General Info:
Does it cost me anything to race with the RaceInEurope.com program?
Are there minimum requirements for the selection?
How do I apply for a position in 2008?
How long can I stay with the team program?
How many positions do you offer in 2008?
Why do you offer just 6 positions?
Do I need a licence to race with the team?
Do I need insurance (medicare, third-party, etc.) for participating?
Do I need a Passport to travel to Europe?
Do I get my visas through your program?
Which language skills do I need to go?
What happens if I get sick or crash?
If my bike has major damages after crashing - do I have to go home?
Can I communicate with my family while being in Germany?
If I don't make it into the RaceInEurope.com program in 2008 - do I get a new chance in 2008?
The racing:
What kind of racing will I do?
How long are the races in Europe?
I want to race as much as possible - can I enter more races given on the teams calendar?
Is the program only for professionals or can riders of any strength enter?
What should my Resume look like?
Do I need to bring my own bike?
Will I race with my own clothing I brought with me?
Is it true that european racing are full of drugs?
Which countries do I travel to while being at the team?
Do I have to race on cobbles?
Is the race-schedule fixed for the whole team?
I was told, the weather can be really poor in Germany?
About Germany:
Do the germans still wear leather pants and drink lots of beer?
Is it true there is no speed limit on the german "Autobahn"?
General Info:
Does it cost me anything to race with the RaceInEurope.com program?
- Yes, every rider has to pay for his position while staying with the team. The payment covers the logistics such as your accommodation, transfers to the races, start-fees, coaching, personalized training programmes, writing Resumes for Pro-Teams etc..To apply for the pre-selection mode doesn't cost anything. The costs for your position depending on the length of you stay and will be given when you're pre-selected.
Are there minimum requirements for the selection?
- Yes. 1.) The minimum age is 19 years, second year elite-mens. 2.) Proven health with no serious diseases documented. 3.) A valid international licence. 4.) Recommended race level: United states Cat. 3 or higher, Australia B-grade (other countries equivalent). 5.)Motivation to learn is most important. To be team-orientated and tolerant with your teammates is also important. Please ask, if unsure about any of these requirements.
How do I apply for a position in 2008?
- First step is to send an email to info@raceineurope.com that gives some info about you and tells us how long you want to stay (Last day to apply: 07.01.2008). Then we'll send you a questionnaire form for more specific questions. If you are pre-selected, we'll ask for your detailed Resume for the final selection. The pre-selection starts from 01.11.05 and ends on 08.01.2008. If you're pre-selected you'll be informed soon after you've mailed us. If you want to cancel your pre-selection status send us an email. As soon as we have picked the riders for 2008, the selection mode closes. Closing for final selection will be February 1st 2008. Sorry, all applies after the deadlines will be unaccounted for 2008.
- Please check the "how to apply"- page you'll find on the frontpage and read the instructions to apply for a position in 2008. If you need support or do you have any other questions don't hesitate to send us an email. Good luck for your application!
How long can I stay with the team program?
- The minimum period you can apply for is half a season (3 months, April-June or July-September), up to a full season (6 months maximum). The length of our program depends on the riders requests and can be individually handled in some cases. An extension of your stay is generally not possible. From our experience most riders need at least about 4-5 weeks to get into the different race styles anyway.
How many positions do you offer in 2008?
- We will offer 6 positions to international riders we select til 27.01.2008. The riders who are selected will be informed on the same day (EST). The program itself starts on the 27.03.2008 with the first riders being picked up from the airport.
Why do you offer just 6 positions?
- We started with just 3 riders in 2003 and have increased this number to 6 positions in 2008. More riders will need more logistics, more staff, etc.. Growing steady is our concept, because we only want to offer what we can currently facilitate. But we are working on more riders coming to race in 2008.
Do I need a licence to race with the team?
- Yes, you need an international licence valid for the season 2008 under UCI-rules. Foreign licence-holders have to start in the A-grade (highest amateur grade) in Germany. This rule changes with the countries. Before a rider finally enters our program we will ask for proof. Not having a valid license will exclude you from the selection immediately. NOTE: Not every licence given by some club i.e. is valid! All 2008 international UCI-licenses given will be green plastic cards. If unsure about your licence, send us an email and we'll check your status.
Do I need insurance (medicare, third-party, etc.) for participating?
- Yes, you need to be insured by yourself. NOTE: We don't insure you while being with us. Everything (i.e. travelling, racing, training) happens at your own risk! Before you can start racing we need the proof of a valid insurance policy that covers you while being on the team. Ask your local travel agency for special travel-insurance packages. Sometimes there are special deals for travellers. Some UCI-licences contain insurance automatically - ask your cycling federation for details.
Do I need a Passport to travel to Europe?
- Yes, a valid Passport is required to enter the european community (EU) at any time. Ask your local travel agent for details.
Do I get my visas through your program?
- Sorry, we can't help you with visas - please consult your embassy. In example for riders from the United states, Canada, New Zealand or Australia visas are generally no problem, we already had riders from those countries on our team. If you're Embassy requires details about your travelling or other information - please ask us for support.
Which language skills do I need to go?
- Some basic english is required. As soon as you got through this you wont need much more. All the people you'll work with speak good english, some can speak other languages as well.
What happens if I get sick or crash?
- Let's hope it doesn't happen. If you need medical treatment, Germany is a usually good place to get sick: The hospitals are up to the highest standards in the world and the doctors are generally excellent. But you need to have health insurance to cover the costs of your treatment which can easily come up to a huge amount if you need some operation or intensive care in a hospital. Getting the flu in example, will take away some training and race days, which is another reason for a minimum stay of 3 months.
If my bike has major damages after crashing - do I have to go home?
- No, there will be technical support through the team. We have spare parts or a spare bike if needed. Smaller replacements can be done through our bike shop for reduced costs. NOTE: All kinds of bike equipment are usually available a lot cheaper on the german market than anywhere else.
Can I communicate with my family while being in Germany?
- Yes, of course. Access to a Phone is mostly available, same as Internet. Public phones are available such as Internet cafes. Letters can be send and received through the teams mail. Germany has one of the worlds highest standards with communication systems. Mobile phones (cell phones) will work on GSM 1800 standard (USA use GSM 900). Triple band phones work always.
If I don't make it into the RaceInEurope.com program in 2008 - do I get a new chance in 2008?
- Every rider can of course apply again every year. But a rider can only be selected twice to give others a chance as well. Apart from our program there are still other opportunities for talented cyclists to come to Europe, i.e a high quality belgium based program run in cooperation with the US-U23 national team. Check our links-page for more info.
What kind of racing will I do?
- That also depends on the schedule we're working on. Most of the races will be Criteriums/Kermesses and road races. Stage races are very limited, same as time trials.
How long are the races in Europe?
- That depends on the type of race and the country. Crits and Kermesses are mostly between 70-90 kilometers, road races between 80 km and 200 km. The Crits are often held on narrow roads with lots of corners. Good bike handling skills are required. At some stages the Peloton may see more than 150 riders racing. The race-style is much more competitive through this number of cyclists. In some events ProTour professionals may participate in the same race you're in. But we'll focus on races open for amateurs and continental teams only.
I want to race as much as possible - can I enter more races given on the teams calendar?
- The racing here is very hard. Most of our riders have struggled to finish them in the beginning. We strongly recommend to follow our planned schedule, with more quality racing than just quantity. Just putting you in races after races and never finishing them isn't our goal.
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Is the program only for professionals or can riders of any strength enter?
- You don't need to be a pro or top-amateur. All competitive riders can apply. The different standards and categories all over the world don't allow us to select just by the category you're racing in at home. It'll be hard racing anyway, no matter you're in Cat. 3 or higher.
What should my Resume look like?
- There is no given standard to write a cycling Resume. But it should contain detailed information about you, your racing level and your achievements. If there are things unsure we'll ask you anyway. Please be true with what you write - having no big "palmares" is no shame and something you'll find out while racing in Europe. Focus on your biggest Results if possible.
Do I need to bring my own bike?
- Yes, you need to bring your complete bike with you. Your bike should fit you the best and for a couple of months you shouldn't change. If there are technical problems we will find assistance through our bike shops.
Will I race with my own clothing I brought with me?
- Every rider will receive the team-kit which he has to wear in the races. The selected riders will have to bring some cold weather clothing. A packing list will be given before you head of to Germany.
Is it true that european racing are full of drugs?
- We can give just one answer to that: NO DRUGS! Believe in your own strength. Riders being caught with banned substances (WADA-code) while being at the team will have to leave immediately - with the federation being informed. We want a clean, fair sport - no matter what other cyclists might do about it. We have to secure the future of our sport.
Which countries do I travel to while being at the team?
- That depends on the race program we'll do and can vary from each season. Our focus is on the racing in Germany, Netherlands and Denmark. Last season we did some stage race in Romania i.e..
Do I have to race on cobbles?
- No rider has to race if he doesn't want to. It's up to the rider wether he starts or not. Of course, sometimes there will be all kinds of unforgiving conditions such as cobbles, rain, mud, narrow roads, wind, etc.. But they are all no real thread to a seriuos rider.
Is the race-schedule fixed for the whole team?
- There will be sometimes changes on the race calendar. At some stages we might even race with two separate groups at different events. It depends on the racing available (invitational races etc.) and the ability of every rider. We want you to learn from racing not to be smashed to pieces after a couple of weeks.
I was told, the weather can be really poor in Germany?
- 100% true. It can be terribly wet and cold, especially in spring. Warm clothing is always a good choice to bring. See our packing list if required. The temperatures can be from 0° Celcius in March/April up to 28° Celsius in May/June. Check the weather for northern Germany on the internet.
About Germany:
Do the germans still wear leather pants and drink lots of beer?
- Yes and No. The leather pants are just worn by bavarians in the south of Germany. Our team is located far up north, about 600 Km away from these areas.The leather pants are more a traditional clothing for festive events - like an american nowadays wearing the old cowboy-outfit. Now the thing with the beer… Yes, germans drink lots of beer and it's available everywhere. The serious cyclists prefers non-alcoholic drinks of course.
Is it true there is no speed limit on the german "Autobahn"?
- Yes, on some roads you're allowed to drive your car as fast as possible. But in fact there is mostly too much traffic anyway.
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