Seven steps to prepare for a multi-day sportive

Time for a new challenge?

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The sportive scene has boomed in recent years and riders are forever seeking out the next big challenge. That has seen the popularity of multi-day sportives grow as the experienced sportivist continue to test themselves.

A multi-day sportive gives amateur riders a small taste of what it’s like to be a professional cyclist, having to ride and recover effectively over a number of days. Riding hard for successive days presents its own challenges compared to preparing for a one-off, single-day event. While you may be able to suffer your way through a one-day sportive, you’ll soon get found on a multi-day event.

The Tour of Wessex is one of the toughest multi-day rides in the UK, covering 335 miles of incessantly lumpy terrain in the south west, while the Dragon Tour is new for 2015 and takes in up to 310 miles, again three days and culminating in the legendary Dragon Ride. Head overseas and the Haute Route is one of many mountainous, multi-day events, with week-long rides in the Pyrenees, Alps and Dolomites.

Tempted? there’s plenty you can do to prepare for a multi-day sportive and in this article I will show how you need to adapt your training to cope with a number days in the saddle.

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