Thinking of racing? Here's what's required

I think that's a very odd view - Cycling Weekly were late to the Sportive bandwagon so to suggest it's somehow their fault that time trialling is declining whilst sportives boom is bizarre.

Time trialling is declining because it's stuck in the past. If you don't believe me look at what you have to do to enter one; decipher a code to find out the course (due to pre-war cloak and dagger shenanighans), discover it's on a dual carriageway that is a motorway in everything but name, get an entry form that demands to know your previous best times for the distance, send it with a cheque to an organiser then wait to see if you're in or not. If you do get in, which for the newcomer isn't guaranteed, then you've got to get up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning to ride.

For most sportives you're all but guaranteed entry, you can ride with your mates and there are goals set to aim for on a scenic, well signposted route.

great advice also try and join a club and maybe go to your first race sportive with a few members.
Road racing in the lower cats can be dangerous so before you race learn to ride on a wheel and comfortably with a group.Sportives are a nice way of easing into this.