- Doing a big sportive or gran fondo,
such as the Maratona dles Dolomites,
will mean that you are around thousands of other riders,
and as such, there are certain dos and don'ts.
Coming up is GCN's Guide To Sportive Etiquette.
Don't do that, mate.
It's dangerous.
- Sorry, Dan.
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One of the biggest things you'll notice when riding
a sportive or a gran fondo type event
are the sheer volume of other riders
that you'll be peddling along with,
so it's important that you're considerate
in the way that you're riding.
Take, for example, the approach to a Feed Zone.
What you don't want to do is suddenly
veer across the road without paying attention
to what's behind you.
- Likewise, you really want to try and avoid
any sudden braking, unless it is absolutely necessary.
Stopping suddenly could well catch the people
out behind you, and you might well cause a pile-up.
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- Now, along very similar lines,
it's important and very advisable
that you don't overlap the wheel in front of you
because basically,
you just can't predict what the person in front
is gonna do.
They may brake, or they may deviate
at a very hard angle,
and dropping just off the wheel
gives you that ability to manoeuvre
and take any evasive action.
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- Now, there is no harm in giving it a bit of welly
if you're feeling particularly sprightly and strong
on a sportive, but just remember, it's not a race.
If you want to get ultra competitive,
there are plenty of organised races out there.
So, obey the rules of the road,
don't take unnecessary risks at junctions,
and make sure you stay on your side of the road.
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- Try and warn the riders behind you
of any hazard that you see in the road
up ahead.
Could be a pothole like there, or a raised drain,
could be a slower ride that you're approaching,
or even a parked car.
A hand gesture and a vocal warning should be enough.
Well.
- Cheers.
- Hole. - Thanks.
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There is no harm in taking advantage
of slipstreaming behind other riders.
After all, there should be plenty of them around,
but make sure you also do your own turn on the front,
to do the pace-setting.
People won't mind you sitting behind them, just so long
as at least occasionally, you do come to the front
and do your own work into the wind.
In fact, if you can find another rider, or even a group
of similar ability to yourself,
this will help you get through to the finish of the event
much more efficiently.
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- This should go without saying,
but believe me, so many people still insist
on not checking behind when emptying the contents
of their nose.
If you're gonna deliver a snot rocket,
clear your throat, whatever you wanna call it,
take a glance behind,
bit of an indication,
away you go.
- So, those are GCN's tips when it comes to etiquette
at gran fondos or sportives,
but if you've got any of your own tips,
please leave them for us in the comment section down below.
Equally, if there's anything that particularly annoys you
about the way other riders do sportive events,
let us know as well in the comment section down below.
Now, if you are yet to subscribe
to the Global Cycling Network, it is free to do so.
All you got to do for that is to click on the globe,
which you will see on the screen somewhere now.
- Yeah, and for a couple of other sportive videos
that may interest you,
how about How To Prepare Your Bike For A Sportive?
You can find that by clicking just down here,
and for how to prepare yourself,
or How to Train For A Sportive,
click just down here.