The athletes are classified in different categories according to their handicap.

LC/ Locomotion handicaps
They compete in four functional categories: LC 1, LC 2, LC 3, and LC 4. The competitions for men and women are separate.

LC 1 Category: For cyclists having no lower limb deficiencies or only slight ones.
LC 2 Category: For cyclists with a deficiency on one leg, yet who can pedal normally with both legs, with or without any prosthetics.
LC 3 Category: For cyclists having a deficiency on a lower limb but not in the upper limbs. Most of them pedal with only one leg.
LC 4 Category: For cyclists having severe impairment usually affecting both lower limbs, with or without any impairment of the upper limbs.

B/ Blind or poorly seeing cyclists
They compete at the back of a tandem led by a seeing pilot: man, woman or either one. For competition itself, the 3 categories mentioned below are all integrated within an only and same category of handicap.

B1; The cyclist has no perception of the light and cannot identify the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction.
B2: The cyclist can acknowledge the shape of a hand and has a visual perception of 2/60 and/or a visual field under 5 degrees.
B3: The cyclist has a visual perception between 2/60 and 6/60 and/or a visual field above 5 degrees , yet without exceeding 20 degrees.

CP/ Cyclists with a cerebral motor disability
They compete in four functional categories. The competitions for men and women are separate.

CP Division 4: conceived for cyclists with a lesser disability competing on a traditional bike.
CP Divisions 3&2: these divisions enable cyclists to compete on bicycles in division 3 or on tricycles in division 2.
CP Division 1: conceived for cyclists with a severe disability who compete on tricycles.

HC/ Handbike cyclists
They compete in three categories during international cycling competitions. The competitions for men and women are separate. The handbike is conceived for cyclists who usually need a wheelchair to move and for those who cannot use a bicycle or a classical tricycle owing to a severe disability of the lower limbs.

HC Division A: conceived for cyclists with a severe disability, with the total loss of the chest activities and lower limbs as well as other severe and complex disabilities.
HC Division B: conceived for cyclists having a total loss of the activities of the lower limbs and a limited steadiness of the chest.

HC Division C: conceived for cyclists suffering from a total loss of activity of the lower limbs but with no other severe functional disabilities, or a potential loss of the function of the lower limbs which, combined with other functional disabilities, prevent the cyclist from practising classical cycling.