The Dragon Ride Sportive 2021

The Dragon Ride is one of Britain's most popular sportives. The 2021 edition takes place on 26 September having been postponed from its usual June date because of the pandemic.

Now in its 17th edition, there are four different distances available ranging from 100km to 300km. The longest event is the Dragon Devil which involves 300km (almost 200 miles!) of riding and 4,852 metres of climbing - yet sells out each year!

Last year saw the route reversed for the first time since 2011 - so if you think you've been there, done it, try doing it backwards!

All sportives start from Margam Park, Port Talbot, which has been used as the starting point since 2012.

Those doing the Dragon Devil should be aware that there are some serious climbs on this route, including the 'Rhigos' (which is a nearly 11km climb), 'Black Mountain' and the 'Devil’s Elbow' – the Dragon Ride’s signature climbs – with the new addition of the 'Devil's Staircase', a climb with a 15% gradient and elevation of 480m.

There are plenty of technical descents on the ride and riders are warned that these are not easy and should be taken with caution.