2012 Sportive Calendar

The Best Gran Fondos and Cyclosportives in Europe

If you are looking for a sportive cycling challenge in 2012 then look no further. Our hand picked selection of the best sportives in Europe features:

• Etape Caledonia
• London Revolution
• Nove Colli Gran Fondo
• Cyclotour du Léman
• Dragon Ride
• Quebrantahuesos
• Maratona dles Dolomites
• La Marmotte
• Etape du Tour
• Romandie Classic
• Etape Cymru

Etape Caledonia | Scotland | 13th May 2012

The Etape Caledonia is a cycling sportive held over closed roads in the Scottish Highlands. The 130km route follows the shores of Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel  and climbs through ancient Scottish forests. Organised by the experienced team at IMG and starting and finishing in the charming town of Pitlochry, The Etape Caledonia is a great way to start a summer of cycling.

Kick off your sportive season with our Etape Caledonia guide.

London Revolution | England | 19th-20th May 2012

The London Revolution is a new cycling event in the UK offering cyclists a unique two day sportive cycling around London. The beautifully curated route takes in many past and present Olympic venues including the Herne Hill velodrome used in the 1948 London Olympics. The highlight of the route are the famous zig zags up Box Hill where the 2012 London Olympic road race may be decided.

Create your own Olympic memories in the London Revolution sportive.

Nove Colli Gran Fondo | Italy | 20th May 2012

The Nove Colli Gran Fondo in Italy celebrates it’s 42nd birthday in 2012, with over 12,00o cyclists riding in celebration of this classic cycling event. Starting and finishing in the charming fishing village of Cesenatico, the Nove Colli tackles nine hills in the luscious Italian countryside before descending back down to Italy’s Adriatic coast.

Our Nove Colli review features course profiles and stunning images from the grandest of Gran Fondo’s.

Cyclotour du Léman | Switzerland | 27th May 2012

The Cyclotour du Leman is a 180km tour of Lake Geneva that takes around 2000 cyclists through the stunning scenery of the Lake Geneva region. From the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux Vineyards to the pretty French town of Evian-les Bains the route is flanked by the Lac Léman the whole way round. If you are looking for a well organized sportive without the overcrowding of some of the more famous cycling events, this could be the sportive for you.

Check out the beautiful Cyclotour du Leman sportive which is included in our Tour du Lac Léman cycling holiday.

Dragon Ride | Wales | 10th June 2012

The Dragon Ride has been voted the most popular UK sportive for three years in a row and has accordinlgy been included in the UCI Golden Bike series of the best sportive vents in the world. The 2012 route has been carefully chosen to improve start and finish logistics and add several more climbs to the punishing 206km route.

Our Dragon Ride guide includes entry details, training tips and a route preview of the 2012 Dragon Ride course.

Quebrantahuesos | Spain| 23rd June 2012

The Quebrantahuesos is one of the best cyclosportives in the world and Spain’s best “Marcha Cicloturista”. But don’t just take our word for it, it’s included in the UCI Golden Bike series – an elite collection of the best cyclosportives in the world. The 205km route features three distinctive humps on the profile: Col du Somport (1,640m), Col du Marie Blanque (1,035m) and Col du Portalet (1,795m).

If you have always wanted to cycle in the Pyrenees the check out our guide to the Quebrantahuesos.

Maratona dles Dolomites | Italy | 1st July 2012

The Maratona dles Dolomites attracts over 9,000 cyclists to one of the cultural heartlands of cycling – the Dolomites. One of the most popular Gran Fondo’s in Italy, the Maratona dles Dolomites is fast becoming the international sportive of choice for cyclists who want to combine a cycling holiday and a sportive challenge.

Find out why this grand gran fondo deserves a place on your ‘must do sportives’ list in our Maratona dles Dolomites guide.

La Marmotte | France | 7th July 2012

La Marmotte is the original cyclosportive or Gran Fondo. La Marmotte 2012 takes place on 7th July 2012 and will mark 30 years since the first epic cycling challenge. The route profile for La Marmotte features the mythical Col du Glandon and Col du Galibier made famous by the Tour de France and a finishes with a testing climb to the ski station of Alpe d’Hez.

La Marmotte really is the ultimate one day cycling challenge.

Etape du Tour | France | 8th & 14th July 2012

Every year the Etape du Tour allows amateur cyclists the chance to ride like a pro for a day. In 2012 l’Etape du Tour presents the opportunity to ride stages 11 and 16 of the 2012 Tour de France, each stage a classic representation of cycling in the Alps and Pyrenees.

Our Etape guide features course profiles and recon videos to get you ready for this epic cycling challenge.

Romandie Classic | Switzerland | 2nd September 2012

The Romandie Classic was created in 201o to celebrate the classic climb to Verbier that featured in Stage 15 of the 2009 Tour de France. The Romandie Classic is organized by the same team who run the Tour de Romandie. The route starts next to the glistening velodrome of the World Cycling Centre in Aigle before winding through vineyards and apple orchards to the base of a tough mountain top finish.

Check out our guide to the Romandie Classic and discover why the UCI decided to be based in the heart of a fantastic cycling region.

Etape Cymru | Wales | 9th September 2012

The Etape Cymru is held in North Wales in the stunning and challenging scenery of the Welsh Mountains. The 2012 race is under new management and is endorsed by Welsh Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas. Our Etape Cymru guide covers the changes that promise to establish Etape Cymru as a must do sportive on the UK circuit.

Check out the best European sportives in our 2012 Sportive Calendar and check back regularly for new featured races and sportive guides.

Sportive Training Holidays in The Swiss Alps

If you are training for a sportive then check out our our Tour du Lac Léman cycling holiday in May - ideal for getting you in shape for the cycling challenges of the summer.

Sportive Training Plan – Free Download

Having a training plan allows you to focus on enjoying the training rather than worrying about whether you are doing the right things.

Our 12 week sportive training plan is designed to improve your fitness and cycling skills to give you more confidence on race day.

This is more than just a training schedule though; cycling training tips from the pros are built in to the training plan so you can practice specific cycling skills each week:

✓ Climbing cadence

✓ Nutrition and hydration

✓ Bike set up and race day prep

✓ Cross training, rest and recovery

✓ Group riding and a sportive tactical survival guide

To get your free sportive training plan simply fill in the details below to prove you are a cyclist and not a computer!