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France, Italy and Spain too if you say so (I haven't done Quebrantahuesis, but want to) have sportive style events that are classed as races.
I did the QH this year (my third time, highly recommended), and it's definitely a race for the front runners. (So much so one got kicked out for doping 🙄 ) But legally it's pretty similar to a UK sportive (at least going by what I read here) - it's not a race.
The big differences seem to be the local support and the closed roads.
[quote=cynic-al ]Mogrim - folk in races are at least learning about racing
What are they learning that you can't learn in a sportive?
Do you get points for 'winning' a sportive now then?
Something like the Quebrantahuesos is well publicised, the results + photos are in the main cycling mags, so yes. Not points, but definitely excellent publicity for an amateur rider who wants a chance at going pro. I imagine L'Etape etc would be fairly similar.
The winners of QH are generally at the other end of their careers! A guy on our Saturday chaingang still has the course record, after a fairly unspectacular career ended by a crash in the tour of Colombia. He's certainly earned a bit of coin off the back of it, it's a big deal here now the masters series have been axed.
The guy who was booted for doping (Vázquez) was allowed to enter despite his history, as were others with shady pasts, but on the understanding he wouldn't go for the win. Which he did, so the moto police had to intervene after unsuccessfully negotiating for him to ease off. Didn't say how they stopped him. Maybe a truncheon through the spokes!
aracer - Member
cynic-al » Mogrim - folk in races are at least learning about racing
What are they learning that you can't learn in a sportive?
Seriously?