L'Arvan Villards sportive, July 2010

[dhague]

I was going to enter L'Etape du Tour this year as my first continental sportive event. But then I checked out the prices: £200 to enter, and close on that much per night for a hotel. Ouch.

So instead, I've just entered L'Arvan Villards (http://www.challengecyclotour.com/arvanvillardsparcours.htm). It's in the Alps, and is a 118km parcours with 3100m of climbing, covering 4 cols including Glandon & Croix de Fer. Under €30 to enter, a chalet for the *week* for about €300, and what's more the Tour de France has a stage finish there just a couple of days after the sportive. What's not to like?

Anyone else fancy giving this one a go?

Cheers,
Darren

 

[ASC1951]

L'Etape du Tour this year ... £200 to enter

It was always half the price if you were French. I'm still waiting for someone to take that to the European Court.

L'Arvan Villards .... under €30 to enter

The Etape's USP, as the name says, is that the route is a Stage of the Tour. If that isn't important to you, there are many equally good sportives, some of them over very famous cols. L'Arvan looks a good route.

Or you could just go and do the Etape route yourself, whenever you want. A £5 watch will time you, the shops are open all the way round the course and you don't have to risk your life at the start with 7,000 cyclists of - to be polite - very mixed abilities.