the event travels.
3.8 LRM recommends that for night riding all riders wear: (a) a reflective vest, sash, Sam Browne belt, or something similar that clearly places reflective material on the front and back of the rider and (b) ankle reflectors.
3.9 Lights must be fully functional at all times (Spare lights are strongly recommended).
3.10 Any violation of these night riding rules may result in the immediate disqualification of the rider.
3.11 Each rider must be self-sufficient. No follow cars or support of any kind are permitted on the course. Personal support is only allowed at checkpoints. Violation of this requirement may result in disqualification.
3.12 If the organiser creates groups at the start, then, as everyone rides at his or her own pace, a rider may leave the group at any time. No rider can be considered as a group leader. All distinctive signs (e.g. jersey, armband,etc.) or title (e.g. road captain) are not allowed.
3.13 All riders are required to conduct themselves in a civil manner and abide by all applicable vehicle codes, laws, and regulations.
3.14 All riders are required to respect local customs with regards to decorum.
3.15 At the start, each rider will receive a brevet card specifying the location of and time limits for the checkpoints, and route information by GPS tracks or similar and/or traditional cue sheet indicating the route. Riders must stay on the route. If a rider leaves the route, they must return to the route at the same point prior to continuing, i.e., no shortcuts or detours from the route, unless specified by the organiser.
3.16 Riders must stop at each checkpoint to have their card stamped.
3.17 Organisers may also include unannounced checkpoints along the route. This assures that everyone will stay on the prescribed route.
3.18 The organiser must use brevet cards that are acceptable to LRM.
3.19 Organisers may have checkpoints with no member of the organising staff present. At these checkpoints riders must get their brevet card stamped at a local establishment that the organiser specifies as a checkpoint, such as a grocery store or gas station. Checkpoint information to be noted on the brevet card includes the time and the date of passage. Other equivalent methods of verification of passage may be acceptable if agreed with the local RMR, e.g. shop, ATM receipts or photograph with an identifying landmark.
3.20 For unmanned checkpoints where no means of getting a stamp is available (arrival in the middle of the night for example), the rider may either (1) mail in a postcard with the checkpoint information (time, date, full name of the rider, and the rider's club affiliation) to the brevet organiser; or (2) write into their brevet card identifying information from a predetermined landmark or sign; or (3) or photograph with an identifying landmark at the checkpoint also noting the time and the and the date of passage. When the rider mails a postcard, the rider should mark his brevet card in the space provided for the checkpoint: PC, with the time and date the postcard was sent. The organiser has the discretion to determine which option is to be allowed for a given checkpoint. Other methods of verification of passage may be acceptable if agreed with the local RMR, e.g. shop or ATM receipts.
3.21 Missing checkpoint stamps, missing checkpoint times, or loss of the brevet card (regardless of how far into the ride a rider is) may result in disqualification.
3.22 Each rider is responsible for seeing that his/her brevet card is properly completed at each checkpoint.
3.23 Overall time limits vary for each brevet according to the distance, as specified in Regulations 1.3.1 to 1.3.5.
3.24 Additionally, riders must arrive at each checkpoint between the opening and closing times for the checkpoint. These times, calculated on the maximum and minimum average speeds for the event, are noted on the brevet card with the information for the checkpoints.
3.25 If a rider arrives at a checkpoint after it has closed and the ride organiser is satisfied that the rider's lateness is due to the occurrence of something unforeseen and beyond the control of the rider (such as stopping to help at a traffic accident, or a road closure), then the ride organiser may waive the fact that the rider arrived at the control late and allow the rider to continue. Poor bicycle or equipment maintenance, fatigue, lack of fitness, hunger, etc. are not unforeseen and beyond the control of the rider and therefore will not serve as a valid reason for being late. Subject to the foregoing, failure to make all checkpoints, even if the brevet is done within the overall time limit, may result in disqualification.
3.26 Any fraud, cheating, or deliberate violation of these rules may result in the exclusion of the rider from all ACP and LRM sponsored events.
3.27 At the finish, the rider must sign his brevet card and return it to the event organiser. The brevet card will be returned to the rider after the brevet has been verified and a brevet number issued.
3.28 In the event of the organiser losing a brevet card, no replacement to the rider will be made.
3.29 These brevets are not competitive events, so no rider classifications are made.
3.30 The LRM medals noting the successful completion of the brevets are generic and applicable to all LRM events without distinction by distance or speed. Organisers may provide their own medals, which should be uniform for all riders
3.31 A LRM brevet must be done alone and may not be counted as participation in another event held in conjunction with it.
3.32 All promotions associated with a LRM event in a particular country, such as classifications, awards, challenges, etc., for the riders and/or clubs, are exclusively the responsibility of the local RMR and his/her association.
3.33 Organiser's events can be scheduled only on their geographical area on the LRM calendar, wherever the starting point is located.
3.34 If an organiser (in particular a frontier club) proposes to route an event through another country or countries, he/she should seek permission, which will not be unreasonably refused, from the RMR of that country or those countries. In the event of any dispute on this, the LRM President's ruling will be final.
3.35 By taking part in a LRM brevet, the riders accept the publication of their identity and the time achieved in the results published by the organisers. Their identity must never be used for commercial purposes or be transmitted to a third party for this purpose.
3.36 Support vehicles are forbidden on the riders’ official route. Riders who wish to have a support vehicle (even for only one control) must specify it at registration.
3.37 When a special route has been provided for support vehicles, riders can meet their support vehicle only at the checkpoints and within 5 km from the checkpoints.
3.38 Both the rider and the driver of the support vehicle must sign a binding pledge whereby they assert having been informed about the authorised level of support that can be provided to the rider, that the support crew will comply with the present regulations and that noncompliance is subject to penalties.
3.39 When the RMR is of the opinion that local conditions mandate the presence of support cars on the official route, he/she may request that the LRM President consider the relaxation of regulation 3.11 in the interests of rider safety and rule accordingly.
3.40 LRM and the RMR reserve the right to refuse entry to LRM events and to disqualify riders in case of major transgressions. Official controllers will be clearly identified. Any violation of the regulations recorded by official controllers will be penalised according to the categories and scale of penalties as set out by ACP for PBP. The current scale (January 2019) of these penalties is set out at Appendix 4.
3.41 As far as possible, riders will be informed of the attributed penalty either immediately or at the next checkpoint. Penalties will be noted in the brevet card. They apply to the overall time only.
3.42 Penalties may be doubled in the event of further similar offences.
3.43 No rider can be stopped because of penalties during the event. It is explicitly stated that riders take part in the event solely at their own responsibility. Any rider passing his or her brevet card to another rider will be disqualified. This action absolves the organisers of responsibility in case of any accident suffered or caused by this other rider during the event.
3.44 Any rider who registers for and starts a LRM brevet agrees by these actions to the following:
3.44.1 Any complaint or question concerning a brevet or its organisation must be submitted to the organiser in writing, within 5 days from the finish of the brevet.
3.44.2 The organiser will review the complaint and forward it, within 5 days with a recommendation, to the local RMR of the country where the event takes place for a final decision.
3.44.3 Any question regarding the final decision will be sent with organiser and RMR recommendations to the LRM President for consideration by the LRM Executive Committee.
APPENDIX 4
SCALE OF ACP PENALTIES FOR PBP (at January 2019 )
Overtaking official vehicles at the start of the event:
1 hour.
No lighting at night or under conditions of poor visibility:
1 hour.
Using a mobile phone if unlawful while riding:
1 hour.
Drafting with someone not taking part in the event:
1 hour.
Environmental pollution, Absence of (or hidden) reflective vest:
2 hours;
or other such equipment required by law at night:
2 hours.
Refusal to obey controllers:
2 hours.
Registered vehicle present on the official route, Incorrect behaviour of rider or support crew towards the controllers:
2 hours.
Support given on the official route:
5 hours;
or in the controltowns, by a non-registered vehicle:
5 hours.