Compared to cyclosportives in France, for example, it’s massively expensive. The one I do is 35EUR, closed roads for the first 20km, 3 course meal at the end and a jersey.

The Dragon gives you a medal, some apple pies & tiny tin of WD-40. However, last year was lush, but that was the weather. Doing it in the rain would have been grim.

and…let’s not forget the ones in France are actually races as well, with mass starts and results and everything! (Unless you enter the ‘rando’ class.