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Three stages on the Black Sea coast. A 30-year coastal cup tradition.
3 October 2026 · Constanța, Constanța
A regional road-cycling cup along the Constanța-Mangalia coastal corridor, organised by the Dobrogean cycling clubs since the early 1990s. Three stages across April, May, and October — Etapa 1 opens to adult amateurs; Etapas 2 and 3 are dedicated kids' races across four age brackets. The only race in Dobrogea built exclusively around coastal kids' road cycling, with 1000+ participants annually and a general classification across all three rounds.
About this cup
The three stages
Spring, summer, autumn. One adult amateur stage (Etapa 1), two kids-only stages (Etapas 2 and 3). Each stage has its own podium; positions across all three feed into the general classification.
Open to adult amateurs + all kids brackets
100 RON adult / 25 RON kids
Season opener at Constanța. The one stage where adult amateurs can ride alongside the kids' fields on the coastal road circuit. Sea wind, off-season seaside village vibe, full opening ceremony.
Kids only — all four age brackets
25 RON / kid
Mid-season kids' round along the Mamaia / Mangalia corridor. Closed sea-front circuits, family festival format, podium ceremonies per age bracket.
For parents
First time at Cupa Mării Negre? Here's the seaside-specific kit, the off-season coast logistics, and what stage day actually looks like for families.
Arrive 60–90 minutes before your kid's start. Number plate pickup, kit check, helmet check. Stages run on closed coastal circuits — the organisers stage everything from a single seaside HQ, easy to find.
Off-season seaside resorts have abundant free parking near the start line. The organisers usually run a family / spectator zone with a kids' play area and food trucks beside the start/finish straight.
April and October are sunny but breezy on the Black Sea coast. Bring a windbreaker and a warm layer for the post-race wait; sunscreen for spring/summer; a beach towel for the post-race ceremony in May.
Road or hybrid bike with drop or flat bars (MTB tolerated in the smallest age brackets — confirm with race office), road helmet (mandatory, CE/CPSC), racing kit, gloves, bottle, snacks, water. Photo ID and birth certificate for first-time registration — the entry desk needs to verify the age bracket.
Who races
Cupa Mării Negre groups by age in 2-3 year brackets. M and F race separately at each round; Etapa 1 only adds the open adult amateur category alongside the kids' fields.
18+
Etapa 1 onlyOpen category for adult riders — non-licensed, non-elite. Coastal road circuit shared with the kids' fields at the season opener. No federation licence required; on-the-spot entry at race office.
Ages 5–7
Kids · all stagesShortest scaled circuit on the coastal boardwalk. Balance-bike-style start for the youngest; pedal-bike accepted from age 6. Helmet mandatory; flat-bar bike fine.
Stage day timing
Single-day timing per stage. Organisers publish the exact clock times on the cup's social channels 7-10 days before each round.
Start curse pe categorii de vârstă
Categoriile 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 și 14-16 ani (băieți și fete). După finalul curselor are loc festivitatea de premiere pe etapă și actualizarea clasamentului general.
Cup stages
3 stages along the Constanța / Mangalia / Eforie coastal corridor. The general classification combines positions across all three.
Stage 3
Today· Constanța
Register on the day at the race office or contact the organising clubs ahead of time. Bring the birth certificate for first-time entry, the consent form, and a windbreaker — the Black Sea breeze is part of the cup.
Kids only — all four age brackets
25 RON / kid
Closing autumn round on the quiet shoulder-season coast. Per-stage podium plus general classification ceremony — the final standings across all three rounds.
Per-stage podium at each round, plus a final general classification across all three stages — points or finishing positions combine to set the year's overall standings per age bracket.
Kids' stages run 2–3 hours start-to-finish including parade lap, race, and podium. The Etapa 1 adult amateur field adds another 90 minutes on top, but the day overall is wrapped before lunch in most years.
Sea-front start/finish is fully open to spectators — easy photos from the boardwalk. The organisers stage an official photographer at the podium; results and photos are usually published on the cup's social channels within 24-48 hours.
Parental consent is signed on the spot at the race office for every kid — bring photo ID and the rider's birth certificate.
Ages 8–10
Short coastal closed-road circuit. Pedal bike, flat or drop bar. Many riders' first competitive race plate — the entry-level kids' bracket on the coast.
Ages 11–13
Kids · all stagesMid-range scaled circuit. Drop-bar road bike recommended but flat-bar accepted. The largest single bracket by participation at most rounds.
Ages 14–16
Kids · all stagesLongest scaled circuit for the kids' field. Road bike with drop bars expected; this is the pathway bracket toward true junior road racing on the coast.
Kids' entry fee: 25 RON per stage. Adult amateur entry (Etapa 1 only): 100 RON. Includes number plate, podium ceremony, and the general-classification standing across the cup.
FAQ
You can enter any stage you want — one, two, or all three. Per-stage podiums are awarded at each round, so single-stage entry is completely valid. Only the general classification at the end of Etapa 3 requires participation across all three to win the cup overall.
Each stage gives finishing positions per age bracket. Points or positions from all three stages combine to set the year's overall standing per bracket. Kids who race all three stages compete for the cup; kids who race one or two stages still get their per-stage podium but do not contend for the overall classification.
Five years old. The cup runs four kids brackets — Mini Bikers (5-7), Cadeți Mici (8-10), Cadeți (11-13), and Juniori Mici (14-16). Age bracket is set by the kid's age at the start of the cup year; the organisers verify with the birth certificate at race office.
Yes — Etapa 1 has an open adult amateur category. No federation licence required, on-the-spot registration at the race office, 100 RON entry. Adult amateurs ride the same coastal circuit as the older kids brackets. Etapas 2 and 3 are kids-only.
Kids' entry: 25 RON per stage, paid at race office. Adult amateur entry (Etapa 1 only): 100 RON. Entry fee includes number plate, podium ceremony, and entry into the general classification for kids racing all three stages.
Stages run on closed coastal circuits along the Constanța / Mangalia / Eforie corridor. Exact start location for each stage is published on the cup's social channels 7-10 days ahead. Bring: road or flat-bar bike, road helmet (mandatory), racing kit, gloves, water, snacks, sunscreen, windbreaker (sea breeze), birth certificate (first-time only), photo ID for the consent form.
The Constanța-area cycling clubs run the cup as a community / civic project — Bilal Constanța, AJC Constanța, and CSM Constanța rotate the lead organiser role across the three stages. The cup has run for ~30 years (since the early 1990s) and is the only Dobrogean race built exclusively around kids' coastal road cycling.
Both. Every stage has a full per-bracket podium ceremony for that round. After Etapa 3 in October, the cup adds a general-classification podium that combines results across all three stages for kids who raced the full cup. The final ceremony is the cup's flagship event.