Best sportives and gran fondos: 14 to consider

http://ift.tt/2gZ0ojR

Mass participation cycling has never been more popular. Not a week goes by without news of a new event popping up somewhere around the globe, but there are some that stand out from the crowd. Here's a selection of the best sportives and gran fondos for you to enter in 2017.

• How to pace a sportive
• 5 ways to improve your cycling endurance
• The ultimate sportive nutrition guide

These events have typically being running for many years, often building themselves up slowly and growing bigger year after year. They usually have an out-of-the-ordinary route, perhaps set in a stunning part of the world, or are simply famed for being lung-bustingly tough.

Maybe they accompany a professional race on the same weekend, giving punters the chance to take in some elite racing on the same trip, or traverse the same mythical mountains that you've seen on TV. Whatever the reason, they are unquestionably the rides to do before you die.

ADVERTISEMENT

Best UK sportives

The UK has a large number of sportives to get you out into the beautiful British countryside, from small ones organised by the local cycling club to enormous ones that swamp the UK capital. The list below is by no means an exhaustive one, but each one will take you through stunning countryside, and leave you with a smile on your face at the end.

Dragon Ride, UK

• Where: Port Talbot, South Wales
• When: June
• Distances: 100km / 153km / 230km / 305km
• More info: www.humanrace.co.uk

At 305km for the longest route, this is one of the toughest events in the UK. With climbs that include the Cimla, Rhigos and Black Mountain passes, it should be on the to-do list of all amateurs. There are also shorter routes available, plus a multi-day event called the Dragon Tour.

Fred Whitton Challenge, UK

• Where: Lake District, Cumbria
• When: May
• Distances: 180km
• More info: http://ift.tt/JH7PHh

RideLondon

• Where: London / Surrey
• When: July
• Distances: 160km / 74km
• More info: http://ift.tt/14nbao3

Bealach Mor

• Where: Applecross Peninsula, northern Scotland
• When: September
• Distances: 145km
• More info: http://ift.tt/1Dixqwy

Velothon Wales

• Where: Cardiff
• When: July
• Distances: 140km / 110km
• More info: www.velothon.com

Best European sportives and gran fondos

Etape du Tour, France

• Where: Alps/Pyrenees
• When: July
• Distances: 178km
• More info: www.letapedutour.com

Maratona dles Dolomites, Italy

• Where: Dolomites, northern Italy
• When: July
• Distances: 138/106/55km
• More info: www.maratona.it

La Marmotte Gran Fondo Series

• Where: Alps / Pyrenees
• When: June July
• Distances: various
• More info: http://ift.tt/2gZ1I5W

Quebrantahuesos, Spain

• Where: Sabiñanigo, Northern Spain
• When: June
• Distances: 200km / 85km
• More info: http://ift.tt/KKRiQM

Vätternrundan, Sweden

• Where: Motala, Sweden
• When: June
• Distances: 300km / 150km / 100km
• More info: www.vätternrundan.se

Tour of Flanders, Belgium

• Where: Oudenaarde
• When: April
• Distances: 180km / 130km / 75km
• More info: www.sport.be

Best sportives outside Europe

Cape Town Cycle Tour, South Africa

• Where and when: Cape Town
• When: March
• Distances: 109km
• More info: http://ift.tt/1QOGA9Y

Hotter'N Hell Hundred, USA

• Where and when: Wichata Falls, Texas, August, 100 miles
• When: August
• Distances: 160km / 120km / 100km / 80km / 40km / 10km
• More info: www.hh100.org

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, New Zealand

• Where and when: Lake Taupo, North Island, November, 160km
• When: November
• Distances: various
• More info: http://ift.tt/11LN05J

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1z3Y6Bw