If You're Keen to Commit to a Fresh Cycling Challenge After The

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THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET If you’re keen to commit to a fresh cycling challenge after the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, check out our pick of some of the best bike events from around the world

L’ETAPE DU TOUR, FRANCE When? 19 July 2015 Who? 10,000 riders Distance: 88 miles Info: www.letapedutour.com Did you know? The Etape was established in 1933 to give amateur cyclists the opportunity to test their legs on one of the mountain stages of the Tour de France a few days before or after the pro race passes through. The location of this race changes every year, but the level of difficulty is always high as the race tends to take place on the Tour’s hardest stage.

here’s no doubt that cycling on traffic-free roads in Surrey and T London has a very special charm, but if you fancy GRANFONDO venturing further afield next CAMPAGNOLO time you sign up for a cycling ROMA, ITALY adventure, we’ve put together a When? 11 October 2015 selection of the world’s greatest Who? 5,000 riders events to inspire you. Distance: 76 & 38.5 miles FIVE BORO BIKE TOUR, USA Info: www.granfondoroma.com From cycling 40 miles on traffic- When? 1 May 2016 Did you know? The Granfondo free roads through New York Who? 32,000 riders option offers a route steeped in City’s five boroughs to a 300km Distance: 40 miles history. You’ll start in the middle (or 186 miles for those of you Info: www.bike.nyc/events/td-five- of Rome and head out to the who count the miles not the boro-bike-tour beautiful countryside of Castelli metres) circuit of Sweden’s Lake Did you know? As the bright sparks Romani to tackle four significant Vättern – Europe’s fifth largest among you have probably gathered from climbs – the longest is the 4.8 lake, as you’ll discover if you go the name, this stunning New York City bike mile Cronoscalata di Rocca di for the long-distance option – ride begins in Lower Manhattan, passes Papa, which has a maximum there’s something for everyone. through Central Park and into the boroughs gradient of 15 per cent. This of Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn before year’s event will also include a Once you’ve found the perfect heading over the breathtaking Verrazano- special race called the ‘Imperiale, event for you, then head to Narrows Bridge – the longest suspension the Appian Way’ for fans of www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk bridge in the Americas – to finish in the ‘heroic cycling’ – participants for tips on how to travel with fifth borough of Staten Island. Celebrate must ride pre-1987 bikes and your bike to an overseas event. after the ride at the Finish Festival at wear vintage gear. The route, from Let us know how you get on Fort Wadsworth or take a free ferry back Rome to Albano and back, finishes @RideLondon. Happy cycling! >> to Manhattan. along the ancient Appian Way.

9 2 PRUDENTIAL RIDELONDON @RideLondon PRL THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET

VATTERNRUNDAN, SWEDEN When? June 2016 Who? 20,000 riders Distance: 186, 93 or 62 miles Info: vatternrundan.se/en Did you know? The sportive celebrated its 50th edition this year. The first time it was staged in 1966 there were 344 participants but it’s now one of the biggest sportives in the world – at the 2015 event in June, 20,002 cyclists took on the challenge. It’s also one of the world’s longest sportives. Choose the 186-mile option and you’ll complete a lap of Europe’s fifth largest lake, Vättern, and be treated to some stunning scenery on the way. According to the organisers, most people in Sweden have personal experience of the event – if they haven’t ridden it then their father, mother, son, daughter or friend has. The event also has a strong community spirit, citing health, challenge, fellowship and promoting cycling as its core values. It might be a tough challenge, but the Vätternrundan is an event for all – the finishing times at the recent edition ranged from six and a half hours to 28 hours. Of the 19,352 finishers, 332 cyclists were from Great Britain (305 men and 27 women). If you’re keen to take on the challenge in 2016, registration opens in the autumn. All the essential information is translated into English on the website – address above.

CAPE TOWN CYCLE TOUR, SOUTH AFRICA When? 6 March 2016 Who? 35,000 riders Distance: 67.5 miles Info: www.cycletour.co.za Did you know? Since it began in 1978, the Cape Town Cycle Tour has become the world’s largest timed cycling event. The original idea behind the ride was to promote the need for cycle paths in Cape Town and the event continues to support the development of cycling in the community via the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust. The ride itself is an absolute stunner: you’ll cycle past Table Mountain and inland through Constantia before reaching the coast road, which runs alongside False Bay. At Smitswinkel, the most southerly point on the route, you’ll turn northwest towards the Atlantic to ride along one of the most spectacular coast roads in the world. You’ll pass through the communities of Scarborough, Chapman’s Peak, Llandudno and Camps Bay before finishing back in Cape Town.

www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk PRUDENTIAL RIDELONDON 9 3 1 RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN LA PHILIPPE GILBERT, BELGIUM CYCLO, BELGIUM When? 2 April 2016 Who? 16,000 riders Distance: 158, 83 or 46.5 miles Info: www.sport.be/rondevanvlaanderen/2015/en Did you know? This sportive takes place on the Brugge to Oudenaarde route, which the professionals ride the day after as part of the Tour of Flanders.

2 PARIS-ROUBAIX CHALLENGE, FRANCE When? 9 April 2016 Who? 4,500 riders Distance: 101, 86.5 or 43.5 miles Info: www.sport.be/parisroubaix/2015/en Did you know? British cyclists made up a whopping 37 per cent of the field on this iconic course in 2015. Only 11 per cent 1 5 of participants were French. 4 3 6 11 7 3 LIEGE-BASTOGNE-LIEGE CHALLENGE, BELGIUM When? 23 April 2016 2 Who? 7,600 riders Distance: 169.5, 97 or 46.5 miles Info: www.sport.be/lblcyclo/2015/en 8 Did you know? The pro race, which takes place the day after the sportive, is the oldest of cycling’s Classics and was first held way back in 1892.

34 LA FLECHE DE WALLONIE, BELGIUM 9 When? May 2016 Who? 4,700 riders Distance: 135, 109.5, 84.5 or 55.5 miles Info: www.sport.be/cyclingtour/flechedewallonie/2015/fr Did you know? The two middle distances are usually the most popular at this sportive. There are 15 climbs on the longest route.

35 LA PHILIPPE GILBERT, BELGIUM PARIS-ROUBAIX When? May 2016 CHALLENGE, FRANCE Who? 3,000 riders Distance: 90, 69.5 or 54 miles Info: www.sport.be/laphilippegilbert/2015/fr Did you know? This sportive is named after the 2012 road race world champion, who is still an active professional and is able to take part in the sportive each year as it takes place after Liège- Bastogne-Liège when Classics riders usually enjoy a breather.

36 LA CHOUFFE CLASSIC, BELGIUM When? May 2016 Who? 5,700 riders Distance: 111, 74 or 48 miles Info: www.sport.be/cyclingtour/lachouffeclassic/2015/fr Did you know? This sportive is particularly popular among Dutch cyclists. Finishers are rewarded with a glass of La Chouffe beer.

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7 TILFF-BASTOGNE-TILFF, BELGIUM When? May 2016 Who? 4,800 riders Distance: 154.5, 93 or 51 miles Info: www.sport.be/cyclingtour/tilffbastognetilff/2015/fr Did you know? Bastogne was the site of a famous siege during the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War.

8 LES TROIS BALLONS, FRANCE MARATONA DLES DOLOMITES, ITALY When? June 2016 Who? 3,200 riders Distance: 132.5 or 65 miles Info: www.sportcommunication.info Did you know? The Ballon d’Alsace, one of the three mountains which give the sportive its name, was the site of the Tour de France’s first-ever mountain climb in 1905.

9 MARMOTTE GRANFONDO, FRANCE When? 2 July 2016 Who? 7,500 riders Distance: 108 miles Info: www.sportcommunication.info Did you know? The race is named after ‘La Marmotte’, a large ground squirrel that inhabits the slopes of the final climb to the finish at Alpe d’Huez.

10 MARATONA DLES DOLOMITES, ITALY 10 When? 3 July 2016 Who? 9,000 riders Distance: 85.5, 66 or 34 miles Info: www.maratona.it/en Did you know? Everything about this event in Northeast Italy will take your breath away: from the fairy-tale-perfect scenery of the stunning Dolomites mountain range to the eight passes you’ll ride through as you gain an altitude of 4,230m on the 85.5 mile ‘Maratona’ route. The sportive was originally conceived as a 10th anniversary celebration of the Alta Badia-Raiffeisen Cycling Club in 1987, when 167 riders took part. It now attracts more than 50 times that number of cyclists and huge crowds to support them.

11 LES GEANTS DES ARDENNES, BELGIUM When? 22 August 2015 Who? 2,200 riders Distance: 95.5, 71, 57 or 44.5 miles Info: www.sport.be/cyclingtour/ lesgeantsdesardennes/2015/fr Did you know? The longest route includes more than 15.5 miles of climbing, including the Côte de Chambralles, L’Ancienne Barrière and the Côte de Chevron.