Lance Substrong
Active Member
In defining a sportive as: "An event which delivers the professional racing experience - without the racing.", I think what the originator of the statement was trying to say was, not that you could go mad on open roads, but that the experience was a lot more than you'd get on an unorganised ride.
In a professionally staged sportive: -
In a professionally staged sportive: -
You sign-on at the start. You have to display your rider number. You line up at the start and depart in a big bunch, Your riding time is being recorded, You don't need to take a map because often a route card is provided and it is way-marked and marshalled. There are feeeding stations (although not zones were musettes are handed-up). There are back-up vehicles - motos, technical support, paramedics, broom wagons. You cross the finishing line, The riders' times are published. There are ride completion rewards.