Velodom 120

You shouldn’t miss out on this highlight: In the Velodom 120, the longer gran fondo race of Rund um Köln, you will cycle on the course of the pros – over long straights and crisp climbs through the surrounding Bergisches Land! And you can enjoy the legendary cobblestone passage to Bensberg Castle twice – look forward to action and emotion at the finish in Cologne’s Rheinauhafen!

Course

hilly

Distance

120 k

Elevation gain

1,349 m

Start

Rheinauhafen

Finish

Rheinauhafen

Entry fees

slot 1 – 400

Fully booked

slot 401 – 1,200

Fully booked

slot 1,201 – 4,000

€100.00

Regulations – Information on the race

Regulations

These regulations are based on the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer e.V. (BDR) rules.

When registering for the Velodom you acknowledge the regulations of the race.

As a rider you are obliged to get familiar with the regulations and act accordingly.

You cycle for your own account and at your own risk.

Competition rules

The Velodom 120 is open for gran fondo cyclists.

Only riders of an officially registered UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) team are not entitled to participate.
BDR licence holders are, with the above-mentioned limitations, qualified to start.

The organiser will decide about the participation of riders of other associations with comparable sportive qualification in individual cases.

You do not need to be a member of any cycling club.

When registering you are obliged to have checked your health conditions before, if necessary by consulting a medical practioner. You ensure that you have trained enough and are in sufficient condition for the participation.

Health

We recommend an adequate sports medical examination to all participants prior to the participation.

Helmets are mandatory. The helmet has to be officially approved by an official testing institute and indicate its seal. Riding without helmet leads to disqualification.

There are no special provisions for the kind of apparel, however, they should not become any security risk. You are not allowed to ride without any apparel on the upper body.

The bib numbers handed out by us (e. g. bib numbers for the body, seat post or helmet) are for your identification. Please fix them well visible and in full size at the intended sections – the body numbers in the height of the jersey pockets at the reverse of the jersey.

We kindly ask you to fix the helmet number accordingly at the front of your helmet so that the photo supplier Sportograf can allocate you.

Scorings

Overall single scorings

There will be overall single scorings for women and men:

overall single scoring women
overall single scoring men

There will be an award ceremony for the first 3 female/male riders.

Team scorings

There will be an award ceremony for the first 3 teams.

Age category and special scorings

Different rankings for female and male age category scorings will be listed:

youth female/male
juniors female/male
women/men
master 1 female/male
master 2 female/male
master 3 female/male
master 4 female/male

Award ceremonies

The first three female and male riders overall single scoring as well as the first three teams will be awarded on-stage.

The female winner and male winner of the age categories per competition will be awarded afterwards via mail.

As a participant you will be responsible to inform yourself about your race results and when applicable come to the stage in time for the award ceremony.

The location and time of the award ceremonies will be included in the confirmation of participation or displayed at the event area.

In case you will not appear in time for the award ceremony you will not be eligible for any price.

Chronological procedure of the award ceremonies:

winner of the overall male single scoring (first three riders)
winner of the overall female single scoring (first three riders)
team scoring (first three teams)

Allocation of starting blocks

The allocation of the starting blocks will follow our criteria.

The bib number allocated with the registration will not indicate any information on the starting block. We will allocate all participants after the certain internal deadlines or after the registration deadlines and inform you duly prior to the race about the exact procedure of the Velodom in the roadbook/participant information.

Important: Please make sure that you transmit your valid email address. Otherwise, we cannot provide you with this relevant data.

You are obliged to enter your starting block at least 15 minutes before the start. Follow the signposted ways. There will be no ranking within a starting block.

Participants entering the starting block first have to line up in the front part of the starting block so that subsequent participants can move up and the starting block will remain accessible.

It is not allowed to jump over the security fences and/or to push to the front.

Members of a team that would like to start together can gather in the starting block of the last rider and kick off from there. However, every rider registered for a team can start from the starting block that she/he qualified for.

Illegal moving up into any starting block further to the front will lead to disqualification.

Starting times and blocks

(as of 2024, may be subject to change for 2025)

9:30 a. m. Velodom 120 – several starting blocks
10:45 a. m. elite race
11:11 a. m. Velodom 60 – several starting blocks
12:30 p.m. Velodom 30 – start in Bergisch Gladbach

The start will be located on Bayenstraße next to Harry-Blum-Platz in Cologne.

Only the commissaire will be entitled to penalise participants.
The degree of penalty complies with the table below.
The commissaire will also be entitled to penalise infringements that are not listed. In this case the commissaire decides about the degree of penalty.

Infringement	Degree of penalty
Moving up to a starting block further to the front	warning
Lining up in the starting block further ahead	disqualification
Unsportive riding / behaviour	warning or disqualification
Dangerous riding	warning or disqualification
Willful dangerous riding	disqualification
Lining up with a non-compliant bicycle	start refused
Riding a non-compliant bicycle during the race	disqualification
Taking off the helmet during the race	disqualification
Modified or non-compliant positioned identification numbers	warning or two minute penalty
Body or frame number not visible/recognisable	warning or two minute penalty
Deviating from the chosen riding line while endangering other participants	disqualification
Non-compliant sprint	disqualification
Pulling from jersey	two minute penalty
Hanging on vehicles / motorbikes / riders	disqualification
Pushing away riders of the same team	warning or two minute penalty
Pushing away riders of another team	warning two minute penalty
Willful hindering of a rider	warning and two minute penalty or disqualification
Willful deviating from the chosen riding line	disqualification
Attempting to be classified without having absolved the entire course	disqualification
Crossing closed railway crossing gates	disqualification
Drafting after a vehicle	warning or five minute penalty
Non-compliant mechanic assistance	warning or five minute penalty
Non-compliant refreshments	warning or one minute time penalty
Hindering an official vehicle passing by	warning or one minute time penalty
Defiance of instructions of the commissaire	warning or one minute time penalty or disqualification
Insulting, threatening, incorrect behaviour	disqualification
Assaults of riders to other persons	disqualification
Carrying a glass container	disqualification
Non-compliant throwing away of any item	warning or one minute time penalty
Throwing away glas	disqualification
Anew crossing of the finish line in the direction of the race with fixed body number	warning or two minute penalty
Failing to attend award ceremony	loss of prices
Wearing of non-compliant clothing	warning or two minute penalty
Riding on the finish straight contrary to the direction of the race	disqualification
Using electronic remote communications devices (phone, radio communication)	disqualification
Using of headphones or earphones	disqualification

A disqualification means the loss of all awards and prices. The commissaire reserves the right to deprive any awards and prices even for unsportive behaviour that is not listed above.

What to do with your bike after your finish? It then somehow becomes an inconvenient accessory in the refreshment village, at the Bike.EXPO, while watching the live stream etc.!

We have THE solution: supervised bike parking space in the direct post-finish area!

Less jam, higher flexibility, more fun!

Note: This contigency will be highly limited! No booking on race day.

The bike parking area will be open from 12:00 to 5:00 p. m.

Just add it in the online registration process – or book it via the edit link!

There are two options available to you this year: re-registration to another person and entry fee insurance.

Re-registration

For the first time, we are offering the option of transferring a starting slot to another person.

Additional services already booked will be taken over by the purchaser. Optional details such as the expected finish time, shirt size, etc. will be reset and can be adjusted by the buyer until April 15 via the change link.

The re-registration fee is € 25.00 and will be deducted from your account by direct debit.

Note for free starting slot holders: People with a voucher code for a free starting slot cannot pass on their bib number.

Note for students: The bib number can only be passed on to other Cologne students. University fields are mandatory.

IMPORTANT: This process is irrevocable and cannot be cancelled.

Entry fee insurance

In the event that you are unable to start your entry fee is insured. The insurance covers illness, accident, unemployment, short-time working, pregnancy or significant damage to property. Additional services booked are not included.

The amount of the insurance fee depends on the amount of the entry fee.

IMPORTANT: A refund in the event of a claim can only be made to an IBAN account.

When you book the insurance you cannot re-register.

The equipment regulations for the Velodom are based on those of the BDR and the UCI. Further, the following regulations of the organiser will apply.

As a participant you will be in charge of the race safety for your bike. Particularly, you have to care for the full functionality of the brakes and other security-relevant components. Participants whose bikes obviously will not fulfill the requirements for the race can be withdrawn from the competition.

The following list of materials and bike types are explicitly not allowed:

disc wheels/3-, 4-, 5-spokes at front and/or back
triathlon, time trial, bar ends or delta handlebars
handlebar accessories of all kind (MTB bar-ends excluded)
bike trailers, panniers and other payloads
bottles made of glas or other breakable materials and aluminium bottles
unicycles, sit and recumbent bikes, multi-lane vehicles
trailers of all kind
hand cycles (excluded only when having a special scoring for hand cycles)
tandems (excluded only when having a special scoring for tandems)
e-bikes (excluded only when having a special scoring for e-bikes)

Most relevant for the age categorisation will be the date of birth and sex.

The age classes will be as follows:

youth female/male: 2009 and younger
juniors female/male: 2007/2008
women/men: 1996 – 2006
master 1 female/male: 1986 – 1995
master 2 female/male: 1976 – 1985
master 3 female/male: 1966 – 1975
master 4 female/male: 1965 and older

Chronometry

Your time will be measured with a transponder.

Important: Please follow the instructions of the time keeper for the use of the bib numbers with transponders attached.

Average pace and broom wagon

An average of 28 kilometres per hour will be obligational for the Velodom 120.

The commissaire and the accompanying police squad will be in charge of the control of the average pace. The commissaire further reserves the right to also withdraw participants from the race that ride slower than the required average speed when the traffic situation necessitates it.

If you will not be capable to come up to or keep the required average pace due to damages, bodily complaints or other reasons you have to quit the race and return to the finish at your own risk by considering the highway code or enter the broom wagon.

We will close the course at certain points along the course after the planned average pace for belated passing participants. They will be handed out a flyer with the shortest way back to the starting/finish area by marshals. Withdrawn participants will be marked as DNF (did not finish) and will not appear in any result list.

Please follow the instructions of the broom wagon driver.

Please use the right part of the streets for the entire race.

As a participant do not endanger or harm other road users or participants. You will not be allowed to hinder other participants from passing by or unfolding their full speed.

Pushing someone, pushing someone off or pulling someone for personal or mutual benefit or other annoyances like sudden quitting of the riding line or abrupt stopping during the race or in the post-finish area without any imperative is prohibited and will be sanctioned according to the list below.

You will not be allowed to draft behind, hang on or pull off from motorised vehicles, neither after crashes or damages. Please make room for our vehicles securing the course.

Police and fire service emergency cars with flashing blue light and medical service always have priority. Please let them overtake you.

ATTENTION: Medical service vehicles can enter the course suddenly any time and even drive contrary to the race direction.

For securing the peloton and averting of a danger we will use motorbikes. Please make also room for them.

Throwing away rubbish and empty bottles will not be permitted.

It is strictly forbidden that other vehicles than ours will drive on the closed course.

Changing tools and spare parts among participants will be allowed. We highly recommend to take this equipment with you.

Only repair damages when resting on the right part of the street. Do not hinder other riders.

In case you will receive material from our support vehicles or you will change own material to those offered by staff of the support vehicles please return it directly after crossing the finish line at the booth next to the hand-out of the race packets!

What to do when you get ill prior to the race or you cannot come due to important reasons?

The Generali entry fee insurance (managed by Europ Assistance) will cover the costs of the entry fee in the case of illness, accident, unemployment, short-time work or extensive damage to your property.

Book the entry fee insurance – depending on the entry fee contingency for just

Velodom 120

€ 17.14 (1st contingeny)
€ 19.28 (2nd contingency)
€ 23.56 (3rd contingency)

– and you may start your training without any stress! :o)

What is to do in the case of an insured event?

As long as you have booked this insurance and you cannot take part in the race please send us an email with the corresponding information. You will then receive a deregistration form from us which you can then submit for your claim via the online tool (in German 🇩🇪 only) when having an IBAN code:

copy of your confirmation of registration
deregistration form
proof of illness, damage etc. (e. g. medical certificate)
bank details (IBAN and BIC)

Those who learn a lot need to keep a level head! And to keep this, as is well-known, you have to do sports. Therefore, we would like to award cycling students in Cologne and introduced the Cologne student cup (‘Kölner Studi-Werk Cup’ in German) in cooperation with the Kölner Studierendenwerk for the Velodom 60 and Velodom 120.

When you are currently and particularly on race day (proof required!) matriculated at a Cologne-based university you may register online prior to April 30, 2025 for cheaper rates (after the first entry fee contingency 10% off the entry fee) if the participant limit has not already been reached beforehand.

Note: This scoring is not available for elite cyclists.

And we will have fancy prices for the fastest Cologne would-be graduates from us and our partners.

Details will follow soon.

Note: Should you already be registered for the race we still may enroll you for the special Cologne student scoring. A reimbursement will however not be possible.