General Info:
Why to apply for raceineurope.com?
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 6-8 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?
Where do i stay and live?
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:
Why to apply for raceineurope.com?
We like to explain the difference between the raceineurope.com program and other opportunities to race somewhere in Europe:
To offer our riders a true chance to show their abilities in front of Pro-teams we have two obligations to secure our standards:
- We accept elite amateurs only - no hobby riders.
- We charge a fee for the participation.
We are looking for competitive riders who are capable to race on european amateur level.
Raceineurope.com provides more than just the opportunity to ride your bike fast somewhere across europe.
Riders who simply want to race as much as possible regardless on whatever level should not
apply for our program due to the following reasons:
- We mainly enter quality races such as national calendar competitions (Interclub-races)
or even UCI-events instead of small "local-yocal" club-races.
- None of the professional teams will ever notice your performance in small backyard events with just a
handful of riders at the startline.
The riders are organized as a team, which means more structure to the teams performance in many ways.
The accommodation has a good standard, no shacks or heavily worn facilities.
The program has connections to Pro-teams to recommend outstanding riders directly to their management for a possible signing.
The backbone riders receive their full racing equipment such as bikes through the team and its sponsors.
Riders who receive a teambike for the time of their stay do not have to risk damaging their own bike i.e..
Every rider may keep the full amount of his price money and his trophees if he has won some.
Does it cost me anything to race with the RaceInEurope.com program?
- Yes, every rider has to cover his costs whilst staying with the team. The fee covers all the logistics such as your accommodation,
transfers to the races, start-fees, team car support, some mechanical services, guidance with your training, writing Resumes for
Pro-Teams etc..
- The costs vary due to the length of your stay.
- To apply for the pre-selection mode doesn't cost anything. The exact costs for your possible position will be given
when you're pre-selected.
Are there minimum requirements for the selection?
- Yes. 1.) The minimum age is 20 years, third 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.
- Due to our experience it is not possible for lower ranked riders to handle the racing over here.
How do I apply for a position in 2008
- First step is to send an email to info@raceineurope.comthat gives some info about your
intentions and tells us why we should pick you for the team. If you are pre-selected,
we'll ask for your detailed Resume for the final selection. 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.
- 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 one month up to a full season (6 months maximum). Riders requests and can be individually handled in some cases. An extension of your stay is mostly 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 6-8 positions to international riders who we select individually. 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 6-8 positions?
- We started with just 3 riders in 2003 and have increased this number to max. 6-8 positions in 2008. More riders require more logistics, more staff, etc.. Growing steady is our concept.
Do I need a licence to race with the team?
- Yes and No. You can bring your own licence with you, but you'll also receive a german licence through the team for the time of your stay. German licenses are automatically UCI-international and the licence costs are paid by the team.
- 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 you need 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.
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 you'll stay upright. 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 a couple of weeks.
Where do i stay and live?
- You may compare it the best with student-homes where a couple of people share the place.
All riders live together in quality flats on german standards with proper toilets and decent shower facilities. Please see the accommodation pictures from 2008 in the photo section.
Can I communicate with my family while being in Germany?
- Yes, of course. Access to a Phone is nearly everywhere 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 cyclists to race somewhere in Europe.
What kind of racing will I do?
- That depends on the schedule which is set. Most of the races will be Criteriums/Kermesses and road races. Stage races are very limited, same as time trials. We race every weekend, sometimes we enter midweek events.
How long are the races in Europe?
- That depends on the type of race and the country. Crits and Kermesses are mostly between 60-90 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 mandatory. Mostly between 60-200 riders enter the races. The race-style is much more competitive through this number of cyclists of a similar level. In some events ProTour professionals may participate in the same races. But we'll focus on races which are open to 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.
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 you'll get to know whilst racing in Europe. Focus on your best results if possible.
Do I need to bring my own bike?
- Yes and No. The backbone riders, who are staying for a longer period will receive the Daccordi teambike for the length of their stay. Only riders who wish to come for shorter periods will have to bring their own bike. Your bike should fit you the best and for just a month you shouldn't change.
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 Hungary i.e..
Do I have to race on cobbles?
-Yes there will be cobbled roads. 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 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 the riders. We want you to learn from serious racing and not to disillusion you 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 30° 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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