The london trick beef? a.k.a 5th Floor Fixie Crew Implosion

Isn't it a sportive? Look like a race but the award is to finish it?

Perhaps best seen as a race for those at the front, as it's head to head and medals for first past the post, and a sportive at the back for those for whom the challenge is to just finish. Thus, as I said, not dissimilar to say a local running marathon or half marathon. I'm talking about GFs in general, not specifically this one.

The European Gran Fondo scene is a bit weird.

Meant to be full of doped up Masters...

Yes, Riccardo Ricco etc.

Gran Fondos and sportives are "won" by ex-pros because they still love cycling but ride these events because they know their racing days are over. Otherwise they'd be racing in, you know, races.

how long till it trickles down to Q1?

Surely unless you're at a world champs or Olympics, everyone is always competing at a certain level/handicap, be it BC category, age group, within your club, etc? As long as those taking part agree and understand this, and don't misrepresent it or cheat. So if, I don't know, retired Paula Radcliffe turned up at and won the Brighton half marathon she'd have won a race. A local race, where there'd be decent club runners at the front and people in gorilla outfits at the back, but as long as she didn't claim it was anything it wasn't, and there was some degree of competition (she didn't win by a mile) where's the problem? I'm not suggesting a sportive is a race though.

His twitter makes me grimace in revulsion. So much self aggrandising, twee rubbish that makes me pray I never cross his path irl

Sounds on-here

I'm not sure we disagree with each other at all. I don't have any issue with for example Paula R showing up to a local funrun and crushing all comers and then sharing a Lucozade with all the marketing execs and recruitment specialist who just showed up to stave off heart disease. Dani King going to Red Hook was our own sweet fixie version of this (if you ask me).

I feel like what this gran fondo/sportiv biz is all about is those who are riding as if it's a race, training as if it's a race and taking the 'results' as if it was a race. But there are no prizes, no points, no one is going to get 'scouted' - it's just for bragging rights. Which is stupid because that's what Instagram is for in the first place. Go on a ride, brag and start influencing. Right?

Don't think the Dani King thing is comparable. She attended, for fun, an event where other competitors were simply not on her level and had no chance of succeeding when up against her.

The Radcliffe example is just fun. People running marathons are generally trying to beat a time rather than eachother.

The comment on the tweet @Sumo posted and his reply is pure gold...

Thats @PhilDAS

OUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:

9 nights’ accommodation in 4 Star Accommodation
8 days cycling (optional rest day)
Granfondo Entry Fee
Pinarello Bike
Buffet Breakfast
Healthy and Energetic Lunches
3 Course Dinner (includes 1/2 bottle of wine per person)
Bars, Fruit, Drinks etc. in support van
Tour Guide (per 6-8 people)
Support Van/Mechanic on all rides (only for groups with greater than 5 persons)
Wine and Food Tasting Tours
Welcome Aperitif
Wi-Fi
Laundry Service

http://www.pinarello.com/en/pinarello-travel/tours/granfondo-tours-la-pinarello-cycling-marathon

Sounds lit

That Dani King thing was a bit of fixie bait by me true, but she did stand on the podium claiming her prize and let's be honest of the 250 men who sign up to RH, 150 of those know 100% they don't have a chance in hell of making the final race, and 50 of the final 100 will be lapped immediately. It's just a super serious fixie-fondo for 90% of the entrants, except they only get to ride their bike for about 25 mins instead of a nice 5 hours over 80 miles.

is it me or is that great value?

I can't remember the last race I saw that had food stops.

@amey I can't remember the last race I saw that had a wine tasting

uh .. https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/retreat-tuscany/travel/T1747

also calling someone an idiot when you can't grasp that free to enter means open registration

Sorry I wasn't counting the Grand Tours

#rep x 100

fixie-fondo

My next business plan.

thats rad race

This. But now I'm blocked so I can't call him an idiot back. Booo

[Edit: replied to wrong person] Not sure if all that was sarcastic, or just some. I was quite careful in my example, said some degree of real competition was a requisite, didn't talk about current pros vs amateurs, and I'm still not talking about sportives. Some people train and treat Gran Fondos as races. Because they are. Of course it's a very low level of competition, and of course you'd look like a fool if you took it too seriously, or claimed it to be anything above what it actually is. But the same goes for lots of races, whether or not they have prizes or points.

[Edit 2: I've decided I've taken this discussion too seriously, got hung up on the definition of 'race', and by my own argument am starting to look like a fool].