Cyclo-Sportive

A cyclosportive, also known as a challenge / leisure ride is a mass-participation event that combines elements of road racing and long distance touring. Cyclosportive events attract a wide range of riders from racing cyclists to leisure cyclists who want a challenging ride over a race-proven route.

The French Etape du Tour is perhaps the pinnacle of cyclosportive events and is held annually during the Tour de France. It allows amateur cyclists to race over the same mountain roads used by professional riders in the Tour de France.

The Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi uses roads near Bergamo that are also used for the Giro d'Italia. Some cyclosportives offer a choice of routes of different lengths or difficulty, so that riders can choose the route most suited to their ability.

Although a cyclosportive is not a race, you could say it falls between a traditional road race and a non-competitive randonnée or Audax event. Riders sometimes carry a number and the time they take to complete the course is recorded. There is sometimes an upper time limit within which the course must be completed, but there is no lower limit constraining riders from completing the course quickly. The routes will usually be well sign-posted and marshalled. Cyclosportives in Europe normally take place on roads which have been closed to traffic. There are generally feed stations along the route and mechanical and medical support may also be provided.

The biggest cyclosportives attract literally thousands of riders! It’s an impressive sight to see several thousand riders lined up on a start line.

The North East has 3 cyclosportive to offer: The 5 Dale Challenge, the Northern Rock Cyclone Challenge and the White Rose Classic.