Riding in a sportive gives you the chance to test your limits and appreciate the amazing and wonderful atmosphere of riding with hundreds, sometimes thousands of riders. Their popularity is increasing every year, and as a cyclist you may want to give a few a try.

As official tour operators of the Mallorca 312 and Marmotte in France, two of the biggest amateur sportives on the circuit, we know how best to look after you.

This post discusses how we look after you as you ride a sportive, and shows what we can do even if the event was tougher than you expected.

Logistics and Administration

As well as handing aspects such as airport transfers, including your bike, we also take care of the administration. This includes registration into the sportive and collecting your rider number. We also give you event information and discuss how best to ride the sportive. Martin and his team are seasoned professional coaches who have ridden at the highest level.
Race Preparation

Depending on how long you are staying with us, we will arrange pre-event rides to give you an idea of the course and terrain. This is very helpful information, as conditions such as temperature and wind can and do effect how well you ride the sportive. See our blog, “Essential Preparation for Every Sportive you Ride”.

We also provide valuable information on how to ride the sportive. We have touched on this subject before in our blog, “How to Ride the Right Pace in a Sportive”, which talks about pacing yourself throughout a big event.

Back-up During the Event

Sometimes your sportive may not go to plan. To keep you on the road, we operate event back-up cars carrying your private items, and spare wheels and other parts to help you should you get stuck. We also have a fully qualified cycle mechanic to ensure your bike is in good working order.

In both Marmotte and the Mallorca 312, we have the riders in the event as well. This allows us to ensure you are ok as you ride the event, without being overbearing.

Many of our guests have stated that without the pacing advice they received from Martin and his team, they would not have been able to finish the event. Pacing is very important when you ride a sportive, which is why we place so much emphasis on it. You can read our blog on sportive pacing here.

What happens if Things go wrong?

Both the Mallorca 312 and especially Marmotte require a good level of cycling skill and fitness. In the latter you will be riding mountains used in the Tour de France, in the French Alps. This has caught people out in the past.

Shane Phelan, a journalist with the Irish Independent wrote about his experiences of Marmotte 2015. Although exhaustion got to him 10kms from the finish line, he did show how SportActive looked after him.

“The following afternoon myself and David had recovered enough to get back on the bike and ride up the Alpe with Martin Birney from the Derry-based cycle holiday company SportActive, who looked after us very well during the trip. “ Shane Phelan.

Have any Questions about a Sportive?

If you have any questions about the Mallorca 312 or Marmotte why not get in touch? We’re happy to help, and as you can see we look after you before, during, and after your sportive.

To read Shane’s account of Marmotte, click here.

submitted on 22/9/2015