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Taking part in cyclosportives
Beacon members can often be found riding in cyclosportives
across the UK and sometimes on the continent.
If you are a member of the Beacon or another local club looking
for advice on riding a sportive, or for somebody to team up
with at an event or on a training run, please refer to our
Cyclosportive
Training page and our message
board.
What is a cyclosportive?
A cyclosportive is a non-competitive challenge ride that
has to be completed within a certain time limit. People start
together, but cover the course at their own pace. Although
cyclosportives are not races, the strongest riders in the
field are usually competitive cyclists, who try to get round
as quickly as they can. Also, there are sometimes awards -
e.g. gold, silver and bronze medals - that are linked to the
time taken to complete the event. See also 'What's
the difference between an Audax and a cyclosportive?'
There is no governing body for cyclosportives: each ride
is an independent promotion, usually organised on a sponsored
and/or commercial basis. Individual event organisers normally
have their own websites, place adverts in cycling magazines
and distribute information via other channels. It can be interesting
and helpful to gather information by buying a few magazines,
or by entering words such as 'cyclosportive', 'cycle challenge',
'toertocht' and 'granfondo' into a search engine. Perhaps
the best place to start, however, is the Cyclosport
website, which tries to provide a comprehensive overview
of the rides on offer, with links to the organisers' own sites.
The entry requirements and procedures vary from event to event,
so you have to separately check out the arrangements for each
ride you are thinking of doing. You shouldn't have a problem
getting in, though, provided you plan well ahead.
In the UK, there is now quite a calendar of events, most
in the hilly areas of the south, the northwest and Wales.
There are some in the Midlands, too, mainly the Cotswolds
and the Peak District. Typical distances are between 150 and
250 kilometres. The most popular events have to be entered
well in advance - several months before, in some cases. So
it's a good idea to plan your campaign in the winter, and
think in terms of a weekend away, rather than a day's riding.
Other Beacon members can often give you useful info about
an event: ask on the message
board. If you fancy doing a ride with a few pals, you
can also use the message board to see what other people are
planning or invite others to join you on a particular ride.
Long-term planning is even more important when it comes to
continental sportives. For example, the Etape du Tour, which
follows the route of a different - but invariably very tough
- Tour de France stage each year, can now be entered only
through a package tour operator, and places can be hard to
find as early as the previous autumn. Other big European events
are often over-subscribed as well.
Nevertheless, it can be a real experience taking part in
these continental rides: often following in the wheel-tracks
of the sport's biggest names, through scenery so different
from home, in the company of thousands of fellow enthusiasts
from all over the world. These factors have persuaded groups
of Beaconites to make trips to France, Italy, Holland and
Belgium in recent years. If the idea appeals, talk to some
of your club-mates in person or on line about plans for the
following summer.
All-in trips to continental cyclosportives can be arranged
through companies such as Graham
Baxter's Sporting Tours and Sports
Tours International. Alternatively, in most cases you
can enter the event independently via the organiser's website
and make your own arrangements. This approach is more time-consuming
and less convenient but, if you're confident about finding
and dealing with foreign service providers, it's unlikely
to be more expensive and gives you more control.
If you're new to this type of cycling, you may find it helpful
to read our 'Tips for taking
part in challenge rides'.
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