What Euro Sportives are closed road ?

sherer

Did a sportive last year in the alps and loved it and am looking to do one again. I know the etape is on closed roads but that is too expensive so i'm giving that a miss and looking to do another one and want to know what ones if any are on closed roads ?

Am thinking of Flanders but also want to do a alpine one on closed roads for the descents and want to know if there are any out there

dinosaur

I'm hoping to do the Luc Alphand sportive and, according to last year's rules, parts of it are closed:

To ensure the smooth running of the race, several sections of road will be closed to cars. These include
the starting stage through Briançon, the climb up to Montgenèvre, the Col de l’Echelle, the section
running through the Vallée de la Clarée, the Col d’Izoard from Briançon to Brunissard, and Fort
Montdauphin.

From http://www.cyclo-lucalphand.com/PDF/ReglementEN.pdf

sherer

that one sounds ok. Goes over the Izouard too. Just need to get google translate on the website.

Always a big fan of Chiapucci so nice to see him at a sportive although I i don't think i have any chance of being able to keep pace with him

Yorkman

The Maratona is closed roads.

Well worth it, you can do your entry fee and flight & accomodation for roughly the same price as the Etape entry fee.

knedlicky

I’ve done about 20 cyclosportives in Europe, two-thirds of them in the Alps, and I don’t remember any having fully closed roads. Although that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

In those I’ve done, usually only the first 10-20 km and the last km were closed completely. Occasionally at the beginning, oncoming traffic was stopped for more than 20 km, maybe 40 km if between kms 20 and 40 there was a pass descent. And occasionally at the end, the last 5-6 km was closed to traffic if the finish was on a mountain top.

For the remainder of the route, at junctions, etc, there were stewards who stopped the traffic and gave us cyclists priority, even if sometimes we strictly-speaking didn’t have priority, like at red lights or Stop signs. But this wasn’t really ‘closed roads’ because, when heading straight along a road, there was traffic both from behind and oncoming. Usually, however, traffic volume was very low, sometimes negligible, and then mostly tourists, I’d say, judging from their number plates, as if locals gladly kept off the route that day for the cyclists’ sakes.

The only pass descent midway along a route, which I remember being closed off, was over a pass with a very narrow road and many blind corners as it went through woods.

andyp

I've ridden many sportives in Europe but only two I've done have had fully closed roads; the Etape and the Maratona (as already mentioned by Yorkman).

sherer

can't make the Maratona as my mate is working when it's on. As we are both very slow want to do it together to give each other some encouragement.

Did one of the Sports Communication events and that wasn't on closed roads. Yes I know the traffic is light but I still don't want to use the whole road if I know there are cars about so can't use the whole road like the pros do.

Think it's mainly on the downhills that you need closed roads anyway

Le Commentateur

I think the Nove Colli* is on closed roads. I've done 5 of them and I don't remember ever seeing cars on the route, only ones held up at intersecting junctions (stopped by police/marshals) or the event officials cars.

Technically the roads are only closed for an hour after the first riders on the course (there's a pace car that sets off at 7.30 with a roof-top tanoy telling you so as it glides past at the speed of a juiced-up Italian semi-pro) but the locals probably know not to venture out on the course route that day.



*Incidently, registrations for the 2010 Nove Colli are 2 months earlier than normal, so started at the end of October for hotel + entry packages (a new approach, and apparently something of a shambles from what I've heard) with the normal entry only registrations at the end of November.

Dr U Idh

The Etape Caledonia is on closed roads

gabriel959

I believe the Quebrantahuesos is also on closed roads.

rdt

La Pierre Le Bigaut is on closed roads, I believe. Brittany, so very different to the Alps(!), but easy access via St Malo ferry. One of the biggest cycling events in Europe (~6500 riders in the various distances). Last Saturday in June.

knedlicky

Le Commentateur wrote:

I think the Nove Colli* is on closed roads. I've done 5 of them and I don't remember ever seeing cars on the route, only ones held up at intersecting junctions (stopped by police/marshals) or the event officials cars.

Technically the roads are only closed for an hour after the first riders on the course (there's a pace car that sets off at 7.30 with a roof-top tanoy telling you so as it glides past at the speed of a juiced-up Italian semi-pro) but the locals probably know not to venture out on the course route that day.

I was there in year 2000 and the roads weren't totally closed off, even for the front-runners (i.e. non-participating cyclists and mopeds/scooters were on the route all the time) and like you say, soon (an hour?) after the front-runners went by, the roads were open for traffic. But also, there's very little traffic, except as you come to the finish.
I'd guess, in order to ride the whole route on closed roads, you'd need to manage an average of nearly 30 km/hr.

bahzob

I did the GF Marco Pantani this year. http://www.granfondomarcopantani.com/index.php?p=2_3

Its a great event, every bit as tough as the Maromotte if u choose to do the longest distance but with 2 other route options that means riders of most abilities could take part in it. Dead easy to self organise, does a big loop round Aprica which has lots of hotels so can stay within easy cycle ride of start/finish.

Like some others above route is not officially 100% closed road but de facto pretty much is, with all the climbs/descents closed and riders given priority for rest of course + marshalled by police + great support from locals.

Thoroughly recommend it if you are looking at a change of scene from France.

ariege_cyclist

The Ariegeoise in the French Pyrenees has the roads closed on the descents off the cols and the first 20 or so kms are usually closed depending on the route.

This year there where some great descents fairly technical but fast, only got overtaken once (when I was eating an energy bar), but did lots of overtaking myself without scaring myself too much as I could use the whole of the road.

Worth a try in 2010.

dag_on_a_bike

For the last 4 years I've wanted to do the Ardechoise (http://www.ardechoise.fr) but ongoing medical issues keep throwing a spanner in the works. 2010 not looking too hopeful, but will have to wait & see.

Closed roads & 15,000 riders. Great atmosphere too, by all accounts.

FransJacques

In my experience (10 years of 4/5 continental sportives a year) many *start* with a pace car and lead motorcycles, sometimes even the local gendarmerie helps out but they're mainly there for the leaders, perhaps to guarantee the "big names" who sometimes show up a bit more safety.

I think it works pretty well since some of the medium sized events with 2000 riders like Les 3 Ballons (Belfort) and 1000 riders like the Ch'ti Tour (near Lille) or Hubert Arbes (Lourdes) start on wider roads where the group is gutter to gutter like in the etape so it's warrented. Then later, when the race (sorry sportive) hits the first col or 2 it breaks up more so you don't notice the cars so much. Hey, it's the Continent afterall, not a small island all over-testosteroned by Clarkson at al. Flatter jaunts like the Ch'ti and the Ronde Picardie don't break up at all and it's all about getting in the group to match your pace. The Roubaix sportive feel closed even tho it isn't because the cobbled sections aren't used to much by normal traffic and the farmers stay away that day.

Overall the small ones are great because they're small and the food is awesome. Most of the Sport Communication ones are pretty good, the Flanders sportive isn't great but the Hubert Arbes has a full on sit down dinner with almost limitless wine. Great for the ever-suffering help. The Ch'ti has a great dinner after both events as well (2 day affair).

Fond memories, roll on summer of '10!

ridelikeapro

What's a bit alarming is when you think you're on "closed roads" and you round a corner at maybe 50 mph - and there's a car, motorbike, or group of cyclists coming towards you. I had that on the Nove Colli 5 or 6 years back. Having said that, it's a super event and I'd deffo do it again. Highly recommended.
http://www.gregarios.co.uk

TimB34

For France, only the Etape has fully closed roads.

The Ardechoise has closed roads for the exit from and return to St Felicien, so the percentage of closed roads varies with which circuit you do.

palmersperry

If you don't mind something short and steep, then the Glocknerkönig (http://www.glocknerkoenig.com/en/) on the 7th June has closed roads. If you do the full length version it's 27km long with 1694m of climbing (so average gradient of 6,27%, with a peak of 12% in there somewhere).

Not done it myself ... Yet! (I've entered the 2010 edition.)