Sportive "races"

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I think the word 'race' is being mis-used by some (maybe even by me).

I do a few sportives events, and as has been said theres no individual winner. But as I said early its a challenge, if im doing 50, 80 or 100 miles I like to do the course as fast as I can (as do so many others). I use it as a measure of my fitness and to see if i have improved since the last time.

We all have our reasons for entering sportives, live and let live. If someone likes to think they have beaten many others to finish, well let them get on with it. After all they are only kidding themselves.
 
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brokenflipflop

Veteran
Location
Worsley
Apparently its a cross between a prat and a pillock!

No, a prannock is someone who calls a women a bird and then tries to establish why a Cycle article, via this bird, appears to give the impression that a Sportive is a race. That's a prannock apparently.

It also makes some people feel "grubby" ?!!


Let's keep on subject though because I still don't know if a Sportive is a race or not.
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John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
Does the first person across the line get a prize and/or trophy, if yes, it's a race, never ridden a race with no prize for the winner.

In the Tour Rides (the only sportive I've done), the first person over the line gets a medal. But then, so did the rest of us.

Hmm.
 

Will1985

Über Member
Location
South Norfolk
The first sentence in Addict's link clearly states that they are not races.

If they were races, I would expect a risk assessment to have been carried out on every aspect of the course and signs or marshals positioned at every junction. Clearly they are not. If people want to 'race', they should do it properly in a BC, CTT or TLI event. The problem is that road racing on the public highway has experienced difficulties in the past and even today we (I speak as a competitive road racer and time triallist) are finding that some of the best events are being lost to local opposition and objections from the police. If the minority of sportive riders continue to ride behave as they do, Joe Public will tar us with the same brush as I sometimes hear at work. It generates the same reaction as RLJing or riding on the pavement.
 

GilesM

Legendary Member
Location
East Lothian
In the Tour Rides (the only sportive I've done), the first person over the line gets a medal. But then, so did the rest of us.

Hmm.

I ran a 10km and that happened, but the winner also got the something more and the chance to stand on a podium for a few minutes, that was called a race. All the bike races I have ridden just had something for the placed riders.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
I ran a 10km and that happened, but the winner also got the something more and the chance to stand on a podium for a few minutes, that was called a race. All the bike races I have ridden just had something for the placed riders.

Dunno if there was a podium, I think, given my time, I probably missed it if there was.
 
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