We have a little less than 2 weeks to go before the Start of the 11th SAC. Here are some important updates for team captains and competitors in this year's race:

Spreadsheet:

A spreadsheet will be sent out to all team captains tommorow in relation to bookings and payments made/due, requests for lifejackets, hotels, homestay as well as arrival/departure information for teams who have requested airport pick up's.

You are responsible for contacting us to inform us if there is an error or mistake or if you need to submit important information to us within the next few days. We cannot wait till the last minute to adjust our schedule or plans if you do not inform us within a reasonable period of time if you spot an error or need a change made.

It is important team captains are pro-active on this.

Departure times from Mega D'Aru to Tambunan:

All teams arriving before the 1st April 2010 will be boarding the 11am bus from Hotel Mega D'Aru for Tambunan.

Those arriving on the 1st April 2010 itself will be given time to get their gear sorted upon arrival to board the 2pm bus for Tambunan.

It is important you unpack your Mt.Bike immediately upon arrival at Hotel Mega D'Aru and prepare it for COMPETITION and for use during the race. You must ensure you Mt.Bike is loaded on to one of 3 logistics trucks at the Mega D'Aru before 2pm as you will not have access to your Mt.Bikes until late on during the race on day one.

If you are driving yourselfs or have your own support crew (and haven't paid the logistics fee for the race), then you are free to head over to Tambunan anytime provided you attend the race mandatory equipment check before 5pm. Remember, we will not be checking gear after 5pm and registration will be closed accordingly to prepare for the 6pm official race briefing.

Support Crews:

Teams with their own support crews are responsible in ensuring they are ready to depart for the transition point to drop off their team's mountain bikes as we will NOT be responsible in ensuring your mt.bikes are in position ahead of time and you are also responsible in ensuring you have the right type of vehicle to get to the location. You may follow the designated team leader who is heading to the transition point where the Mountain Bikes will be kept but the team leader is NOT responsible for you other than to allow you to follow behind him to the location.

The team leader at no time, will restrict himself to assisting with vehicle breakdowns, tyre punctures or waiting for you if you are late. A set departure time will be announced during the race briefing and it is down to your support crew to ensure they are there ON TIME and ready to go.

Adequate Protection:

We have found on our travels on the race course certain sections that may involve cutting through brush and plants that MAY have some allergic reaction to individuals with sensitive skin. We encourage you to ensure you do wear long sleeve shirts and pants if you are confident of a reaction or suspect you may have reaction to plants or thorns.

Full finger gloves are recommended but not mandatory whilst adequate protection for your neck from the sun is also highly recommended.

Homestay:

We have been conducting inspections of the homestay village homes today and have either passed or failed some homes who did not meet our standards and requirements. We will conduct a second round of inspections next sunday and be also vetting homes who we think are not only comfortable, clean, practical and also suitable but also meet our standards and expections.

Entering sensitive area's in the base camp:

Entry will be denied to individuals who do not have SAC ID Tags to enter the food hall, race briefing center, drinking water depot and mountain bike storage room.

Individuals may remove their bikes from the mt.bike storage rooms provided they have their race bib on or have their ID Tags with their race numbers on them.

Entry will be denied to anyone who does not have their ID tags to avoid any disagreements or repeats of issues in the past where friends, family and or uninvited guests were allowed access to the food hall and essentially helped themselves to food meant for competitors and did not get permission or paid for the meals.

Itinerary for 1st April 2010:

10:00am loading begins for Mountain Bikes and baggage into trucks and vans. Teams are responsible in ensuring their Mt.Bikes are ready for competition, have their designated bike numbers attached and are loaded on the designated trucks before leaving on the 11am Bus.

11:00am, Bus 1 departs with designated teams for Tambunan. Baggage truck will NOT be leaving till 2pm so ensure you have your mandatory kit with you when you board the bus for the venue.

14:00 Bus 2 departs with designiated teams, volunteers and medical personnel for Tambunan. Baggage truck will follow behind Bus 2 including trucks with all Mt.Bikes. Teams are responsible in ensuring their Mt.Bikes are ready for competition have their designated bike numbers attached and are loaded on the designated trucks before leaving on the 14:00 Bus.

Upon arrival at Tambunan Village Resort (TVRC):

2:00pm-5:00pm

1.Prepare your mandatory kit for inspection, ensure you have your signed copies of the rules and regulation forms, mandatory kit list and proceed to the registration desk to settle any outstanding monies due to the SAC. Collect your ID Tags.

2.Procced to the mandatory kit check desk and get he neccessary approvals done.

3.Proceed to the Kit desk and collect your Salomon race bibs, Salomon race cap, free copy of Cycling Asia magazine, race numbers which must be attached to your race bib at ALL times during competition.

4.Check in at the homestay desk if you have requested homestay.

Free and easy till 6:00pm Official Race Briefing.

Teams who are in the homestay program will have dinner at the homes with their host families. All other teams may frequent the cafe at the venue at their own cost.

Pre-race breakfast:

Breakfast will be available from 12:00am-2:00am at the open hall for competitors with ID tags.

Pre-race head count:

All teams MUST be at the START location no less than 20 minutes before the 3:00am START for a head count.

Lunch: Available at the FINISH of day one from 12:00-15:00 for all competitors with ID Tags.

Water: Teams may proceed and collect a reasonable number of 1.5 litre water bottles for consumption for themselves and their team mate each day at reasonable hours before/after the race. We will have officials at the store to attend to you but if you find the store room locked, proceed to the Mt.Bike storage room located above the water store room to get an official to open the water storage room for you.

Location of the Mt.Bike and water storage rooms are directly across the river from the STARTING venue.

Insurance: All teams are requested to ensure they have medical insurance and to ensure they PHOTOCOPY x 2 sets of your passports AND medical insurance BEFORE they leave for the race venue to submit to the race directors during registration so we are able to ensure you get medical support immediately in the event you require evacuation to a specialist center or government hospital.

1 copy of the medical insurance and passports will be kept at the medical center at the basecamp and another set kept with the race directors.