Bike Blenheim Palace

This really is a festival of cycling. The sportive has two route opions, 100 miles or 100kms and after starting on the closed roads of the majestic grounds of the Palace, both take in the beautiful Cotswolds countryside around Blenheim.  If this distance sounds too daunting then the Pink Ribbonride is a 26.2 mile ride in aid of Breast Cancer Care and is a much more sedate way to see the grounds and roads round the Palace.

The day starts early with a time trial on a 20km closed road circuit in the Palace grounds followed by the spectacle that is the Brompton World Championships in the afternoon. The afternoon also sees the closed roads in the grounds opened up for family rides where you can ride as much or as little as you want round the Palace. There is an event village with plenty going on throughout the day with something for everyone to see or do. If you want an event where you can bring the family or get them to come along after the ride then this is it.  

www.bikeblenheimpalace.com

FREE entries and FREE photos, are you sure! Wiggle The Long One / Flatout in the Fens - The ultimate sportive weekend?

The Long One
"The hardest sportive in the UK?" Is what the organisers ask and no wonder; 129 miles (207km) and 3669m of climbing makes us inclined to agree. Taking place on the weekend of the longest day of the year, Saturday June 25, the route starts at the Open Air Museum near Goodwood, Sussex and takes in nine major climbs in the North and South Downs.
There's also a 66 mile option which should prove equally as challenging as it also takes in several major climbs.
www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/'the-long-one'-super-sportive


Flatout in the Fens
The longest single day sportive in the UK with a monster 154 mile route option! Taking place on Sunday June 26, the day after The Long One, the event starts from Peterborough Regional College and heads out on a circular circuit into the Fens. With no real hills to speak of, the main challenge of the day will be the wind as there's very little shelter on the course.
There is also a 112 mile route, perfect training for triathlon or Ironman events, and a 77 mile route for those who want to take things slightly easier, although we can't remember the last time 77 miles an easy option...
www.kilotogo.com

Up for the ultimate sportive weekend challenge?
Riders who complete the long routes on both The Long One & Flatout in the Fens event on the same weekend, yes that's 283 miles, will receive a refund of their entry fees to both events. These riders will also receive free photos of their efforts over both days from Sportivephoto. Total value is over £100, anyone think they are tough enough for the challenge??

AMR Ride 24

24 hour event round the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit in Sussex over the weekend of 18-19 June. Teams of four or six riders will ride night and day to see who can complete the most amount of laps on the 2.4 mile circuit in a 24 hour period. None other than former Olympic and world champion Chris Boardman will be on hand to congratulate all finishers and dish out the medals.
Rider village on site will have all the facilities to keep you riding with food, physios and mechanics available for the entire duration of the event.
The winning team of four will also receive free entry into the Le Mans 24hr Race in France in August.
www.action.org.uk/ride24

Tour De Weald

Second event of the 2011 SRS Events series with four distances available; 127, 100, 65 and 35 miles. Starting in Burgess Hill, each route takes in the Sussex and Kent countryside with varying degrees of difficulty according to the course. The long route at 127 miles is one of, if not the longest sportive events in the south and is a very tough event making it ideal preparation for longer European sportives like the Etape or Marmotte.
Let's hope the weather is better than last year!

CTC Guildford Sportive

One of the few Surrey based sportives, although it does take in the three counties of Surrey, Sussex and East Hampshire, which doesn't include Box Hill. 57 and 95 mile routes heading south west through country lanes to Liphook where the short course headed back and the long course continued on to Petworth before going back.
Quiet country roads, beautiful scenery and a few surprise climbs, not to mention twisty descents, meant everyone had a testing enough day out.
Factoid: 4,000 feet of climbing on the 95 mile course

Tour of Wessex 2011

Arguably the hardest multi-day sportive in the UK. Three days of over 100 miles per day with plenty of climbing and a killer tough last day, shorter distances were also available but most choose the long routes. Stunning scenery, quiet roads and mixed weather greeted riders on the rugged Wessex countryside over the three days.
The beauty of this event is that you can pick and choose how many days you'd like to ride making it ideal training for racing, big sportive events in Europe like the Etape, or stretching yourself on some of the toughest roads in Britain. Hats off to anyone who did all three days as each day is challenging enough event on its own!
Factoid: 329 miles - the longest sportive in the UK

2011

Dates for 2011 can be viewed on the website at http://www.philoconnor.com/sportive/content/2011_events.html