FIND THE PLAN BUILT FOR YOUR EVENT.

The Wicklow 200 is Ireland's classic mass-participation sportive — 200km across the Wicklow Mountains with around 3,000m of climbing. Starts and finishes in Greystones or thereabouts, runs in early June.

Ring of Beara is the coastal Kerry sportive — 140km around the wildest peninsula in Ireland, with the Caha Mountains and Healy Pass as the defining climbs. Smaller field than Wicklow 200, steeper climbs.

Ride London-Essex 100 is the UK's largest mass-participation sportive — 160km (100 miles) from east London out through the Essex countryside and back on closed roads. Since 2022 the route has run through Essex rather than the Surrey Hills, making it flatter, faster, and pack-dominated. First-time 100-mile riders dominate the field.

Fred Whitton Challenge is the UK's hardest sportive — 180km through the Lake District with 3,500m of climbing including Hardknott Pass (33% max gradient). A pure climbing test. Finishers consider it a career highlight.

The Étape du Tour is cycling's mass-participation crown jewel — one stage of the current year's Tour de France, on closed roads, run by ASO. Varies each year but always hard, always mountainous, always an international field.

La Marmotte is the original European mass-participation Alpine event — 174km from Bourg d'Oisans over the Glandon, Télégraphe, Galibier and finishing on Alpe d'Huez. 5,000m of climbing in one day, four giant cols, and a culture that treats it as the amateur Tour de France stage.

The Maratona dles Dolomites is the classic Italian sportive — 138km over 7 Dolomite passes with 4,230m of climbing. Ballotted entry, 9,000 riders, closed roads from dawn. Arguably the most beautiful sportive on the calendar.

The Mallorca 312 is spring's most talked-about sportive — 312km around Mallorca with 5,000m+ of climbing, including the classic Tramuntana climbs that define road cycling on the island. Runs in late April. Open-road format, closed to traffic in parts. Route varies year to year; some editions include Sa Calobra, others do not.

Badlands is one of the hardest self-supported ultras in the world — 800km across Andalusia and the Tabernas Desert (Europe's only true desert) with 16,000m of climbing. Mixed gravel/road, 40°C+ daytime heat, freezing desert nights. A bucket-list race for the ultra-endurance community and a recurring topic on the Roadman Podcast.

Leadville 100 is the definitive high-altitude MTB race — 160km through the Colorado Rockies starting at 3,100m (10,200ft) with 3,800m of climbing and a topout above 3,800m on Columbine Mine. Lottery entry, hard cut-offs, finisher buckle is a career milestone.

Gran Fondo New York (GFNY) is the flagship USA sportive — 160km from the George Washington Bridge up the Hudson Valley with 2,500m of climbing. Competitive timed format (your position matters), international field, closed bridge at the start.

Dirty Reiver is the UK's flagship gravel event — 200km across Kielder Forest with 2,500m of climbing on forestry roads, single track, and open fell crossings. Self-supported navigation, weather-exposed. The event that established UK gravel.

Unbound Gravel is the world's biggest gravel event — 320km (200mi) across the Flint Hills of Kansas on rocky unpaved roads. Lottery entry, professional field mixed with amateurs, 100mi + 50mi options. Mud years and dust years both exist.

The Absa Cape Epic is the premier 8-day MTB stage race — 700km + 15,000m of climbing across the Western Cape of South Africa, raced in teams of two. World Series status, lottery entry, the hardest amateur MTB event on earth.

Seven days of timed Alpine stage racing — 920km from Nice to Geneva over 21,000m of climbing, including Bonette, Galibier, Iseran, Colombière, and Joux Plane. Each stage is timed against the field; the GC after stage 7 is what people remember. ASO-quality logistics, transfer trucks, mass starts, and a peloton that races every day.

Trans Pyrenees is one of the hardest self-supported ultras in Europe — roughly 1,500km across the Pyrenees between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, with around 28,000m of climbing depending on the year's parcours. 6-9 day finishes. October weather unpredictable.