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Photo: fisheye.ro
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 4-6 km circuit. The Romanian XCO calendar feeds the Olympic pipeline — Cadeți → Juniori → U23 → Elite — under FRC §5.4 and UCI MTB Part IV. Licensed riders only at the National Championship; Cupa României rounds open Master and Open Amator entries.
About the discipline
By the regs
Standard FRC §5.4 / UCI MTB Part IV format. 5 rounds across the 2026 season feed the National Cup and Championship.
The circuit
Closed 4-6 km lap, marked with course tape, feed and tech zones called out below. Course inspection windows in the schedule. Lap count per category is published in the technical guide.
Race format
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.
| Category | Laps | Target race time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite (M/W) | 5–7 | 80–90 min | UCI points at C1/C2 rounds. Front of the start grid. |
| U23 (M/W) | 5–6 | 70–80 min | UCI points eligible. Often combined-start with Elite. |
| Juniori (U19) | 4–5 | 60–75 min | Pathway to U23. UCI points at C2 and above. |
| Cadeți (U17) | 3–4 | 45–60 min | Protection list mandatory per FRC §9.7. |
Who races
Same age ladder as UCI MTB Part IV. M and W race separately within each. Calculated as season year − birth year.
Ages 19–29 (born 1997–2007). UCI-points eligible at C-class rounds.
Ages 19–22 (born 2004–2007). UCI-points eligible. Pathway to Elite.
Ages 17–18 (born 2008–2009). UCI-points eligible at C2+. May opt up to U23 for the season.
Race weekend
Standard FRC XCO weekend cadence — exact times in the round's technical guide.
Race office · course inspection
Bib pickup, transponder collection, course walk and sighting laps open.
Hot laps · open practice
Closed-course practice for all categories. Bring race-day kit.
Technical meeting
Mandatory briefing — lap counts, start times, feed-zone rules, weather call.
Youth + Cadeți starts
First wave of the day. Shorter race-time targets; scaled circuit where applicable.
Juniori + Master starts
Mid-day wave. Juniori UCI-points eligible at C2+ rounds.
Cupa României XCO
5 rounds across the season. Cup points accumulate toward the FRC ranking; the host CN round decides the national title.
Round 4
This round· Câmpulung Muscel
FAQ
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.
| Youth A / B (U15 / U13) |
|---|
| 2–3 |
| 30–45 min |
| Scaled circuit at most hosts. Parental consent. |
| Master 1 / 2 / 3 (M/W) | 4–5 | 60–75 min | Combined or split start by host. May opt up to Open. |
|---|
| Open Amator (19+) | 3–4 | 60–75 min | Day-licence path at most Cupa României rounds. |
|---|
Lap counts are organiser-set per briefing. Categories may be combined when fields are thin; reverse-grid seeding applies on combined starts.
Ages 15–16 (born 2010–2011). Protection list mandatory at this age (FRC §9.7).
Ages 13–14 (born 2012–2013). Scaled circuit and equipment per FRC §5.4.4.
M1 30–39, M2 40–49, M3 50–59. May opt up to Elite for the season — locked at round 1.
Open class for amateur-licence holders. Day-licence path on Cupa României rounds. Cannot race in a higher-tier category in the same season.
U23 + Elite starts
Headline wave. Combined-start with reverse-grid seeding on thin fields.
Podium + UCI points filing
Top-5 podium per category; UCI points filed within 24h.
Yes for the National Championship; yes for Cup-points accumulation. Cupa României rounds offer a day-licence path for Open Amator entrants. U17/U19 entrants need parental consent on file.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.