2-day practice: We will facilitate two practice days on all four(4) stages + 1 pro stage of the special sections to familiarise you with the new terrain.  
Prologue: A prologue will be held on the second practice day to determine the sequence of racers for the final race run.
Important: The timing of the prologue run will be added to the overall race times.

1-day enduro race: mainly flat and climbing sections are untimed, and mostly descending sections are timed—2 to 3 hours of riding per day, with four (4) timed sections.

Each day, riders will be transported up the hill to an assembly point. From there, they can expect a starting transfer stage of easy uphill ridge riding for 0.8 km. 

Uplifts by Vehicle
4-wheel drive trucks may provide very limited vehicular uplifts for the subsequent stages of the race. The details of uplifts, if any, will be provided during the race briefing. Come prepared to pedal in the authentic enduro riding style and the spirit.

WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION AND BIKE APPAREL DO I NEED?

• Helmets are mandatory to be worn whenever a rider is pedalling their bike. The helmet can be full-face or half-lid, according to the individual’s comfort level. Helmets with a removable chin guard/piece are also acceptable. Knee pads are the other mandatory apparel (for timed stages). Other recommended apparel include:
• Additional body armour (elbow pads, chest protector, back protector, etc.) according to the individual’s comfort level
• Padded shorts or bib shorts
• Full-fingered gloves
• Eye protection (sunglasses or goggles) 
• Two or more sets of comfortable riding shorts + a jersey

As part of their packing list, all participants are advised to bring along the following:

• A storm-shell/waterproof jacket
• A synthetic insulated jacket or insulated fleece/wool mid-layer
• One or more insulated beanies/balaclava/headscarf
• A pair of sunglasses or goggles (with tinted lenses for bright sunlight) Besides, the recommended equipment includes (but is not limited to) the following:
• Warm gloves / Warm socks
• Spare clothing & sturdy walking/running shoes/flipflops for casual hiking & sightseeing
• Lip balm/Sunscreen/Earplugs
• Head torch
• Baby wipes and/or anti-bacterial hand sanitiser gel

DO I NEED INSURANCE TO TAKE PART IN THE POKHARA ENDURO?

• Yes. The event passes through woods and hard-to-access areas. In an emergency, a costly means of evacuation may be necessary. All participants must have insurance covering this and any medical treatment that may be required.
• All successful international participants must show proof of insurance on the race briefing day. Anyone without adequate insurance will not be allowed to participate in the event.

All participants must adhere to the following race rules

1. The event is a mountain bike enduro race consisting of multiple timed stages, each timed separately. The Main Competition will consist of 4 timed stages conducted separately from the Seeding stage.
2. Riders must complete all timed stages in the required order and as briefed by the race organiser.
3. A) Riders will be equipped with electronic timing systems during the racing during Seeding at the Pro Stage (28 November 2024) and the Main Competition(29 November 2024).
   
   B) Riders must only wear the provided timing transponders on the left wrist or arm. Please avoid using GPS or smartwatches on the right wrist to avoid signal interference.
   
   C) Riders are responsible for their discipline to ensure proper timing and to avoid accidental triggering of timing transponders. They must obey all instructions from start and finish officials to maintain a safe distance away from start and finish timing sensors. The minimum safe distance to avoid triggering is 3 meters. All time calculations follow the first time a start/finish sensor triggers a transponder.
   
   D) Riders accept responsibility for the safekeeping of their timing transponders. Loss, damage, or destruction of a timing transponder by a rider will incur a penalty in the form of a replacement fee of USD$ 100 / NRS.13,000 per transponder.

4. The sum of the timings determines a rider’s ranking – also known as the ‘combined time’ – of the Pro-Stage and all Main Competition timed stages. All riders in the event are thus ranked accordingly, with the winner being the rider with the lowest combined time. Riders in a category where an attempt at the Pro stage is not applicable shall start separately from seeded riders; their combined timing and event rankings will also reflect this separation.
5. Each timed stage will be predominantly downhill, but they can include some uphill sections, too.
6. Riders will attain the start point of each timed stage via untimed or liaison stages, which are predominantly uphill. While the timings taken to complete liaison stages will be logged, they are NOT part of the combined time used to determine the event rankings.
7. Riders must follow a specific course and complete all stages in order. Before the race, riders are assigned practice sessions to preview the course and familiarise themselves with all timed and liaison stages. Not attending practice is not an acceptable reason for short-cutting the course or exceeding timings due to getting lost. Any deviation from the course—without a valid reason—will result in a time penalty.
8. Riders queued to start a timed stage will be sent off with a minimum 30-second gap between riders. Riders not ready to begin within this 30-second requirement should remain in the rest area next to the queue and join it only when ready to race.

9. If a rider exceeds the boundary of the timed stage (crosses/cuts the course marking tape), whether intentionally or unintentionally, they must re-enter the boundary of the timed stage at exactly the same point they first exceeded. Failure to do so will result in a penalty or disqualification. 
10. Bikes must conform to these specific regulations: They must possess 2 independent working brakes, have the handlebar ends covered (no sharp edges at the ends exposed), and be deemed safe for usage by a qualified bicycle mechanic, if necessary.
11. Riders need to stick to the same bike throughout the race. If a rider needs to change any parts of the bike, it must be for a valid reason and must go through approval by race staff without exceptions.

12. A) Riders must wear appropriate safety gear during the race. Bicycle helmets are mandatory and must be worn whenever riders ride their bikes. Knee pads are mandatory and must be worn whenever a rider attempts a timed stage. Riding shoes are mandatory throughout the whole event.
    
    B) To ensure awareness of all timings and time limits during the event, all riders must be equipped with a watch, GPS/smart watch, GPS bike computer, or mobile/smartphone – without exception.

13. A) The start list for the Seeding session (28 November 2024), conducted on the Pro stage (SS5) will consist of the following categories in the following order:

– Master C
– Master B

– Master A
– Junior (Mens)

-Women Open

– Elite Men

These riders will be released at the Pro stage start according to a specific start time assigned to each rider at strict 30-second intervals.

B) The start list for the Main Competition (29 November 2024) will consist of two parts:

i) Riders who attempted the Pro stage (Seeding session), arranged from fastest to slowest. They shall be released from the Event HQ (onto LS1) and queued to start SS1 in this specific order. For subsequent timed stages, riders need not maintain this order – and can rest, queue, and start as they like (within the maximum event cut-off time).

ii) Riders who did not attempt the Pro stage will start AFTER the seeded riders in the following order:

– Junior

– Veteran These riders will be released from the Event HQ (onto LS1) according at strict 30-second intervals.