ARTICLE 1: Conditions of admission
Members of the BTC are of all ages (≥ 16 years old), without regard to gender, religious or political affiliation.
Historically, the BTC has been aimed at an adult public and to date has not developed a youth programme. The minimum age for joining the club is 16.
The BTC is open to everyone, according to their level of ability. Its aim is to encourage each of its members to achieve excellence (the highest individual level of performance) and enjoy the sport, within a framework that fosters personal development and collective harmony.
However, the committee and coaches reserve the right to require a minimum level for each discipline and/or for a triathlon (1/8 to 1/1) in order to ensure consistent and optimum training conditions. These minimum levels are transparent and communicated to each aspiring member.
All members contribute to the dynamics of the BTC through their involvement. In particular, they are invited to take part in events organised by the BTC and to wear club equipment in order to ensure visibility for the BTC and its partners (sponsors).
Since the end of 2016, when joining the club or renewing their membership for 2019, each member signs the Charter and IR and undertakes to adhere to them and comply with their prescriptions. Thereafter, by paying their annual fee, members reconfirm their commitment to adhere to the Charter and the IR (see below).
The club reserves the right to refuse (re-)registration if the athlete is not in line with the values of the sport (fair play, no doping, a healthy mind in a healthy body, etc.) and the values of the club. The club expects its members to participate actively in all aspects of club life and/or activities/objectives.
In order to meet its objectives, the BTC has a competent and qualified team.
ARTICLE 2: Conditions for practising triathlon
The practice of triathlon is demanding and it is the responsibility of each new member to ensure that they have no medical contraindications to the practice of a sporting activity.
As a club affiliated to the LF3, the BTC is insured against accidents during organised training sessions. Under no circumstances can the BTC be held responsible for the consequences of any accidents not covered by the League's insurance that may occur during the activities offered to its members.
The committee requires each member to take out a licence for which they are required to undergo a medical examination in accordance with the League's criteria. Access to training sessions is forbidden to non-licensed members. An exception is made for the 2-3 trial sessions that we offer to all prospective members. The League no longer requires a systematic stress test. However, we encourage this test before the first registration and on a regular basis after the age of 40. For minors (under the age of 18), parental authorisation to take part in triathlon is compulsory. It must include the child's last name, first name and date of birth (day, month, year). It must be signed by the child's legal representative, who must agree to the child taking part in the triathlon. In addition, the member must ensure that they have third-party insurance covering all risks associated with triathlon or accidents that may occur in the context of the activities offered by the BTC.
Membership of the club implies adherence to and knowledge of the LF3 rules (the Belgian federation that oversees the LF3 & 3VL), which must be known and followed during competitions organised by the LF3 or 3VL and local rules for races abroad. (Nb: the LF3 and 3VL regulations are exactly the same).
ARTICLE 3: CLUB MEMBERSHIP FEE & LF3 LICENCE FEE
The annual club membership fee (calendar year) varies according to category. See the fees on the registration page.
Members wishing to rejoin for the following year must pay their membership & licence fee by 10th December at the latest.
The licence fee must be paid at the same time as the membership fee.
ARTICLE 4: TRAINING
The club has appointed coaches for the 3 disciplines.
The coach is solely responsible for training. The coach may appoint a deputy or delegate their role, in the event of absence, to experienced members; the coach shall keep the committee informed and the committee shall have full discretion to approve or reject this proposal. The club and its administrators are in no way responsible when a member gives coaching to one or more members, other than in the aforementioned cases.
The Board and Committee have complete freedom to preserve/organise the framework and quality of training (define and manage the club's capacity in the three disciplines, organise specific sessions, etc.).
Training sessions are not compulsory. Members are free to participate. The club is comprised of adult members. Therefore, repeated complaints about exercises that are considered "tiring" or "repetitive", or delays in starting an exercise, etc, will not be tolerated, as they are not conducive to a positive atmosphere.
Any occasional athlete* who does not attend training regularly will not be able to justify any claim whatsoever regarding a lack of attention from the coach, a pace that is too difficult to follow (sprints, long distance, etc.) during training, or any failure on the part of the club and its administrators.
The trainers prepare their programmes with a view to coherent sporting development, which requires everyone to be aware of their own physiological limits, to be regular and to invest both physically and mentally. Neither the club nor the trainer can therefore be held responsible for any lack of progress.
* A member that does not participate regularly in coached sessions or an aspiring member.
a) Swimming
BTC members must comply with the rules governing the use of the Sportcity swimming pool. "Free-riding" (not paying the entry fee) is subject to disciplinary action.
The BTC swimming cap is part of the standard equipment. The BTC provides all its members with a club cap. The cap contributes to the identity of a training club in relation to the public and enables members and aspiring members to be easily identified. Exceptions to this rule must be justified.
In each lane, members place themselves in all honesty and also according to the coach's recommendations based on their level, the form of the day and the number of participants.
The coach has complete freedom in managing the groups and exercises, within the sporting framework defined by the committee, and is solely responsible for the training programme.
In order not to provoke animosity from the public and/or complaints to Sportcity management, members who swim in public lanes during training hours will use a cap of a colour clearly different from the club colours.
Each member is encouraged to help tidy up the equipment used by the BTC at the end of each training session.
b) Cycling
Bicycle outings are reserved for members, with the exception of candidate members who have been approved by the committee for a trial session.
Each member is free to train alone or in a group.
The BTC encourages the wearing of club colours and logos.
As cycling outings take place in an open public space, open to all and to different types of vehicles, it is essential that the safety aspect is present in everyone's mind. Safety comes before any other consideration and also before the quality of the training.
We must all respect 2 types of safety rules: Individual and Collective.
Individual safety rules
- Wearing a helmet is compulsory
- Respect the Rules of the Road
- Bike in good condition
- Have your own repair kit
- Respect other members of the group
Collective safety rules
- Be respectful, calm, polite and courteous to other road users, both individually and collectively, in all circumstances.
- Make it easy for overtaking vehicles to pass.
- The club does not endorse any gestures or words of collective reprimand towards drivers who have shown themselves to be careless or lacking in foresight. Our image, peace of mind and safety are at stake.
- Respect the Rules of the Road: when the group is large enough (at least 6), we don't use the cycle path, which can sometimes be more dangerous than the road.
- Respect the rules for riding in a peloton:
- Everyone is responsible for everyone else.
- The person leading the peloton must absolutely think about those following. Slow down and accelerate gradually.
- The person leading the peloton is the main person responsible for the peloton. The person leading must be attentive and anticipate the various dangers on the road.
- Ride smoothly and evenly.
- The ideal distance from the rider in front is 30 cm (slightly offset from the rear wheel), so that you can put your front wheel right up to the crankset of the rider in front without hitting them. Beyond 1 metre, the advantage of riding on the wheel diminishes.
- Warn others by gesture and/or words: gap, change of direction, slowing down, stop, wall at 15%, etc.
- Ride straight. If the rider in front passes, the next rider will also pass.
- When riding in a group, do not ride on the handlebars.
- When drafting, always keep a finger on the brakes.
Good Manners, the final rule
Warn the group, or at least the route captain, of any incidents: punctures, mechanical incidents (derailments, etc.), pee stops, early returns, people dropped by the group, etc.
An "official" stopover is planned on the Saturday morning route, with toilets and water for bottles.
Adapt to the group (A, B or C) in which you are riding: each level group has its own habits.
Respect the route captain's instructions.
If a prospective member is invited to a trial session, inform the committee in advance, inform the coach and inform the guest of the rules.
c) Running
Weekly group training on Tuesdays or Thursdays takes place from Sportcity and takes place on the track or outside.
Training starts at 6.30 pm.
The BTC encourages the wearing of club colours and logos.
Participants are asked to respect the exercises given by the coach, particularly for timed series on the track. It is not possible to manage different programmes, so if you wish to follow another (your own) programme than the one given by the coach, do not join the group.
On the track, the different groups must remain vigilant to facilitate the passage of other track users (e.g. Coaching zone), but also ensure that the inside lane is left free for the faster groups to overtake them.
For winter training sessions, make sure you are visible, especially if the course passes through areas open to traffic (fluorescent clothing or strips, headlamp, etc.).
ARTICLE 5: CLUB CLOTHING
See above for clothing for swimming, cycling and running training sessions.
Races and competitions
To ensure consistency, club visibility and team spirit, and to facilitate recognition by our supporters, the BTC asks its members to wear Club clothing for LF3 Supercup events. A neutral outfit is acceptable for members who do not yet have the club's trisuit. It is not acceptable for a BTC member to wear another club's outfit during a Supercup event.
For other Triathlons (not Supercoupe) and Duathlons, the club's colours must be worn. Wearing clothing from another club does not demonstrate club spirit. Should special or exceptional situations arise for wearing other colours, a duly justified request must be submitted to the club secretariat.
Wearing club clothing during other races such as local jogging events, i.e. involving the commune of Woluwé-Saint-Pierre (20k Bruxelles, les Flosses, etc.) demonstrates club spirit.
ARTICLE 6: ANTI-DOPING - MEDICAL COMMITTEE
By completing the licence form, each athlete signs a commitment to the LF3 concerning the fight against doping.
The club expects its members, both licensed and non-licensed, to be extremely vigilant and to act with the utmost probity in the fight against doping.
The BTC is setting up an internal medical committee (commissionmedicale@
This committee will be responsible for raising awareness and educating members about the fight against doping. It will be able to answer questions from members.
Should cases of suspected doping arise, this committee could be tasked with interviewing the athlete suspected of taking a product on the lists of banned products (lists available on the internet).
ARTICLE 7: RACIAL AND SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION - PERSONS OF TRUST
The club does not condone rude, insulting, racist, macho or sexist language or behaviour.
The club aims to respect cultural sensitivities.
Words or behaviour that may seem inappropriate to some may, if necessary and after evaluation, be the subject of disciplinary measures.
The BTC will designate from among its members (ideally a full member) a person of trust (personnedeconfiance@
confidential assessment. Depending on the seriousness of the facts, the support person may, if necessary, disclose the identities of two Board members of his/her choice. These members will act confidentially and take the measures required by the situation.
ARTICLE 8 REFEREEING COMMITTEE
The BTC is fortunate to have several referees within its ranks.
The BTC is setting up an internal refereeing committee (commissionarbitre@
This committee will be responsible for raising awareness and educating members about the rules in force. It will be able to answer questions from members.
It may advise members in the event of disputes and/or appearances before the League's disciplinary committee.
ARTICLE 9: COMMUNICATION (INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKS)
The BTC has several channels of communication
Website. It contains useful information about the life of the club and its organisation. It is well referenced and is our first window to the outside world and to potential new members.
E-mail to members based on the mailing list. All information concerning all members goes through this channel.
Private Facebook page. General information as above. Members are invited to share information, training suggestions, .... especially by respecting the commitments, the spirit of the club and particularly article 7.
Public Facebook pages and "Friends of the BTC"
ARTICLE 10: DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AND DISPUTES
a) General
Members are expected to respect the rules defined by the club and by the coaches for each discipline.
Members are also expected to adhere to the LF3 rules, which are expected to be known and followed during competitions organised by the LF3 or 3VL, as well as the local rules for races abroad.
In the event of non-compliance, the Committee and/or the Board reserve(s) the right to warn or sanction the member.
b) Mediation Commission and Ombudsman
The BTC has set up two structures for consultation to anticipate, prevent and help resolve possible sources of tension.
Ombudsman (ombudsman@btctriathlon.be). Member of the Committee, not member of the Board or Executive Committee. The ombudsman will be chosen for his or her ability to listen, his or her wisdom and his or her proximity to and representation of the members. The ombudsman will be able to receive suggestions and/or grievances from members regarding the operation of the committee and training. He will be able to respond directly to members and, where necessary, provide clarification. If necessary, he will report any points of concern to the committee.
Mediation committee. In the event of a conflict between members or between a member and the committee, which could result in disciplinary measures being taken or disciplinary measures being contested, the member may appeal to a mediation committee. This will comprise at least 1 member of the Board, 1 member of the Committee who is not a member of the Board, and 2 members chosen by the athlete(s) involved. If necessary, this committee may decide to appoint one or other member and/or 1 coach.
c) Reminder of the rules and disciplinary measures
Disciplinary measures may range from a reminder of the rules (by a member of the Committee or any other member), a warning (by a member of the Committee or the Board) or suspension or even exclusion from the club (by the Board).
A second warning may lead, if necessary and after deliberation, to suspension or exclusion.
Whenever possible, decisions by the Administrative Committee and/or the Board are taken in consultation with representatives of the Extended Committee.
Summary of disciplinary measures:
- Reminder of the rules (verbal "on the spot", simple informal reminder, possibly in slightly more formal written form)
- Warning (always formal, issued by at least two members (committee and/or coach) and systematically confirmed in writing)
- Suspension
- Exclusion
d) Disputes
The Board reserves the right to take all necessary decisions in the event of a dispute.
Following the example of article 67 of the IR of the LF3, the association may not prohibit or limit the right of its members to take legal action. To this end, it may not impose any sanction on a member for the sole reason that he or she has taken legal action against the association or one of its members.
However, a member wishing to take legal action against the Association or one of its members must first have exhausted all the internal remedies provided for in these internal regulations.