The Trans Portugal is a mountain bike race for amateurs which crosses Portugal in 8 days, north to south. It starts in Chaves near the Spanish border and finishes in Sagres, the southern west point of Europe. 900 km of off-road racing across forest tracks, gravel roads and steep single tracks on clifftops. The race has had a few different versions in the past and has been going since 2003 with some of the early versions being even longer and hillier than the current version.
The route is not marked. There are no signposts, ribbons or arrows to indicate the way. Competitors navigate the course following a GPS track supplied by the organizers and have to stay within 100M either side of the official route. At the end of each stage, you submit your GPS to the organizers and they validate the track you have taken. There are time penalties for deviating from the route. If you take a wrong turn, you have to retrace your track to where you left the official route.
The race operates a single category with everyone racing for the one set of prizes. To make a fairer race, allowances made for age and sex using a handicap system. To make sure you keep the gas on, there is maximum time allowed for each stage which is calculated as 175% of the fastest time ever posted for each stage.....and believe me those times are fast! There are also checkpoints throughout each stage which you have to pass before a set time otherwise you cannot continue. (though you can start again the following day)
Racers are awarded a handicap based on age and sex and get to start before the 'official' stage start time and those with less benefit start later and chase them down. Everyone is then racing for the same 'official' end time on the toad. If you pass someone on the road you are ahead of them in real terms in the race.
The route is not marked. There are no signposts, ribbons or arrows to indicate the way. Competitors navigate the course following a GPS track supplied by the organizers and have to stay within 100M either side of the official route. At the end of each stage, you submit your GPS to the organizers and they validate the track you have taken. There are time penalties for deviating from the route. If you take a wrong turn, you have to retrace your track to where you left the official route.
The race operates a single category with everyone racing for the one set of prizes. To make a fairer race, allowances made for age and sex using a handicap system. To make sure you keep the gas on, there is maximum time allowed for each stage which is calculated as 175% of the fastest time ever posted for each stage.....and believe me those times are fast! There are also checkpoints throughout each stage which you have to pass before a set time otherwise you cannot continue. (though you can start again the following day)
Racers are awarded a handicap based on age and sex and get to start before the 'official' stage start time and those with less benefit start later and chase them down. Everyone is then racing for the same 'official' end time on the toad. If you pass someone on the road you are ahead of them in real terms in the race.
The percentages are as follows and cumulative:
If you are a man aged 40 or less, you get no benefit and have to chase. If you are a woman aged 51 you get a benefit of 19% + 9% = 28%. What this means in practice is that on Stage 1 which has currently a fastest ever stage race time of 3 hours 54 mins 0 seconds, a 56 year old male will get a benefit of 14%. This equates to a benefit of 32 minutes 46 seconds head start before the official start time.
- Age =>41 =<45 - 2%
- Age =>46 =<50 - 5%
- Age =>51 =<55 - 9%
- Age =>56 =<60 - 14%
- Age =>61 =<65 - 19%
- Age =>66 =<69 - 24%
- Age =>70 - 30%
- Female participants - 14%;
If you are a man aged 40 or less, you get no benefit and have to chase. If you are a woman aged 51 you get a benefit of 19% + 9% = 28%. What this means in practice is that on Stage 1 which has currently a fastest ever stage race time of 3 hours 54 mins 0 seconds, a 56 year old male will get a benefit of 14%. This equates to a benefit of 32 minutes 46 seconds head start before the official start time.
Some race numbers:
- Shortest stage - 85km;
- Longest stage - 190km; (Aaargh!)
- Average stage - 112,5km;
- Total of 16.000m Vertical climbing
- Most Climbing Stage - 2,950m
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