Eroica's coming to the UK

[ugo.santalucia]

Back to topic?

The Eroica Britannia is not the first franchise of the Eroica, last May they did an Eroica Japan in the Fuji mount national park. I have seen the video and I have seen fewer than 100 riders taking part.
What it means is that the brand Eroica is not necessarily a recipe for success and going along the "rip off route" is certainly a good way to fail. There aren't many retro fans in this country and most don't want to spend that kind of money. There won't be many people coming from italy or France, nobody will come from the USA... I suspect they might just make the 500 netrants, but it won't be the huge success they forecast.
The Corporate ticket is a bit of a joke... do you know any company who has 10 Retro bike fans? Probably not even BP has that many, may be the NHS

 

[TGR]

I have been thinking about this and really it would cost me a similar amount to travel to England as it would to travel to the original L'Eroica - which you you pick?

Richard

 

[joe careless]

I've signed up, yes it may seem a bit ott pricewise but hey that part of the peak is my favourite part of England, and i hope to get to the cotswold bash too, I think the L'Eroica Brit. will be very well subscribed judging by the murmuring.

 

[vivelesalpes]

I'll probably be doing it even though I can cycle along the majority of the route any time. The start is only 10 miles from my front door so is considerably cheaper than a trip to Italy or Belgium (much as I wish I had the time and money to do these too).

It is pricey, but I'm sure it will be good. The people behind it normally put on a good do and I'm saying that not only as someone who knows the organisers, but someone who has done some of their events before.

I also know how many man hours has gone into planning this event and it wouldn't surprise me if they have had to buy the rights to use the name too.

As per the comments regarding the UK etape events. None of the entry fee goes to Marie Curie - they raise their money from sponsorship on the back of these events: http://www.cyclosport.org/26-Jun-2012/n ... tions.html

I might be up for the Cotswolds too - I'm planning on doing a CX race the following day so I'll see how my legs feel. I've done the Peak and Hereford / Gospel Pass Retro ride this year and they are cracking events.

Ride safe,

Paul

 

[ugo.santalucia]

Vivelesalps, you seem to be in the know, re. the organisers.
Which events are you talking about that they have organised before?

 

[vivelesalpes]

They have organised in the past include the La Squadra Hot 100, Rapha Giro Ride, Ride of the Falling Leaves Strines Challenge in conjunction with Out of the Saddle (which is the Downing Brother's charity).

Marco who is one of the organisers owns Gusto Cycling: http://www.gustocycling.com/

 

[ugo.santalucia]

I think a few people on here are regulars of these events (I have done the three big European ones a few times), but we are a bit perplexed, as typically these events are ran by passion and not fuelled by dollars. I would really really love to be part of the Eroica britannia, but there is something inside me that keeps saying this is yet another Great British Sportive Scam... like The Dragon Ride... it's not the 70 pounds per se, it is a matter of principle.

Maybe if the organisers came here and explained what they want to do and why this will cost so much to run, there is a chance we can change our minds... at the end of the day I would probably spend more to go abroad, but while I understand why a Ferry crossing costs 39 pound each way, I don't understand why a bicycle rid costs 70-85... it's in their interest more than it is in mine... I am more than happy to do the retroronde the weekend before instead

 

[vivelesalpes]

At the end of the day, the organisers, although all cyclists, are trying to run the event as a business and make a profit.

I think I would not be doing it myself except it is on my doorstep, so is more viable than a trip to Belgium or Italy. Plus it's something I want to do - I don't do many sportives as most of them are unappealing.

 

[ugo.santalucia]

Ahhhhhhh
This is where you go wrong Vivelesalpes.
Nobody in the Retroronde is there to make a profit... they do it for passion, there is no profit there. Nobody at the Anjou Velo Vintage turns a profit. The Eroica was like that too, before your friends even knew it existed. Now it is changing, I believe, although the profit there is used to finance other less known sport initiatives... nobody there pockets a single Euro.
Most of the best events in Europe and in the Uk are not ran for profit and virtually all those which are ran for profit are not worth their money... if your friends want to run the Eroica Britannia to turn a profit, good luck to them, it won't be my money
I'm out..

 

[pigman]

I reckon I get it .. its a festival rather than a sportive. The high entrance fee is to pay for the ad agency who wrote the promotional material. Just read some of the phrasiology on the following link. Youre gonna either have a laughing fit or be sick. Its good, its that bad ....

http://www.eroicabritannia.co.uk/file/festival