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Just seen a post on Cav’s Insta feed of a fella with his hands up crossing the line having “won” the Abu Dhabi grand fondo. There also appeared to be a sprint for the line for 2nd place. Later pics showed a medal ceremony on a podium.
Now, I thought grand fondos were just posh sportives and not races so would have winner, and certainly wouldn’t celebrate them. If you want to win then you’d enter a race.
What have I missed?
Oh they're big business on the continent. Yes, very much unofficial races.
RideLondon and the Etape Caledonia get that way at the sharp end thanks to the closed roads, there were (very messy) sprints along the Mall in the front group every year.
Lots of sportives have podium/medal ceremonies. Don't believe folk aren't racing.
These are races, but with a sportive so you can ride along too. UCI ratings, world champ hoops, EPO, motors, the lot.
At the pointy end they're as close to being a race, without being a full-on sanctioned race. Often fully closed roads, police escort, crowds lining the way - the winning times aren't that far off what a pro would do. Meanwhile even a decent level amateur will be a long way down the field. It used to be the case that many UK riders approach these things with the attitude that it's an extended London to Brighton, and shortly get broomwagonned off, if they haven't already left the road at the first hairpin - The continentals take these things much more seriously.
Yea they’re races. I finished top third in the UCI masters World Championship for my 50th birthday. The winner was a former pro. UCI points on offer too. Was a lot of fun but seriously paced.
Tour of Cambridge is the qualifier and it was a bit lame but I think they’ve tightened up entry now. Albi was full of British sportive riders and yes, as mentioned, they were off the back pretty quickly! The front end was utterly brutal.
Front of RideLondon is a race. Ok elites and first cats are not allowed, but it’s a race. I’ve sat there with crazy-legs a couple of times. Almost everyone in the front group has a racing license with many familiar faces and the riding standard shows. Best finish was 56th just off the first group on the Mall. Great fun.
Oh and as for motors… at the TT in Albi they scanned all the bikes for motors and put them I. The UCI guy smiles at my steel frame, which needless to say did not show anything. They also had the x-ray machine for spot checks. It’s a serious game.
It's illegal to race on UK roads without all the proper official paperwork, so you cannot win a sportive/gran fondo* the UK, but they are proper serious things abroad.
* auto correct opted for "gran fondling", which I believe is also very competitive on the continent.