I’m looking to do a small mtb race in france but I’m confused by the whole ‘race licence’ vs Dr’s certificate.
Who has some experience of foreign bike races?

Will a provisional race licence from British cycling do?
Will the french even accept a foreign race licence that isn’t french?
What type of race licence do I need? Its all looking very expensive for a single bike race.
Whats the going rate for a Dr’s certificate and how long do they last?
Are there any other ways round this?

I always used a British Cycling race licence, which worked to cover us for racing in Belgium and Holland and Majorca. I suppose one way round it might be to race for a local club, but I think that might prove more trouble than it’s worth.

A British Cycling race licence should do the trick. I needed one for the Transvesubienne a few years ago but I don’t recall a Drs note…

For the Mega last year I used a Silver British Cycling race licence. Other folk used letters from their GP or did their own.

Travel Insurance with a Racing inclusion worked too for the mega

http://www.cyclosport.org/30-Oct-2008/news/medical-certificates-now-required-for-events-abroad.html

I had a BC Licence last year with a letter from BC to state that I was covered abroad. Did the 24hr Worlds in Italy and then the Transvesubienne in France. This paperwork was checked at neither event and nor was my insurance.
Did the 24hr Worlds in Oz a couple of years ago, they did check my BC licence, which was perfectly adequate. Doing it again in Oz later this year, have bought an Australian day licence for that as no longer have a BC licence.

When me and some mates did the mega we just forged doctor’s notes. Fairly straight forward. I’d bought a bronze BC membership but the card didn’t turn up in time.

for racing abroad you ‘should’ need a BC Licence and a letter from BC to state that you are OK to race in said county. I’ve raced abroad upwards of 50 times and only been asked once to see it.

The Dr’s note however has never been asked for other than in the race info, easy enough to get but a bit of an arse ache as a lot of surgery’s charge for them.

When me and some mates did the mega we just forged doctor’s notes.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

getting a doctor to do one for me was stupidly difficult