– March 2026 –
CÍCLICK
1st International Cycling Photography Contest
Within the framework of the Photography Exhibition included in the programme of Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà 2026, VOLATA launches CÍCLICK, its first International Cycling Photography Contest, supported by Primavera Ciclista and Konvent art center. This international competition aims to further amplify the magazine’s commitment to photojournalism, author photography and new visual narratives within sports journalism.
Inspired by international competitions such as the Mark Gunter Photo Awards (Australia) and the Richard Martin Awards (L’Équipe, France), the contest seeks to recognise the work of both professional and amateur photographers who capture the essence of cycling not only as a sport, but also as a key social and cultural phenomenon.
Categories
The contest combines classic sports photography categories with more creative and narrative approaches that reflect the spirit of VOLATA. Each category will have a winner, and from among all category winners a single overall winner will be selected. Participation is free of charge, and each category winner will receive a prize. The full rules and awards are detailed in these regulations.
The categories are:
1. Competition
Scenes of effort, speed and race tactics. Images that capture a unique, decisive moment.
2. Portrait
Photographs focusing on the people who form part of the cycling family: athletes, mechanics, team staff and fans. Both candid and posed portraits are accepted.
3. Gravel, Bikepacking & Adventure
The most adventurous side of cycling: dirt roads, open landscapes and self-sufficiency.
4. Cycling Culture
The social and community dimension of cycling. Cycling as a way of life.
5. Artistic
Images that propose a more conceptual approach, using techniques such as blur, light and shadow, textures and abstraction.
VOLATA Special Award
Among all submitted photographs, one image will be selected for its journalistic strength and its treatment of image, colour, perspective and visual language. This photograph will receive the VOLATA Special Award, endowed with the highest prize of the contest.
Contest Rules
ARTICLE 1: ORGANISATION
The VOLATA project (legally CULTURA DISPERSA, SL, with registered address at C/ Crehuet 10, Àtic 2, 08032 Barcelona, Spain, and Tax ID B-55041040), together with Konvent and Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà, organises the first edition of the International Cycling Photography Contest known as CÍCLICK, which will take place from 28th January to 20th Februrary of 2026. The contest forms part of the Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà’s Photography Festival and will be held from 13th March to 20th September 2026.
For the purposes of these rules, the team formed by VOLATA, Konvent and Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà shall hereinafter be referred to as the Contest Organisation.
ARTICLE 2: REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION
Registration for the contest, in any of its categories, is free of charge and must be completed via the following link: [PARTICIPA AQUÍ]
Participants may register from 28th January 2026 at 12:01 a.m. until 20th February 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT+1). After this deadline, no further entries will be accepted.
The jury will deliberate and announce the finalists in each category on 2nd March 2026. The final winners will be announced on 13th March 2026 during the presentation event of Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà.
The minimum age for participation is 14 years. Participants aged between 14 and 18 must submit parental or legal guardian authorisation. The organisation reserves the right to automatically cancel the registration of any minor who does not provide such authorisation.
Professional participants must prove their professional status by providing a valid press card or an official letter from the media outlet they work for. In all cases, professional participants must be over 18 years of age.
ARTICLE 3: CONTEST REGULATIONS
Each participant may submit only one entry. Within that entry, a maximum of three photographs may be submitted, which may belong to different categories.
The photographs must have been taken between 1st January and 31st December of 2025.
Photographs must not contain watermarks.
The content of the photographs must not be offensive or discriminatory under any circumstances.
Photographs may be captured using analogue or digital media.
Images must be submitted in .jpeg format with an RGB colour profile.
Files must not exceed 5 MB in size.
The maximum dimensions are 1920 pixels on the longest side, either vertical or horizontal, with a resolution of 300 dpi.
Each photograph must include the following additional information: author’s full name and email address, date and place where the photograph was taken, equipment used, and a brief contextual explanation of the image.
Post-production adjustments such as light, contrast and colour balance are permitted to optimise the image. However, no significant elements may be added or removed from the composition, and the use of AI tools is strictly prohibited. The jury reserves the right to reject images that are excessively retouched.
Finalists will be asked to submit the original files or RAW files for final validation. Failure to submit these within the established deadline will result in disqualification and the vacant spot being reassigned.
Images and accompanying information must be submitted via the same inscription link.
The presentation and online exhibition of finalist photographs will take place through the social media channels of VOLATA, Konvent and Primavera Ciclista five days prior to the final decision. The final resolution and announcement of the winners will take place on 13 March 2026 during the presentation of Primavera Ciclista 2026.
ARTICLE 4: JURY COMPOSITION
The jury will consist of five members representing VOLATA, Konvent, Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà and the winner of the previous edition. In this first edition, the latter role will be assumed by another representative of Primavera Ciclista or by a recognised photographer.
From among all submitted photographs, the jury will select three finalists per category. The final selection will be based on technical, artistic and journalistic criteria. The jury’s decision will be final.
Finalists will be notified by email. No individual notification will be sent to participants who are not selected.
ARTICLE 5: PRIZES, COMMERCIAL USE AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Winners of each category will receive a prize of €250 plus a selection of products. In addition, one overall winner will be awarded a prize of €1,500. In this case, the prizes in this category and the VOLATA Special Prize shall not be cumulative.
Photographers may renounce the prize, but in such cases no financial compensation or alternative prize may be claimed. Should circumstances beyond the organiser’s control arise, the organisation reserves the right to substitute the prizes with others of equal value.
The prize of each category must be collected by the winner or by a person formally authorised in writing and duly notified to the organisation. The organisation will not cover round-trip travel expenses for the overall winner. Accommodation and expenses of accompanying persons will not be covered.
The finalist and winning photographs will be exhibited as part of the exhibition.
Winners of each category grant the Contest Organisation — VOLATA, Konvent and Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà — a non-exclusive licence to use the awarded images for exhibition and publication purposes on their official channels for a period of two years, without financial remuneration. The winning photographs will also be published in VOLATA magazine in a dedicated article on the International Photography Contest, physically exhibited at the International Photography Festival, and displayed during the presentation event of Primavera Ciclista del Berguedà. Additionally, these images will form part of the VOLATA archive for a period of five years (to be confirmed).
For photographs that are not awarded but have participated in the contest, the organisation must request explicit permission from the authors before any publication. The winning photographs may also be made available to media outlets, always credited, for the purpose of promoting the contest. Participants who do not agree with these conditions must notify the organisation by email before the end of the jury deliberation period.
Prizes are subject to income tax withholding in accordance with the regulations in force at the time of the Competition.
ARTICLE 6: LOGISTICAL AND LEGAL MATTERS
The organisation shall not be held responsible for any delay, modification or cancellation of the contest due to force majeure circumstances beyond its control.
The organiser shall not be responsible for the loss or misuse of prizes once they have been awarded.
Each participant is responsible for holding the image rights of any minors appearing in their photographs and for ensuring that no third-party rights are infringed and no defamatory content is published. The organisation accepts no liability in this regard. Each participant also guarantees the originality of their photographs, so that the organiser cannot be subject to claims from third parties. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in exclusion from the contest.
The organiser also reserves the right to exclude any works that are contrary to the interests of the organisation or public order, that show a lack of respect for any group, or that contain racist, homophobic or xenophobic content. Works of a paedophilic nature or that glorify war crimes or crimes against humanity will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Participation in the contest implies full acceptance of these rules. Any false or inaccurate information will result in exclusion. The organiser shall be the sole authority responsible for determining whether submitted works comply with these regulations.
Regarding participants’ personal data, its use will be limited to communications related to participation in the contest and to sending information about future editions of the competition.