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XCO racer on singletrack — Romanian National Cross-Country Championship

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Cupa României · Campionat Național XCO

CR MTB XCO #5 / MTB Academy Cup 2026

Lap-based. Closed circuit. UCI-format racing on dirt.

19 September 2026 · Câmpulung Muscel, Argeș

Multi-lap, mass-start, gun-to-line racing on a closed circuit. The Romanian XCO calendar feeds the Olympic pipeline — Cadeți → Juniori → U23 → Elite — under FRC §5.4 and UCI MTB Part IV. Many rounds also run Master and amateur categories — check the round's regulations for licence requirements.

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About the discipline

A federation championship under UCI rules

XCO (Cross-Country Olympic) is the only MTB discipline at the Summer Olympics. Romanian rounds are sanctioned by FRC and aligned with UCI MTB Part IV — same start-line grid, same 80% rule, same feed-zone discipline. Each category runs a different lap count on the same loop so total race time hits the FRC-published target window. This page summarises the format, the categories, and the day-by-day schedule.

By the regs

Round at a glance

Standard FRC §5.4 / UCI MTB Part IV format. 5 rounds across the 2026 Cupa României XCO season.

rounds in 2026
5
recommended lap length
4–6 km
start-line grid (UCI §4.3.005)
8 m
lap-out rule
80%

The circuit

Course map

Closed lap, marked with course tape, feed and tech zones called out below. Lap length and course inspection windows are in the race details and schedule; lap count per category is published in the technical guide.

Distances

  • XCO Standard (Elite / U23 / Juniori / Master / Amatori)
    4,4 km / tur↗ +/- 80 m per tur165 lei (05.08-16.08) / 175 lei (17.08-06.09) / 185 lei (07.09-13.09) / 220 lei (14.09-17.09)
    Register
  • XCO Scurt (Copii U11-U15)
    3,1 km / tur↗ +/- 50 m per tur145 lei (05.08-17.09)
    Register
  • XCO Kids (U7-U9)
    2,1 km / tur↗ +/- 20 m per tur145 lei (05.08-17.09)
    Register

Race format

Lap counts by category

Lap count is set at the briefing so total race time falls in the FRC §5.4 target window for each category. Final numbers are published in the technical guide, but here's the cadence to expect.

CategoryLapsTarget race time
Elite (M/W)5–780–90 min
U23 (M/W)5–670–80 min
Juniori (U19)4–560–75 min
Cadeți (U17)3–445–60 min
Youth A / B (U15 / U13)2–330–45 min
Master 1–4 (M/W)4–560–75 min
Open Amator (19+)3–460–75 min

Lap counts are organiser-set per briefing. Categories may be combined when fields are thin; reverse-grid seeding applies on combined starts.

Who races

Categories (FRC §5.4.4)

Same age ladder as UCI MTB Part IV. M and W race separately within each. Calculated as season year − birth year.

  • Elite (M / W)

    UCI points

    Ages 23+ (born 2003 or earlier). UCI-points eligible at C-class rounds.

  • U23 (M / W)

    UCI points

    Ages 19–22 (born 2004–2007). UCI-points eligible. Pathway to Elite.

  • Juniori — U19 (M / W)

    UCI points C2+

    Ages 17–18 (born 2008–2009). UCI-points eligible at C2+. May opt up to U23 for the season.

  • Cadeți — U17 (M / W)

    Protection req.

    Ages 15–16 (born 2010–2011). Protection list mandatory at this age (FRC §9.7).

  • Youth A — U15 (M / W)

    Scaled circuit

    Ages 13–14 (born 2012–2013). Scaled circuit and equipment per FRC §5.4.4.

  • Master 1–4 (M / W)

    M1 30–39, M2 40–49, M3 50–59, M4 60+. May opt up to Elite.

  • Open Amator (19+)

    Open

    Open class for amateur riders. Licence requirements are set in each round's regulations. Cannot race in a higher-tier category in the same season.

Race weekend

Schedule

Standard FRC XCO weekend cadence — exact times in the round's technical guide.

  • 12:00

    17 sept (joi): Ridicarea pachetelor de concurs (12:00-20:00), Magazin Stonefeet, Str. Ion Heliade Rădulescu 26, București

  • 15:00

    18 sept (vineri): Inspecția traseelor de către PCP

  • 16:00

    18 sept: Deschiderea traseului pentru antrenamente libere și ridicarea pachetelor la zona de start (16:00-18:00), Str. Richard nr. 67

  • 17:00

    18 sept: Deschiderea procedurii de validare a licențelor XCO (17:00-19:00)

  • 19:00

    18 sept: Ședință tehnică XCO cu echipa de arbitraj și închiderea traseului pentru antrenamente

  • 07:00

    19 sept: Deschiderea traseului pentru antrenamente libere (07:00-08:00)

  • 08:15

    19 sept: Alinierea la start — Cadeți M/F, Amatori M/F, Master 1/2/3 M, Master F

  • 08:30

    19 sept: START Cadeți M/F, Amatori M/F, Master 1/2/3 M, Master F

  • 10:15

    19 sept: Alinierea la start — Elite M/F, U23 M/F, Juniori M/F

  • 10:30

    19 sept: START Elite M/F, U23 M/F, Juniori M/F

  • 13:00

    19 sept: Festivitatea de premiere, la zona de start (Str. Richard nr. 67)

Cupa României XCO

CR MTB XCO

5 rounds across the season. Cup points accumulate toward the FRC ranking.

  1. Round 1

    Done
    01

    CR MTB XCO #1 / Aegyssus XCO 2026

    · Tulcea

  2. Round 2

    Done
    02

    CR MTB XCO #2 / Triada MTB Cheile Grădiștei 2026

    · Cheile Grădiștei

  3. Round 4

    Done
    04

    CR MTB XCO #4 / Medias XCO 2026

    · Mediaș

  4. Round 5

    This round
    05

    CR MTB XCO #5 / MTB Academy Cup 2026

    · Câmpulung Muscel

FAQ

Format and regulations

Do I need an FRC licence?

Yes for the licensed categories (Elite, U23, Juniori, Cadeți) and for Cup-points accumulation. Many rounds also run Master and amateur categories; each round's regulations say which licence, if any, those need. U17/U19 entrants need parental consent on file.

What's the 80% rule?

A rider whose first-lap time exceeds 80% slower than the leader's first lap is pulled at the end of that lap into the 80% zone — unless the leader is on their final lap. Source: UCI MTB Part IV; FRC mirrors for national rounds.

How many laps does my category run?

Lap count is set at the briefing so total race time hits the FRC §5.4 target: Elite 80–90 min, U23 70–80 min, Juniori 60–75 min, Cadeți 45–60 min, Youth A/B 30–45 min, Master / Open 60–75 min. See the lap-counts table above for typical numbers.

Can I race up a category?

Category is set by birth-year ladder (FRC §5.4.4). Up-categorising — e.g. a Cadet riding Juniori — is only allowed when categories are formally combined by the organiser with FRC agreement. U19 and Master may opt up to U23 or Elite respectively for the season; choice locks at round 1.

Where are the feed and tech zones?

Marked on the course map. Assistance and feeding only there, only from one designated feeder per rider, feeder stationary while the rider moves forward (UCI Part IV §4.3). Eyewear and bottle exchanges, mechanical assistance — all in-zone.

When do registrations close?

Online registration opens at least 20 days before each round on the organiser's site and on the FRC 'Înscrieri' page. Late entries depend on capacity; the technical guide publishes the closing time.

What's the start-grid format?

8 m start line per UCI §4.3.005. Call-up by UCI / FRC ranking; first call typically 15 min before start. Reverse-grid seeding applies when categories are combined.

What gear is required?

Helmet always (DH-homologation NOT required for XCO — half-shell is standard). Number plate on bars, transponder issued at registration. Protection list (FRC §9.7) mandatory for U15/U17. No water bottles outside the feed zone; no shortcuts.

Sight the lap. Set the cadence.

Registration closes at the round's published deadline. Technical guide drops 7-14 days out — check feed-zone positions and lap counts before you travel.

Register for this round
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