Friday, 10 July

18:30 Opening parade and opening of the 2026 Recumbent World Championships

19.00-19.20 Warm-up on the circuit, then prepare for the start. The race itself also has a warm-up component, as you are allowed to ride several laps before your fastest lap starts.

19.30 – 21.00 The fastest lap

* See the general competition rules at the bottom of the page..

Course: 
– On/half-streamlined outer square (1125m), clockwise
– Streamlined inner oval (930m), clockwise

Competition rules:
– Each participant is given a start time and must then complete their fastest lap in a maximum of 10 laps and leave the track.
– Starts every minute
– Points: fastest lap speed, bonus 

Saturday 11 July

08:00 – 08:50 Warm-up on the track, then prepare for start

09:00-12:00 1-hour time trial on 500 m oval in Geleen (At time of writing, Bikepark Geleen is undergoing maintenance, if not completed in time we will use an alternative track in Sittard)

Course:
– all on the 500m track in Geleen
(if the asphalt is not in good condition: approx. 1 km course in Sittard.)

Competition rules:
– start every minute, fastest riders last
– no drafting
– Points: average speed, bonus points

12:00-13:00 Registration for children’s race Clubhouse Sittard

13:30-14:30 Children’s race

Course:
– Central area
Competition rules:
– Competition duration: 15 minutes.
– Anyone aged 6 to 15 may participate (advance registration in the canteen).
– One winner will be announced for each age group (everyone will receive a souvenir).

14:00-14:50 Warm-up on the climbing course, then prepare for the start UF/UFM/PF

15:00 climbing criterion 45 minutes + 1 lap on/half-streamlined UF/UFM/PF

16:00-16:20 Warm up on the climbing course, then prepare for the start of FF/FFM

16:30 climbing criterion 45 minutes + 1 lap streamlined FF/FFM

Course:
– approx. 1500 m with 12.5% climb
Race rules:
– 45 minutes plus one lap: if after 45 minutes the fastest rider crosses the finish line, the final lap begins for everyone.
– Points: average speed

Sunday, 12 July

08:00 – 08:50 Warm-up on the circuit, then prepare for the start.

09:00-12:00 3-hour race in Sittard

Course:
 – On/half-streamlined outer square (1125m) – clockwise
Streamlined inner oval (930m) – clockwise 
Competition rules:
 – – Joint start
Finish after three hours – no extra lap
Points: – average speed – bonus points

11:00-12:00 Registration for children’s race Clubhouse Sittard

12:30-13:30 Children’s race Sittard

– centre area, rules and course same as Saturday

COMPETITION RULES

PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK

Consider getting your own insurance
You will be cycling on a closed circuit with no traffic other than fellow competitors. You participate in the races at your own risk. You may want to consider getting competitive cycling travel insurance.

SAFETY RULES

Mirror requirement
 The rider or the bike must have a mirror that can be used to monitor the road behind and see overtaking vehicles.
 No sharp or protruding objects
 Vehicles must not have sharp or protruding objects, open tube endings, or parts that may come loose and injure other riders in case of an accident.
 Direct view of the road
 Riders must have a direct 180degree view of the road from their vehicle and must not be dependent on electronic devices.
 Chainring covers
 Chainrings must either be inside a hardshell fairing or protected by a disc made of sufficiently strong material.
 Wellfunctioning brakes
 Vehicles must be equipped with brakes that provide adequate stopping power.
Helmets
 You must wear an approved bicycle helmet during the races. On the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park, there is an exception if the fairing of your vehicle is hardshell and completely covers your head. On the track in Geleen there is no such exception. 

VEHICLE CATEGORIES

All types of landHPVs can participate, but for ranking purposes we distinguish five categories: 

• Unfaired Multitrack (UFM)
• Unfaired (UF)
• Partially Faired (PF) — these vehicles have either no front or no tail fairing
• Fully Faired Multitrack (FFM)
• Fully Faired (FF)

For the category pairs UFM/UF, UF/PF, and FFM/FF, categories may be merged into a single class if fewer than three riders are registered two months before the event. This applies separately for male and female riders.

A fairing is defined as a shape designed to guide airflow smoothly around the rider.
 

All parts of the program must be completed in the same vehicle category. If you use multiple bikes, the category of the most streamlined bike applies.


For tandems, both riders must register for the races, and both riders receive points in the rankings as if they were riding separate bikes.

PERSON CATEGORIES

We distinguish between male/female. You must be 16 years or older to participate in the races, if you are an experienced rider of a younger age you can apply for an exception. For the kids race there is no minimum age.

RACE RULES


Race 1: Fastest Lap

• Location: Tom Dumoulin Bike Park — 930 m oval for Fully Faired, 1125 m outer track for all others
• Time: Friday evening,  see race schedule.
• Every rider gets a start time and may use up to 10 laps to ride their personal fastest lap.
• The next rider starts one minute later, with up to 10 riders on the track at any time.
• Riders must stay on the inside of the track while warming up and avoid hindering others.
• Start order is based on the rider’s estimated 1hour race speed (provided at registration).    

Race 2: 1-Hour Time Trial

• Location: Geleen, 500 m track with banked corners. Note: this location currently has issues with road surface quality. We have been promised that this will be fixed. Otherwise, we will use an alternative track of approx. 1km length at the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park.
• Time: Saturday morning, see race schedule.
• Riders start at one-minute intervals.
• Drafting behind another rider is not allowed.
• Overtaking must be done on the outside.
• It is the rider’s responsibility to complete the full hour. No points are awarded for incomplete races.

Race 3: Climbing Criterium

• Location: Tom Dumoulin Bike Park, approx. 1500 m with a 10% climb of 10 m
• Time: Saturday afternoon, see race schedule
• Separate races for:

1. Not Fully Faired
2. Fully Faired

• Mass start.
• Finish: after 45 minutes, when the fastest rider crosses the line, the final lap begins for everyone.
• Riders must accommodate others when they attempt to pass.

Race 4: 3-Hour Race

• Location: Tom Dumoulin Bike Park — 930 m oval for Fully Faired, 1125 m outer track for all others
• Time: Sunday morning, see race schedule
• Mass start.
• Finish: after 3 hours, all riders finish when they next cross the line.
• Overtaking must be done on the outside; accommodate riders who are passing.

POINTS AND PRIZES

Prizes are awarded for the overall ranking, not for individual races.
The overall ranking is based on the sum of speed points plus bonus points:

• Race 1 (Fastest Lap): fastest lap speed (km/h). Bonus: 2 / 1 / 0.5 for 1st / 2nd / 3rd.
• Race 2 (1Hour Time Trial): average lap speed (km/h). Bonus: 2 / 1 / 0.5.
• Race 3 (Climbing Criterium): average lap speed (km/h). Bonus: 2 / 1 / 0.5.
• Race 4 (3Hour Race): average lap speed (km/h). Bonus: 2 / 1 / 0.5.
All races count equally; the sum is unweighted.

KIDS RACE

• Location: inner loop, 200 m
• Time: Saturday and Sunday afternoon
• Mass start, duration 15 minutes
• Ages up to 15 years old; every participant receives a small prize. We may split the race into two heats for different age ranges.
• Kids must wear a helmet