Cycle Sportives

I also entered it but then remembered I was away skiing then so won't be able to make it

which tour company are you doing etape du tour with, daccordi?

Hmmm, considering it at the mo.

I enrolled for a training weekend in the lakes with Graham Baxter that gave you a entry only place, so not really going as a tour but its from the tour company.

I enrolled for a training weekend in the lakes with Graham Baxter that gave you a entry only place, so not really going as a tour but its from the tour company.

i think ive seen that training package. not a bad deal if you get an etape entry with it.

do the surrey rumble, sam.

good number of grupettos have put their hands up for tour of flanders as well. early april.

Fucking Euro keeps getting worse making ToI entry more expensive.. grrr.

I've entered the Burgis Hill Sportive, Etape Calidonia and Etape du Tour. Also want to do the Dragon Ride and London Phonex Sportive but not entered these yet.

Might try some of the early reliability rides too.

This is definately going to be my year of the road bike!

I did the Caledonia Etape '08...the 7am start nearly killed me but the fantastic scenery made up for it. Its a good one to start the season

Holy shit, the Euro is almost 1:1 with GBP. Damn you cliveo! I knew I should've paid up earlier. Had to wait though didn't I.. £315x2 and now it's £378x2.. fuxstix!

£381x2

Dragon Ride entries NOW OPEN!
Just entered the long one.

just entered myself and my brother for the the long one

Managed to get myself a place on this one today:

http://www.etapedudales.co.uk/

Booking opened at midday and all 800 places gone in under 5 hours. Anyone here done it before?

Dragon ride 125 km or 185 km?

I'm torn.

I'll be geared, (obviously), 185 km is not too far, I've got plenty of time to train but it is hilly. Anyone experienced with the Dragon ride help me out?

Do the longer one Tommy. The hills on the Dragon ride are more continental in terms of gradient than the usual Welsh climbs, i.e. the ones that go straight up the mountain regardless of the gradient.

Just went to register and the page where it asks for card details is only http. i.e no secure connection i.e anyone can see all your card details, i.e you are fully open to being fucked!

I've sent an email. We'll see what happens, but I'm not sending my card details over an unsecure connection

I just managed to get registered Tommy, you made me panic now.. i could be fkd. lucky there is nothing left on the card....

Dessy - whats this flanders tour you talk off?

tommy, you can do 185kms easy.

ive signed up for the long one.

Tour of Flanders 4th of Apr

i think we're all doing the mid-distance

I am going to sign up for the Dragon. How are people getting there?

140k.. cobbles and big climbs. Mmmm you staying over?

I am going to sign up for the Dragon. How are people getting there?

i was going to train it, what you doing for accomodation?

My old man has a camper van with bike carrier.. which is one option?

I dont know. I was planning on doing the Grand Fondo Pinarello with fiddy but that costs a fucking fortune. So I am planning on doing the dragon instead. I still need to register (I will in the next day or so). The camper sounds like a good option.

140k.. cobbles and big climbs. Mmmm you staying over?

yep. we're staying over for a couple of nights. will be watching the pro race the day after. im going via eurostar. the rest are going via the touring company's package

contact RickyMundo if you want in (i think we managed a group deal)

I just managed to get registered Tommy, you made me panic now.. i could be fkd. lucky there is nothing left on the card....

Dessy - whats this flanders tour you talk off?

I'm no expert on these things by a long stretch but speaking to a mate of mine (he started talking about hops between routers???) it is not a good setup.

Tommy, as andyp says the hills are just long, about 4km in length from memory. I do remember one short sharp bitch of a climb about 2/3rds of the way through 2 1/2 years ago, since then they've changed the route so it might not be in this year's staging.

I did bugger all preparation and did the ride in 6hrs 15m (it was 100 miles back then) so for anyone with basic fitness I proved that it isn't impossible.

Enjoy the descents!

Dragon ride 125 km or 185 km?

I'm torn.

I'll be geared, (obviously), 185 km is not too far, I've got plenty of time to train but it is hilly. Anyone experienced with the Dragon ride help me out?

I did it last year. Great route (3 traffic lights maybe), and very fun. It was tiring though, certainly harder than the tour of wessex. It is meant to be the good training for the etape-du-tour so make of that what you will.