Are there any rules or regulations for these things? I am a bit shaken up after having had a cyclist ride towards me in the middle of my side of the road on a blind bend. Looks like he had pulled out of a junction and decided to stay on the wrong side of the road to make up time (I had previously stopped for the main pack and support vehicles passing earlier). I had to emergency brake and swerve into the other, on coming lane. Not really a cool story but just wondering if this was a one off idiot or if there is something in the rules about using all lanes etc?

The rules regarding use of the roads are obey the rules of the road, simple as that.

Unless its closed roads then normal highway code rules apply.

You met an idiot who was paying for the privelage of being an idiot following signposts.

Its the 80/ 20 rule.
80% of people are basically ok, 20% have got something missing and this displays in different ways from being a sociopath, or cycling on the wrong side of the road, or shouting Stravaaaaaaa! or just being a dick (as Charlie the Bikemonger puts it). Its just life.

One off idiot unless they closed the road to other traffic. For example I saw a sign about Winnats Pass being closed for a few hours for an organised bike ride one weekend.

A pack and support vehicles sounds more like a race than a sportive.

A pack and support vehicles sounds more like a race than a sportive.

It matters not, under BC RR regs its still the same, obey rules of road.

Except if it were then used as a stick with which to beat sportives as in the thread title.

OK. Just unlucky (or lucky not to have hit him) then. Sorry, it may have been a race rather than a sportive but there were no signs up and the road was fully open. Guess I have to be super wary of event riders even on a Friday morning.

Sportives are pretty well publicised. Got a time and location for this one?

Pretty unusual to have a road race on a Friday morning. With time and location you could check against the BC race calendar and see if it was a RR. Did the rider have a number on? (Guess you might not have been able to see under the circumstances)

Edit: Nothing on the BC calendar for today, so not an official road race

Foot of Leith Hill and heading towards Forest Green (Surrey).

More unusual to have a sportive on a Friday morning I’d have thought.

Guess I have to be super wary of event riders even on a Friday morning.

Bit odd to have either a race or a sportive on a Friday morning. Unless its a pro race, but you would expect a rolling road closure with that.

There are too many people regarding sportives as races, you don’t given a placing just a time, it might be time they stop doing giving times out, just to get them back to what they are supposed to be a riding challenge over a set distance.

There are too many people regarding sportives as races, you don’t given a placing just a time, it might be time they stop doing giving times out, just to get them back to what they are supposed to be a riding challenge over a set distance.

So just like going for a long ride then?

If someone wants to ‘win’ then its up to them, doesn’t bother me.

Two recent Sportives local to me had podium ceremonies. Tell me how that’s not a race.

it might be time they stop doing giving times out, just to get them back to what they are supposed to be a riding challenge over a set distance.

You mean an Audax?

FWIW, I can’t find any Sportive scheduled to take place this morning.

Two recent Sportives local to me had podium ceremonies. Tell me how that’s not a race.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, poor deluded fools. Were the results decided by time or position over the finish line?

As it happens, both (the fastest riders left first and finished first). Why do you ask?

Because that is normally why a sportive isn’t either a race or a time trial; the “results” are given on time yet drafting is allowed and riders don’t all start in one group.

For the podiums near you, surely they had a rule of whether it was time or first rider?

As far as I can tell, it was fastest time. It’s just normal for the fast riders to lead out so they operate as a bunch. I guess there would be nothing to stop a really fast “solo” rider coming in at a later point though. It’s still a race, just using a different set of rules.

You could try telling the winners that they’re not racing but seeing as how some of them are pretty handy on a bike I think they’d simply laugh in your face.

A quick check of Strava segments in the area doesn’t show anything up either, bit weird! Could it just have been a club ride?

Clearly a **** either way!

Sounds like a large charity ride, you’ll often get a big group and support vehicles,can’t think of anything else likely to be out Friday morning.

Probably a corporate event…all the big event players run them..Raw Energy were taking down signs in Sussex this afternoon too.
These tend to have a spread of riders invited from semi-pro pacers to sunday doodlers and ,if a big client company,from branches all over the world…maybe someone not used to riding on the left?

Two recent Sportives local to me had podium ceremonies. Tell me how that’s not a race.

don’t TTs have podiums/prizes? They are “races” as I think you are using the term. Isn’t it specifically first across the line racing that is banned on roads. Tho I’d be surprised if most sportives weren’t agreed by the powers that be with a “not a race or a time trial” or some such condition

Could have been a club ride – I know little about road riding. I do know a bit more about the intricacies now though.
Leading car had flashing warning lights, main pack was quite tight, lots of blue and white lycra.
It’s not a witch hunt – we all do stupid things sometimes, I was just interested in whether this bloke would have thought it normal practice.

Two recent Sportives local to me had podium ceremonies

I’m partial to the odd sportive, nice to get a good time around but mainly it’s a day out with mates riding places you probably wouldn’t normally get round to.

A podium ceremony is a bit embarrassing though…

It’d better not be as there are dozens of these things every weekend.

A podium ceremony is a bit embarrassing though…

I was third fastest in an MK sportive, but just went home. Like above I’m partial to the odd one, but I don’t want any reward I’d feel silly.
You can tell me a sportive isn’t a race, because I do races and they are races, and I do sportives and they are sportives I find that really easy to understand.

Friday morning = guys off work and in the zone 🙄

Podium at a sportive, is it April the first again ?

Ineresting case of confirmation bias from the OP

get them back to what they are supposed to be a riding challenge over a set distance.

May I suggest:

What happened before the sportive was dreamt up

Pah – I “won” a sportive near here… and just went home. Certainly didn’t expect any sort of official recognition and would have been quite embarrassed if they’d had any.

Hmmm. So I presume that you entered the event with the intention of doing it as fast as possible. (Unless you just happened to be effortlessly faster than everyone else). What is the problem with that being recognised at the end?

I’m entering my first Sportive in the morning – Castle100 from Tonbridge. I’m getting a little concerned that I’m going to be surrounded by bad riding and frustrated drivers. Hopefully not, and it will be fun. It’s my first 100 mile road ride, so I wanted a challenge to train towards.

Because it’s not a race. In the same way there isn’t a podium presentation for the sprint to the speed limit sign, because that’s not a race.

If it’s timed and there are prizes, medals etc then it’s a race. I don’t get why some folk are resistant to the idea.

Most folk who take part in The London Marathon have no chance of winning but that doesn’t mean it’s not a race.

In the same way there isn’t a podium presentation for the sprint to the speed limit sign, because that’s not a race.

But it is a race, really, isn’t it 😉

Could have been a club ride – I know little about road riding. I do know a bit more about the intricacies now though.
Leading car had flashing warning lights, main pack was quite tight, lots of blue and white lycra.
It’s not a witch hunt – we all do stupid things sometimes, I was just interested in whether this bloke would have thought it normal practice.

You know what it sounds like to me?
Some sort of corporate “ride with [insert famous cyclist] experience” or possibly a corporate training ride for whatever “challenge” their marketing department has dreamed up for middle management this time round.

Friday morning so it’s extremely unlikely to be a road race or Sportive. Lead car means it won’t be a club run. And you mention the blue & white Lycra which suggests one group in some sort of team strip.

And the comment about shit riding standards would be spot on for that sort of event!

Yes they couldn’t possibly have been real cyclists. Real cyclists can never do wrong, even when doing wrong! Must have been noobs or corporate warriors or car club out for a cycle. Yes probably car drivers, the evil bastards!