THE BESTOF 2016

Planning a holiday overseas next year? Here’s some food for thought...

1 LOOP THE LOOP

Majorca 312 30 April A formidable challenge at any time of year, the 312’s position in the calendar only adds to its fearsome reputation. The 312 in the title refers to the route’s distance in kilometres - one full lap of the island. Beginning at the crack of dawn, final riders aren’t expected back until gone 9pm. mallorca312.com

2 BITE THE BIG APPLE

TD Five Boro Bike Tour 1 May Forty miles, five boroughs, one day, zero cars; those are the headline figures of this 32,000-rider charity ride through the empty streets of New York City, held on the first Sunday of May each year. It’s one of six events in the newly formed World Association of Cycling Events (WACE) series, which includes the Etape du Tour and our very own RideLondon. bike.nyc

3 CHASING RAINBOWS

UCI World Cycling Tour Finals TBC This is your chance to wear a rainbow jersey legitimately. The world amateur championships, officially the ‘UCI World Cycling Tour Finals’, will be held in Perth, Australia in 2016. Qualifying events for the road race and TT are held around the world all year, with June’s Tour of Cambridgeshire your chance in the UK. uciworldcyclingtour. com

4 THE IRISHITALIAN JOB

Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia Northern Ireland 21 June A legacy of the Giro d’Italia paying a visit to Ireland in 2014, this gran fondo is part of the Giro d’Italia Gran Fondo series that also includes races in Italy and Austria. Last year the hilly 173km and 58km routes were staged on closed roads, with only the Tour of Cambridgeshire offering a similar car-free tarmac race in the UK last year. granfondogiroditalia. com

5

AUSSIE RULES

L’Etape Australia 3 December Like the Giro gran fondo series, the Etape series is expanding its reach around the world and this event in New South Wales’ Snowy Mountains is the first to hit Australia. Final route details have yet to be revealed, but will definitely include a sportive as well as a gran fondo for more competitive types. letapeaustralia.com