Etape du Tour 2016 Sportive

The Etape du Tour is probably the most famous sportive in the world and is the only chance each year to ride the same route as the pro riders in the Tour de France on closed roads.

Approximately 15,000 places are available for the 2016 Etape du Tour, a 146km ride from Megève to Morzine in the northern Alps. It takes in four climbs and around 3,335 metres of climbing (according to our calculations) and will be a long day on a bike for even the most experience riders.

Why not read our Etape du Tour 2016 route analysis for the full lowdown on this year's tough route, including the final climb up the unrelenting Col de Joux Plane?

Registration for the 2016 Etape du Tour opened at 1pm UK time (2pm CET) on Tuesday 20 October and costs 100 euros. You can register now at the official Etape website. Entries will probably sell out in early January (based on previous year's sales) but there will still be places available through tour groups who sell packages that includes entries.

The Etape has become incredibly popular among British riders and in 2015 around 35% of entrants were from the UK.

One of the hardest choices is to decide whether to go to the Etape as part of an organised group or whether to make your own arrangements. A good travel company may cost a bit more but it can make life an awful lot easier as they pick you up from the airport, organise getting to the start and being picked up from the finish and often have their own feed stations along the Etape route. Read our guide to Etape du Tour travel operators to see who we recommend. However if you plan well in advance and are part of a group of riders you will save a lot of money making your own plans. Remember that it is very unlikely that you will want to cycle home an extra 55km after finishing the Etape so making sure you are able to get home easily is important.

Read Paul Hunt's 2015 Etape du Tour ride report
Read Alex Voake's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report
Read James Andrew's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report
Read Chris Walker's 2014 Etape du Tour ride report