Rules

Rules for the building of our lists

The non-profit-making and international objectivess of B.I.G are the following:
B.I.G. is an open, international community that is there to facilitate and promote cyclo climbing. It does so by means of the main challenge BIG and a number of so called parallel Challenges (a.o. National Challenges). Each challenge has its own closed list which contains the summits that are to be reached by bike. The closed list of the main challenge, B.I.G, contains 1,000 numbers that correspond to 1,000 summits and this list is also reffered to as the Superlist. Only summits in the Superlist are allowed to be referred to as BIGs.

• All summits and sides in the lists are selected through 3 criteria, 5 principles and 2 rules.
Criteria:
Sport (Sport Challenge that an ascent offers)
Tourism (the environment an ascent is located in)
Media (how well an ascent is known in the media).
 

Principles:
1,The ascents must be dispatched in the best possible way over different mountainous regions.
2,Some ascents must help to discover the natural and cultural tourism.
3,Some asents must be challenging ascents but the overall level of difficulty of the ascents must be average.
4,Some ascents must help to discover the main ascents included in the cycling history.
5,The ascents must be mainly surfaced roads, giving some place to gravel roads but only when these offer real additional value.

These 3 criteria and 5 principles will stimulate members to travel and in this way learn more about other countries, cultures and people.

Availability

Available for all the climbs inside all our challenges, even if the climbs aren't in the same challenge.

1. Definition of a climb : ascent leading from a bottom to a top, without section inside including more than 33,33 % negative difference of level OR 33.33% length of downhill, compared to the total amount of D+ (AltTop - AltFt) and total length.

2. Rule of the "2in1"

a) no climb can be a part of a climb (within our definition) leading to another existing summit. This climb must be included inside the sides leading to this other summit.

b) If 2 summits have sides with a similar section, the main one (according to our principles) keep this section and the other one only keeps its own proper final section.

 

Challenge BIG

1 - GENERAL RULES OF THE CHALLENGE

Article 1. – General rules for the Superlist of the 1000 BIGs

A1.1. The 1,000 summits are presented as 935 fixed tops and 65 not necessarily fixed names (according to 10 series with a determined quota and a special zone)

  • Zone 01: Nordic countries 50

  • Zone 02: British Islands (Ireland and United Kingdom) 50

  • Zone 03: Benelux 50

  • Zone 04: Germany 50

  • Zone 05: continental France & Corsica 175

  • Zone 06: Spain, Canary Islands & Portugal, Madeira, Azores & Andorra  150

  • Zone 07: Switzerland & Liechtenstein 75

  • Zone 08: Austria 75

  • Zone 09: continental Italy, Sardinia, Sicily & San Marino 150

  • Zone 10: East 110

  •  Zone +
    Superbig : free (zones B to G) 65
    Eurobig : fixed (Eastern Europe + Eurasia) 65

  • A1.2. Inside the zones 1 to 10, the tops are fixed and named. Inside the zone +, they are either fixed and named (eurolist), or free but with obligations (superlist)
    A1.3. The areas covered by the zones are clearly defined by the countries'borders. Official maps are eidted, showing clearly the limts of the zones in Europe and of the other continents in the world.
    A1.4. The faraway territories, included in european countries politically, included in those maps in other continents, are definitely included, for the BIG, in those continents.
     

Article 2. - Rules for claiming ascents there

A2.1. If a member has reached on a day in his life, one top corresponding in the list to a number among the 1,000 of the superlist, that it reached it on a bicycle (not an electric one) , by climbing entirely one side described in the BIG website to this top, then he can claim, by honour, the success of achieving the ascent corresponding to this number.

A2.2. When a member claims the success of a number, this is for all his life. He claims the number tied to the summit at the time it was ascended. If after that, the name of the summit is amended to another summit, then the member will still preserve the success of climbing this number.

A2.3. The B.I.G. Association reserves itself the right to requestthe date back to the successes in the case of possible claim abuse if it is evident that the claimant appears too confident and B.I.G. will refuse the inscription in this extreme case.

A2.4.The BIG gives motivation to its members through steps. If the score is less than 164 bigs, it's gratis. Over, the member has to pay the minimum cheap contribution to increase his/her score.

The member becomes possessor of the "Welcoming Certificate" (C.A./ Certificate d’Accueil) as soon as he has claimed a minimum of 10 different numbers. He will become possessor of the ranks BIG01 to BIG20, alongside his life as a cyclo-climber, according to the following progression:
BIG01>= 30; BIG 02>= 60; BIG03>= 90; BIG04>= 120; BIG05>= 164, BIG06>= 240; BIG07>= 300; BIG08>= 360; BIG09>= 430; BIG10>= 500, BIG 11>= 550; BIG12>=600; BIG13>= 650; BIG14>= 700; BIG 15>= 750, BIG16>= 800; BIG17>= 850; BIG18>= 900; BIG19>= 950; BIG20>= 1.000

A2.5. The BIG still increases the motivation of its members through levels.

With the score of 164

The member becomes "BIG-Pretender" when he has attained 164 different numbers (in memory of Raymond Mayeur, deceased at this score), with a minimum of 10 different countries. This is shown with the acronym BIG next the the members number of claims.

With the score of 500

The member becomes 'half-BIG Winner » when he reaches the score of 500 different numbers.

More, he'll become "Winner of the BAG" when its summits are spread over at least twenty different countries and three different continents outside Europe (i.e. North-America; South-America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). This is shown with the acronym BAG (Brevett Adventurous Grimpeur / Certificate for the Adventurous cyclo-climber ) next the the members number of claims.

With the score of 1000

The member becomes "Eurobig-Finisher" when he reached the score of 1000 different numbers. This is shown with the acronym Eurobig-B.I.G Finisher .

More, he'll become « Superbig-Finisher », supreme level, if in addition, he conquered or replaced all the 65 numbers in zone + by summits located in Eastern Europe + Eurasia and in the zones B to G, according to the special rules linked to this zone +.

 

A2.6. The zone + belongs to special rules well defined. To reach the Eurobig, the member must simply claim the 60 fixed and named numbers of this zone. If he wants, on the other way, to reach the « Superbig », he has to conquer or replace those numbers of this zone, with the following restrictions. A mix between the 65 fixed names in Europe and some other ones out of Europe following the same restrictions, has our agreement to reach the "eurobig", but it must use the good continents according to the good numbers.

Those 65 summits in zone +, Superbig section, will never be determinated by the Committee but will be freely choosen by the member. The restrictions to be followed are :

* Among those 65 climbs, we need to find 10 in Asia, 10 in Africa, 10 in Oceania, 10 in North or Central America, 10 in South America & finally 15 in zone G ( see map World Zones).

The member must follow the following rules to claim in this zone

1) Free choice.
2) Complete the description sheet for each suggestion of climb
3) Submit the list we intend to make to the manager for zone 12. The latter gives the green light
If you do not submit your ascent beforehand, you must accept that the manager (guarantor of the
spirit) is the sole judge of its validity. He is sovereign
4) 5000 m Difference of Level (DOL) in total (7500m for the 15 in zone G)
5) Maximum 5 climbs below 500 m DOL
5.1. For each ascent whose DOL is between 150m and 500 m elevation
Indicate interest
Sports O Media O Tourist O Natural Park O other O
5.2 For ascents with a DOL of less than 150 m, have an average of 10% over 1 km
Indicate interest
Sports O Media O Tourist O Natural Park O other O
6) respect the spirit:
6.1 On a ridge only one peak will be counted
6.2 On an climb with up and down only one top will be counted
6.3 An ascent in the downhill back of a claimed top will not be counted
6.4 No common point, common summit, or common section with a previous claim will be allowed
7) Let us remain courteous, polite ... let us be gentlemen ... do not make agressive personal remarks,
under penalty of exclusion

e) Exceptions are allowed to regularize BIGs claimed in Turkey and removed from challenge in 1997. They have a sign * before their names.Exceptions are allowed for climbs claimed before 2009 and following former regulations. They have a sign ** before their names. Other exceptions are also allowed for claims before 2016, to update the regularisation what has been agreeded before the birth of the eurobig challenge. Those names will have a sign *** before their names.

f) To recall the obligation to get minimum 5000m D.O.L for a full continent, the claims with less than 500m D.O.L, declared received, will be followed by a sign *.

g) The zone G is an exception with own rules. A climb there is an eurobig if it is in the fixed list and a superbig if it is out this fixed list (free with zone+ rules). This special case is used due to the political unstability of the region, to give rights for members trying to reach a given score to keep climbs available in some other countries inside this zone G if one country is in war for example.

 

2.Parallel Challenges

2.1. – IRONBIG

An Ironbig can be tried on any top in one of our lists

Participation's rules

1. Success

To have success, a member must claim 25 times one number inside the whole year, but

a. if the difference of level is less than 500m, to claim it 25 times inside only 1 month

b. if the difference of level is less than 200m, to claim it 25 times inside only 1 day

2. Procedure

The member prevents by email the committee of the challenge that he'll try a precise number in the list

Afterwards, he claims by the same way the dates of his success, little by little or in one time

3. Consequences

After success in his attempt, he'll become the godfather of this BIG and his name will be written in the descriptions'pages of this climb forever as the godfather for life of this BIG.

4.Steps

When a member claims 25 idifferent ronbigs, he becomes Super Ironbig (sI)

When a member claims 50 idifferent ronbigs, he becomes Extra Ironbig (xI)

When a member claims 75 idifferent ronbigs, he becomes Eminent Ironbig (MI)

When a member claims 100 idifferent ronbigs, he becomesUltra Ironbig (UI)

 

2.2. – National Challenges (NATACHA)

Choice's rules

1. The national challenges, called NATaCHAs, must be overviewed by the newlistgroup of the B.I.G-challenge. It gives some delegation (choice of the tops) to a national group that has to follow the methodology guide to build a national list.

2. The national challenges are based on a closed list of a multiple of 25 tops located in their country. This quote must always be under 1000. Each top can suggest maximum 4 sides but one top is only one number.

3.The amount of tops is the consequence of the work, managed through the methodology guide and must be decided in agreement with the newlist group of the B.I.G challenge according to the motivation that this amount of tops can give and compared to the amounts of tops of the other countries. This amount of tops can't be decided immediately in the start but must be the conclusion of the work.

4.The national list must include at least all the tops included in the superlist1000 of the B.I.G-challenge and located in this country, in company with a majority of other ones.

5.The national list and its building must follow the 5 principles of the BIG-challenge

Participation's rules

6.The BIG member is included in the classement of this challenge since the first claim in this national challenge's list.

7.The B.I.G challenge shows the national lists and the general classements of those national challenges in its website

8. When a member reaches half the maximum score of the country, he comes half-finihser of the Natacha of this country. When he reached the total score, he becomes finisher of the Natacha of this country.

2.3. – TGV

Choice's rules

The list of the 1Cat. and still better Xcat. climbs of the 3 great tours.

This list has an annual fixed quote but will be filled every coming year by the eventual new 1Cat. and Xcat. , new climbs taken by the organizers in the tours of the future ,...

This is the first challenge with a fixed, limited, BUT EVOLUTING number.

Participation's rules

THE CLASSEMENT STEPS

PARx like in Golf Game means the amount of climbs still to climb


PAR0 : King of Mountain

PAR1 à 50 : Leaders

PAR51 à 100 : (Pur)Chasers/Followers

PAR1/2TOTAL : Peloton/(Field/Bunch)

>=100 : Gruppetto

>=1 : Sweep